I started January with something a little different this year: a workshop about goals. I have a confession to make... I struggle to meet my own goals. Constantly.
Notice I said "my own goals." I am aces with outward-facing goals. Work projects, family projects, Writers In the Storm three days a week. I nail those suckers. But my own goals tend to fall far behind the rest of my life's commitments. Perhaps this happens to you too.
This month's goals class delved into two things that gave me "a-ha moments" of epic proportions.
Let me explain...
Two Phrases That Sparked Change
The class began with the instructor saying: "Joy. Progress. Power. Fulfillment. Learning. Impact. These are the important qualities about goals."
(And then he got to the parts I really needed to hear. The magic is in easy-to-find blue font below.)
"Your brain is meant to solve problems, not just store a bunch of to-do's. You can’t get clarity while you’re mired in a to-do list."
If you’re inside the jar, you can’t read the label.
And that was my first "a-ha moment."
I have grand lists that I misplace or get overwhelmed by. Those lists often feel like running through molasses. No joy, slow progress, no fulfillment.
I think this is the true reason so many writers (especially slightly ADD writers like me) get procrastination paralysis on their projects. It's those huge to-do lists with no action plan. There is a how to some of these to-do's, especially big to-do's, that must be respected.
Organizing is a project as well and it takes time. And sometimes it helps to decide in advance what "done" looks like so you don't get lost inside that jar.
Perhaps we cannot really manage time - perhaps we can only manage priorities.
Example #1:
Think about a website. Perhaps the name of the goal is "Finish Website." But the actual goal looks more like this:
Give the Goal a Realistic Deadline.
Brainstorm a list of steps (this lets your brain solve problems):
Make list of 6 Hex Colors
Find complementary graphics - at least two, must be landscape, min size: 1200x800
Build wireframe
Research plugins
Choose Wordpress theme
Choose fonts
The list is much larger than this, but there's no need to bore you with it. Organize those steps into sequential tasks. Schedule some time on your calendar. Work on them several times a week.
Example #2:
Here's a goal we can ALL relate to: "Finish Book" (or even "Finish Chapter [fill in the blank]")
Y'all know that's a terrible goal, right? Not only does it fail the SMART goal test, it's the kind of goal that's sure to send any insecure writer screaming from the page. At the very least, there will be questions like: Where do I start? How will I know when it is done?
If you have any hope of finishing something as big as a book, your list of goals has to be broken down into much smaller steps that might look something more like this:
Chapter 1 To-Do's
If you're a plotter...
List out chapter goals
List out characters needed onscreen to accomplish these goals
List the problems that must be solved in this chapter
Divide all this into 3-4 scenes
Write them one at a time
Repeat over multiple chapters
If you're a pantser...
Schedule writing time
Set out kitchen timer
List at least two chapter goals
Start writing (Note: timed sprints often work best for pantsers)
Repeat over multiple writing sessions
Our friend Laura Drake is a pantser of the highest order, but she has an Excel spreadsheet of what happens in every chapter. She updates it as she goes along. She might not know everything about where she's going when she sits down to write, but she knows where she's been and it helps her move forward until she can fully see the story.
Plus, she knows the big secret of goal achievement: What gets scheduled gets done. If you set a habit of achievement in place, you will make progress on those goals.
Remember, when it comes to goals, PROGRESS = HAPPINESS.
Since achieving a goal or making progress releases dopamine in your brain, this one really is true. Setting yourself up for success is the best way to keep moving forward on your writing goals.
This LifeHack.org article , The Science of Setting Goals says it better than I do: "Among other things, dopamine acts as a motivator, creating a sensation of pleasure when the brain is stimulated by achievement. The attainment of the object of our desire releases dopamine into our brains, and we feel good."
When you set a goal and keep your word to yourself, your reward is a nice shot of dopamine. Woo!
And here was the second lightbulb moment for me:
Not breaking down my goals into manageable pieces hurts more than my work in progress.
When you don’t keep an agreement with yourself, it erodes your self-confidence and the ability to trust yourself and your own word.
In other words, it's highly expensive to your writing confidence to break your word to yourself. If you are scared or shamed about meeting your writing goals, you will get stuck. It's human nature. Plus, you don't get the lovely dopamine.
I had to take a break and a deep breath after the instructor dropped that bomb about keeping agreements with yourself. Because often, I just ...don't.
I'm so busy meeting the demands of others in my life that my dreams get shuffled to the back of the line. Instead of those dreams getting a luxury lakefront view, they're being relegated to the seat in the back next to the trash can for days or weeks at a time.
My dreams (and yours) deserve better treatment.
The Good News
If this breaking your word to yourself thing is a pattern, you can make the choice to put it behind you and move forward differently. The same as it does with our characters, a misbelief can create anxiety and procrastination. It can erode our confidence in ourselves.
When you keep your word to yourself, you are better able to keep it to others. In other words, prioritizing your goals helps the others in your life too.
Great mantras for all you Goal Chasers:
Where focus goes, energy flows.
What gets scheduled gets done.
FEAR = False evidence (that) appears real.
COURAGE = action in spite of fear.
It is not the stars that create light but rather light that creates the stars.
Go forth and embrace your light, y'all. I believe that every one of you has the power to illuminate the world through your writing.
What "a-ha moments" have boosted your writing confidence? Do you break your word to yourself or do you keep it no matter what? Please share your story with us down in the comments!
About Jenny
By day, Jenny Hansen provides corporate communications and LinkedIn advice for professional services firms. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 20 years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.
I am an independent author-publisher. I love what I do. But there are things I wish I knew before I published.
I spent years learning how to write a story. Having listened to more than a few science fiction authors, I knew more than the average person about the book publishing industry. I tried the traditional publishing route. My two literary agents were superb at their jobs. They landed me a couple of “close but no thanks” responses from traditional publishers. Then, a friend urged me to go the independent route.
I did a great deal of research about traditional publishing vs. independent published. Finally, I decided independent publishing was best for me and my book. Despite all my research, there are many things I wish I knew before I published my book.
Today, I’ll share the big picture ones with you.
It's A Business
If you want to make money from your books, writing is a business. The choice between traditionally published or indie published is a business decision.
Use the resources of writer organizations like the Authors Guild or Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) to educate yourself on best practices. Here at Writers in the Storm, there are many posts to help you decide.
The big 5 traditional publishers are relatively big business. But even traditionally published authors need some business skills.
For most traditional publishers to consider your book, you will need an agent. Here are some questions to ask:
Which agents are best for you to query?
Do you sign a contract? Or have a verbal agreement? Know the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Be very clear on what the agent will do for you. Make certain you understand the agent’s commission and charges.
What if you or your agent decide to end your relationship? How do you do that?
What happens to your books?
If the agent sells your manuscript, you will sign a contract with the publisher. Not all agents are savvy about contracts. Make sure you understand what contract clauses you should avoid. Know what rights you sign over to the publisher.
Other Considerations
Understand what an advance is, what royalties are, and how to read your publisher’s royalty statements. Know what you will and won’t be able to influence during the publishing process. Be certain you can meet the deadlines. Know what your options are if you can’t.
An independent author-publisher is much more than decisions like: Do you want to make a profit or are purchases by friends and family enough? It's a business. The good news and bad news is that you will be CEO, CFO, COO, and worker bee all in one package. It’s a lot of hats to wear, but you are in control.
What are your business strengths and weaknesses? Does your local, regional, or federal laws require you to have a license? Choose a business model, an accounting method, and a tracking method. I wish I had understood tracking methods better before I published. You can learn as you go. As with most things in life, it will cost you time or money—and sometimes both.
Things I Wish I knew about Business
Among the things I wish I knew before I published is how to write and follow a business plan for authors. Better business skills would have helped me make better decisions. Better decisions may have translated to earlier success.
Investing in Your Business
Writing and publishing books is not a get-rich-quick type of business. A traditional publishing company bears the publishing cost. As an independent author-publisher, you do. The trad published author role is not without its own costs. There are trade-offs. Only you can decide what's best for you and your book.
Investing in Traditional Publishing
A traditional publisher will edit, proofread, and format your book. They will put a professional cover on it. It is rare for trad publishing to give an author a choice in those matters. But no money will come out of your pocket for these services. And you will have a professional-looking book in the end.
Some traditional publishers will advertise. Usually, they spend a lot more advertising dollars on authors who sell well (Steven King or JK Rowling, for example). Unknown or debut authors may wish to augment the advertising by their publisher.
Your Contract
Know if your contract allows you to advertise, go on a book tour, or to sell your books at conferences and conventions. You may get some complimentary author copies. Beyond those few, author copies will cost you. Typically, if a contract allows a debut author to do book tours and conferences, it’s on your dime. What are you willing to spend to help the publisher sell your book?
Investing in Independent Publishing
You can independently publish your book on a tiny investment. There are some authors who do their own formatting, editing, and make their own cover. Your book has a much better chance of selling well with professional level editing, covers, etc. All of those things cost from a little to a lot of money. Research the what type of editor you will need. Learn how to choose which professionals to hire. Know what you’re able to invest.
Know the average cost for editors and cover artists in your genre. Understand that on every platform, on each sale, you get a percentage or royalty. Platforms like Amazon (Kindle Direct Publishing) don’t charge you to publish, but will charge a per product fee and potentially a delivery fee against your percentage of each product purchased. Other platforms, like Ingram Spark, charge a modest amount to publish or republish. If your book doesn’t sell, you may be responsible for the cost of returned books.
Things I Wish I Knew About An Indie's Investment
Investing in your author career wisely is another set of business skills. Having that set of skills would have made me feel more confident in my investment decisions. And it might have saved me a few dollars.
Advertising
Learn about advertising online. You can advertise on almost any social media platform. They each have different costs, and different audiences. Most advertising gurus will advise that you do not advertise your first book. Readers will wait to see if you are more than a one-book-and-done author.
Know your numbers. How much did it cost to create your book? What price will you put on it? How much will you make on each sale?
I might have made a few different decisions if I’d known the details of things like how to track cost vs income and what that meant short term vs long term.
Things I Wish I Knew About Advertising
I was clueless about advertising. I'm learning, but it's a steep learning curve for me. You don't need a degree in advertising to be an indie author. But understanding basic principles of digital and print marketing would be helpful. Hiring someone who is better at it is an option, if you can afford it.
Everything Takes Time
There are hundreds of adages about time. Most of them express at least a modicum of truth. The time things take in the publishing world may shock the uninitiated.
Traditional Publishing
It takes time to find the agent who loves your writing and will attempt to sell it. The agent requires more time to find an editor and publishing house that will buy your book. Contract negotiations can be quick or slow. The publishing house and editor will have other books they are working to publish, so your book may not get much attention for a month or more. Once the editor has thoroughly reviewed your book, they may ask for a revision. Of course, it takes time to revise a novel. Then you wait for the copy edited version. During all this, your editor and publisher will choose a cover artist and cover concept (they rarely give you a choice.) Then, you wait for the printing press to run your book. Next comes distribution and sales and eventually, if you’re lucky, earning out your advance and earning royalties. This can take years.
Independent Publishing
The independent author-publisher must do all the steps the publishing house and editor do the paragraphs above. It takes time. Some authors can produce a book in weeks as opposed to months or years. Some authors skip steps to speed the process. No matter what publishing decision you make, publishing a book takes time. Period.
A day-job will affect the speed of your process. Life can do that, too. Create deadlines with a cushion of time for those deviations in your plans. Experienced author-publishers may get by with a 10% cushion. The less experienced you are, the bigger the cushion you may need.
Publishing Strategy
Traditional Publishing
Your publisher will have a company wide publishing strategy and a publishing strategy for your book. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a strategy. Part of your strategy is the choice to be published by a traditional publishing company. You will also need a strategy for your brand, appearances, social media, and advertising.
Independent Publishing
You need a publishing strategy that also includes brand, appearances, social media and advertising. Do you want to go wide (publish on more than one site) or exclusive with Amazon’s reading subscription service? Which is best for your genre?
Waiting until your trilogy is complete is one strategy. Rapid publishing is another. Have a strategic plan.
Decisions about what types of stories you write, cover design and what front and back matter to include are part of your strategy. Learn to write an effective book description. (Hint, it’s not a summary, and it isn’t like writing a book.) Choosing categories and keywords appropriate for your book is another piece of your strategy.
There isn’t a right vs wrong time to publish. Your book will never be perfect. You will never be 100% ready. Your book launch won’t be perfect. So when are you ready to publish? It’s your decision.
Independent author-publishers have advantages traditional publishers do not. You can push your publication date forward or back to a certain degree. Changing front and back matter, covers, even your manuscript are all possible when you are an independent author-publisher.
Things I Wish I Knew About Publishing Strategy
I wish I understood publish strategies better before I published my first book. Perhaps having a cohesive strategy to begin with would have strengthen my business from the beginning.
Delays Will Happen
The one thing you can count on in publishing is that there will be delays and problems. Publishers can’t get paper. Or your editor quits and no one else in house wants it.
Book seller sites don’t always load as quickly as they say they will. Or they’ve changed the rules or image sizes. Often, you will need to learn something you didn’t know you needed to know. Sometimes you’ll need to reload your book more than once. And pay the charges more than once.
An independent author-publisher can keep their book as is or pivot and go another direction. Change covers? Change the price? Change the blurb. All, and more, are possible. It requires knowledge of your genre and current book selling trends in order to choose the best path for your book.
Things I Wish I Knew About Delays
I don't think one can anticipate all delays and problems. I wish I'd known that even though distribution platforms like Draft to Digital charge fees for each sale (on top of the sales platform's fees), sometimes saving time is worth the extra cost.
Overwhelmed?
There are a lot of pieces to being an independent author-publisher. Don’t let being overwhelmed stop you. Remember, everything in publishing takes time. Give yourself realistic expectations and deadlines.
If you are overwhelmed, decide on one thing you’ll do today. Give yourself a time limit for investigating that one thing.
Remember, the number one thing you must do if you want a career as an author is write the next book. You won’t have a business if you don’t have books to sell.
Wrong or Right?
There is not a right or wrong choice between traditional or independent. It’s simply a choice. Make the best decision for you and your books.
These big picture things I wish I knew before publishing my first book don’t make me regret my choice. Believe it or not, there are more things I wish I knew before I published. They are for a future post.
I love being an independent author-publisher. I enjoy being able to make all the decisions. I take ownership of my writing and publishing. Yes, I’m a control-freak. And I will continue to learn and grow, even when it’s hard. Even if I learn some things I will wish I’d known when I started.
There are challenges to both traditional and independent publishing. What do you wish you’d known earlier during your journey to be published?
About Lynette M. Burrows
Lynette M. Burrows loves hot coffee, reading physical books, and the crack of a 9mm pistol—not all at the same time, though they all show up in her stories. She writes thrilling science fiction about badass heroes and heroines.
Her series, The Fellowship Dystopia, presents a frightening familiar American tyranny that never was but could be. In Book One,My Soul to Keep, Miranda discovers dark family secrets, the brutality of the Fellowship way of life, and the deadly reality of rebellion. In Fellowship, the series companion novel, a desperate young man and his siblings hide in the mountains from the government agents who Took their parents. Book two of the series, If I Should Die, will be published in this spring.
Owned by two Yorkshire Terriers, Lynette lives in the land of Oz. You can find her online at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter @LynetteMBurrows.
One worry that can plague writers is whether their characters are original enough or not. After all, readers meet a lot of characters over time, so how can writers make sure their characters are fresh and interesting? How can they make sure their story’s cast has that WOW factor that ensures they stay with readers long after the book closes?
Luckily there’s a myriad of ways to make a character stand out through their personality, belief system, struggles, interests, and more. Characters will also have their own unique backstories, motivations and needs. This is why making time to uncover their inner layers is always worthwhile.
Today, let’s look at a specific area of characterization that can help you individualize your character: Talents & Skills.
Got Skills?
In the real world, we all have certain abilities. Maybe we have strong listening skills that help us get to the heart of a matter quickly so we can undo misunderstandings. Or we can haggle well and always manage to get a better price. Whether it’s singing, skiing, welding, or transforming pop cans into an ingenious whirligigs, talents and skills help make us interesting and memorable, and can do the same for characters.
As you can imagine, there’s a cargo ship of possibilities when it comes to special abilities. Some will have a big impact on the story too, so we want to think carefully about what talents our characters might possess. Start by considering…
A special ability should originate from your character. What fits with their personality, interests, education, or environment?
Think about what will happen in the story, and the problems the character must navigate. What skills might help them get past hurdles (and hopefully encourage inner growth)?
Consider their story role. A main character will face a crucible of conflict to reach their goal, and their special ability may influence events and/or be part of their growth arc. A lesser character’s skills, however, may not have the same level of importance.
Bottom line, a character’s giftedness shouldn’t be random. Considering the different types of talents and skills and how they can serve the story can provide lots of ideas, too.
An Unusual Talent or Skill
Some abilities are rarer than others, like the ability to talk to the dead, start fires with the mind, throw one’s voice, or use mentalism to gain information and influence others. When we want a character to really stand out we often think about giving them an unusual talent. And that’s fine as long as we know there’s a trade off: unusual talents generate questions that readers will expect to be answered in the story:
How did this talent come about?
When did the character discover it?
Are they alienated because of this ability, or embraced for it?
And finally, how will their skill impact the story?
This last one leads us to another reader expectation: that this exceptional ability will influence the story in a bigger way. So, if you choose an unusual talent, make sure to follow through on this expectation.
An Ordinary Talent or Skill
Some abilities seem a bit bland, like being skilled at fishing, sewing, or being good with numbers. You might be tempted to skip these and move on to something cooler like being able tohot-wire a car or throw knives.
Spoiler alert: ordinary skills can save the day, too!
A skilled fisherman can be the only thing standing between villagers and starvation during a harsh winter in a lakeside community.
A talented seamstress might save lives on the battlefield.
Having a head for numbers might be how your character helps everyone survive when an Escape Room excursion turns into a psychopath’s maze of puzzles and traps.
Ordinary skills can have a big impact on the story in the right situation. They also resonate and feel realistic to readers. And there’s a message readers connect with, too: that anyone can make a difference, not just the Alphas of the world.
A Useful Talent or Skill
Most often writers choose a skill because it will help their character win. To find the right match, think about what problems the character will face and list out what abilities would help them navigate these situations. Then, challenge yourself to find options that aren’t obvious.
For example, a captive who is a skilled chess player can use strategy and out-of-the-box thinking to escape her captor. A teen who loves parkour might be the group’s only hope of climbing a cavern wall to the surface after a cave-in collapses the tunnel leading out.
“The perfect skill for X situation” can feel contrived to readers, so work to find something that fits the character’s personality, interests, and everyday life.
A Genre-Friendly Talent or Skill
Some talents and qualities show up consistently in certain genres. Billionaire playboys in romances are often charmers with money-making abilities, and tech-thrillers will have someone skilled in computer hacking. Write fantasy? Chances are your band of adventurers will have wilderness navigation, archery, lying, and leadership skills covered.
It’s okay to choose talents and skills common to your genre if you challenge yourself to twist them into something fresh. Maybe your billionaire doesn’t use his charm to bed anyone…instead he smiles his way into securing fat donations for his charitable foundation. Your computer hacker could be a Robin Hood in disguise by taking the paydays of online scammers and returning money to bank accounts of those scammed. Your adventurers can have the perfect skills for a hallmark quest but when they are transported to a foreign landscape full of unknowns, they must adapt their talents to suit.
With a bit of extra thought, there’s always a way to turn a common trope or premise into something fresh.
An Unwanted Talent or Skill
Sometimes a character has an ability they wish they didn’t have. Maybe being a natural peacekeeper means constantly being embroiled in family drama, or good intuition means less mistakes, sparking jealousy among peers. An ability to build explosives could land your character into trouble when a cruel king forces him to make bombs that kill those who stand against the crown.
An unwanted skill can also open the box to internal reflections part of character arc. The unhappiness tied to their ability causes them to think about who they are, who they want to be, and how much this skill controls how they see themselves. This can lead to finding a positive way to use their skill so they gain greater fulfillment.
A Seemingly Useless Talent or Skill
Finally, a great way to subvert expectations is to give your character a talent that seems deceptively useless. Maybe they can solve a Rubix Cube puzzle one-handed, or their steady hands come in handy as a house painter who has to tackle the window trim. Exciting stuff, right?
But what if their dexterity saves them in an emergency? Maybe to help a friend escape wrongful imprisonment they have to they have to pickpocket a key card. Or to undo a curse they must collect magical berries nestled within a thicket of poisonous thorns. Useless talents can transform your story if used the right way!
Ready to Start Brainstorming a Perfect Talent or Skill?
If you need help choosing your character’s special qualities, swing by the Talent and Skill Database at One Stop for Writers.
This database covers everything from A Way with Animals to ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) to Sharpshooting. In fact, all the bolded examples of skills and talents in this post are part of this show-don’t-tell database!
Do you have a talent or skill that you’ve given to a character? Let me know in the comments!
About Angela
Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and its many sequels. Available in nine languages, her guides are sourced by US universities, recommended by agents and editors, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world. To date, this book collection has sold 750,000 copies. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, a portal to game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction.
