Writers in the Storm

Before Christmas, someone at my day job sent around an article from Inc that I’ve been pondering ever since: “How Can You Be Sure Someone Has True Leadership Skills?” The article offered twenty examples for the corporate crowd, and several of them offer life-changing opportunities for writers to lead themselves right down the path to success.

According to the article, these skills and habits are quickly changing the game of leadership development. Effective leaders are encouraged to “break up positive leadership actions into bite-sized daily activities, or ‘micro-actions.’” Basically, they're proving that micro-actions have the power to make BIG change.

Dang, that sounds powerful, doesn’t it? We’ve got to get in on some of that!

Powerful Micro-Actions for Writers

1. Show, don't tell.

We know about Show Don’t Tell in our writing, but what about the all-powerful Butt In Chair? Isn't that the number one way you can show yourself that your writing is important?

Every Top 10 list I’ve ever posted here at WITS includes one thing a writer can’t get away from: we have to do the work.

2. Take a mindful moment.

Focused breathing calms your mind. Before jumping into your daily workload, take a step back and spend two minutes with your eyes closed, focusing on your breathing. .

If you have no idea how to take a moment with your body and your breath, there are at least 13 breathing apps for Android and iOS. I also like the Calm app but you have to pay about $3 for it.

3. Reflect on past challenges to confront new ones.

Our own Laura Drake loses her mind in the middle of every book. She falls flailing into the Pit of Despair and is positive, for minutes/hour/days, that she will never EVER climb out of it.

And then she remembers: this happens with every book.

She can climb out of the pit. She has tools and friends and experience. She remembers the last time the pit swallowed her up, and the many last times before that. Her past challenges, and subsequent successes, buoy her up and keep her afloat until she figures out how to see clearly past that murky middle. And then she loves her book again.

4. Keep your eye on the why.

Why did you become a writer? As very busy author-preneurs who often have day jobs, it's extremely easy to forget that early joy and purpose under the mountains of to-dos that surround every author.

Don't lose sight of this "why" as it is one of the most important keys to staying happy as a writer. Write your goals and your "why" down so you can see it visually, and so you don't lose sight of it.

As Neil Gaiman said:

Imagine where you want to be with your [writing] life. Imagine it is a distant mountain. When you are doing that something with your life, take a moment to stop and see whether it is taking you toward the mountain or away from the mountain.  If it is taking you away, don't do that thing. Only do things that move you closer to the mountain.

5. Replace a bad habit.

Consciously avoid a bad habit by doing something positive instead.

Example: I do my day job tasks first thing, before breakfast, to get the time-sensitive ones out of the way and carve out an hour for writing. I used to play games on my phone to relax while I ate breakfast. After several weeks, I realized that my 15-20 minutes usually turned into 30-40, and I was hopped up on competitive adrenaline, which made me want to do more day job work instead of creative work.

Now? I read with my breakfast. Even if I go over my 15-20 minutes, my brain is in the right place for writing. I'm still re-setting between tasks, but I'm doing it in a way that ensures a smooth transition to my writer self.

6. Bring new people into the decision-making process.

Ask for input on important decisions. Even if you don’t take every bit of advice you are given, the act of seeing input opens your mind for new solutions.

You don’t have to do every blessed thing yourself. Really, you don’t.

7. Seek out feedback.

To take #2 a step further...few of us can exist in a vacuum with our writing. Whether it's an editor or a critique partner, a brainstorming group or a writing class, fellow writers often make the difference between giving up and moving forward.

8. Show gratitude.

I tell my 9 year-old this all the time: people like to do nice things for others, but they also really like to be thanked. Handwritten notes still rule but email works too.

That gratitude feels good for us too. Many people, myself included, think gratitude and writing inspiration go hand in hand. A bestselling author told me she writes three things she's grateful for every day and that it helps her get to her happy place before she sits down to write.

9. Celebrate small wins.

Look for the small wins to congratulate yourself (and your writing team) for. After all, they're what build up to the big wins later on. Our stories take SO long to write. There have to be wins along the way to keep us pumped up.

10. Make small progress towards a commitment.

We all have commitments we've made -- to ourselves or a team member -- that we haven't made good on yet. Even 10 minutes of progress in honoring the commitment feels awesome. It's astonishing how those little blocks of time will add up to a finished goal, whether it's writing time or marketing time.

In last week’s Lines We Love, we shared the following thought:

Many writers struggle with self-doubt, with imposter syndrome, with anxiety. The conundrum is that before we ask others to believe in us and our writing, we must believe in ourselves and know that our words deserve to be heard.

Go ahead, my friends, be brave. Lead your own self into the writing career of your dreams.

Do you have some micro-actions to add to this list? Little habits that have paid off big for your writing. or your life? Do you have bad habits you have consciously replaced? Share your stories with us down in the comments section!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction and short stories. After 18 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Facebook at JennyHansenAuthor or at Writers In The Storm.

Photo credits:

• Steps (top): Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
• Name tag: Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
• Finish line: Image by aumod from Pixabay

by Tasha Seegmiller

I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Elizabeth Gilbert’s first TED talk. I know it has been at least once a year for the past dozen or so, but there were some years that I needed to watch is more often. It is easily my favorite.

Despite all this, I have still struggled with my identity as a writer, with my belief that I’m competent in this craft I have chosen to pursue. The failure of a manuscript to find a publishing home has all too often equated to a failure of me, of identifying myself and my work as one in the same. If a critique group didn’t go well, I suck. If my agent doesn’t want to represent a particular idea, my ideas are stupid.

I am at the point in my mental health journey where I can start to recognize when the voices are amplified by my depression and anxiety. I’m getting better at calling them out as liars and doing the work to ground myself in reality.

But I’m an English professor, teaching composition to college students and I see it creeping into their writing process as well. Even though I have them read Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts,” even though they read how it is hard for Stephen King to write, the process of getting words on paper, of seeing what they made versus what they meant to make, of recognizing what they are able to write and what they are reading are not the same. Very competent, smart students who are thriving in different subject areas stare at a blinking cursor, paralyzed by the fear of unattainable writing perfection.

Separating yourself from your craft

Recently, I learned about the importance of separating ourselves, of taking the time to find out who we are, as people, and then who we are, as writers.

So, take a few minutes and ask yourself who you are? Without roles or responsibilities or expectations or titles, who are you? Are you naturally funny? Are you laid back? Are you driven? Are you serious?

Now, who are you as a writer? I know several people who are naturally kind and funny who write very dark stories or poems. There are several people who are lazy in real life but prolific writers. There are people who feel like a character from their book.

But here’s what I want to help you understand (what I’m trying to help myself understand):

The work you are creating is honed by practice, awareness, and the tools you have. The work you are creating is not a manifestation of you. The work you are creating does not have a single bearing on who you are.

You are not your work and your work is not you.

You are a person, full of characteristics that allow you to love and live and celebrate and notice and share and laugh and eat and sleep. And when it is time to create, we need to create space for ourselves to mentally, physically, psychologically, emotionally, subconsciously cross the boundary and allow the writer self to enter into a maker state.

The work done during the maker state is not a reflection of you.

If we are going to work through this, we have to understand that while there are many writers who have practiced and studied and read and written and received feedback and even won awards, every single one of them will acknowledge they reached that point because of intentional persistence and also because of a bit of luck.

Luck that the market was looking for what they were writing at that exact time.

Luck that an agent/editor saw the vision they had for their work and helped them hone it.

Luck that some influencer/award panel/etc. loved that particular book that at that particular time.

They are not worth more than you. You are not worth less than them. You are a creator, honing your skills and practicing with tools that will allow you to make better work.

To repeat: your work is not you and you are not your work.

Do you agree, or disagree? Do you struggle with separating your work from your self? Do you have any suggestions to offer for how people can achieve this?

About Tasha

Tasha Seegmiller believes in the magic of love and hope, which she weaves into every story she creates. She is an MFA candidate in the Writing Program at Pacific University and teaches composition courses at Southern Utah University. Tasha married a guy she’s known since she was seven, is the mom of three teens, and co-owner of a soda shack and cotton candy company. She is represented by Annelise Robey of Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Julie Glover

It’s Valentine’s Day! You may adore this holiday because it speaks of hope and romance, or you may hate this holiday because it’s too dedicated to couples or to Hallmark, florists, and candymakers.

Regardless, let's use this as an opportunity to look at how we’re loving ourselves. Do we embrace and care for our relationship to writing?

Here are a few ideas for how to love your writer self this Valentine’s Day—or any time of year.

Give Yourself a Gift

One year for my birthday, I asked for a gift card to Staples. My family thought that was odd, but all my writer friends were like, “Ooooh, yessss.” Because writers know how delightful shopping for office supplies can be!

You don’t have to wait for someone else to give you a writing-themed present. Valentine’s Day involves giving gifts of greeting cards, flowers, candy, and more. How about treating yourself to something that makes your work easier or sweeter! For lots of great ideas, check out Jami Gold’s Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers.

You get bonus points for wrapping the gift and opening it with the fresh excitement of a child or for snapping pics and sharing your beautiful new purchase on social media for others to ooh and aah.

Speak Tenderly

A core feature of Valentine’s Day is saying kind, romantic, or sexy things to your beloved. How tender a lover’s words can be to our eager ears!

Now think about all the things you’ve said to yourself about your own writing:

• “It’s crap!”
• “No one will want to read this.”
• “I should just quit!”
• “I suck.”

Whoa, you are a terrible valentine to yourself.

Hey, we all are at times. What if we rephrased our words in ways a lover would say?

• “This is actually really good, but if you want to edit, I support you.”
• “I would totally read this!”
• “Don’t quit yet. I believe in you.”
• “You don’t suck…at least not in that way.” ~wink, wink~

It’s okay to share frustration from time to time, but remember to also speak tenderly to yourself. Writing a wonderful book is far more difficult than many realize, and you’re pretty remarkable to do what you do.

Show Affection

Valentine’s Day also means hand-holding, snuggling up, smooching, etc. By no means do I expect you to kiss yourself for your fabulous writing. (But if you’re feeling it, go ahead.) So what kind of affection can you show yourself?

Look at your workspace. Is there any way to make it cozier? Consider ergonomics, creature comforts, inspiring quotes and art. Do you need to slip away to the couch sometimes? Or the recliner on your back patio? As much as you can, care for your body’s comfort as you write.

Get a massage. Sitting for long periods of time and/or slumping your shoulders over a keyboard can wreak havoc on your back. A massage can work out the kinks and relax those sore muscles. Schedule a professional massage, or if money is tight, get a back and neck massager you can keep nearby.

Prioritize self-care. Eat and sleep well! We writers can be so bad at that. Not to mention exercise and meditation. But self-care practices pay huge dividends both in our overall mood and our productivity.

Show yourself affection. And if you still want that self-kiss, pucker up and go for it!

Plan a Date or Getaway

Couples who celebrate Valentine’s Day expect to have a date. Dinner at least, but maybe more. Why not take yourself out to write?

Day Trip. Consider what setting helps your creative juices flow. Do you get great work done at the library? A local coffee shop? A seaside restaurant? Pack up your supplies and head out for the day to your favorite writing spot.

Getaway. Maybe you can swing a weekend getaway to a quiet place that sparks your imagination. Bring along another writer or two to keep yourself inspired and accountable. My critique partner and I have had many productive weekends at lake houses (some of which we found through Airbnb).

Retreat/Conference. Sign up to attend a longer retreat or conference. I’m a big fan of Cruising Writers, where I’ve both learned a lot from presenters and crafted some of my best scenes! (Also, I happen to be hosting this year’s event in the owner/manager’s stead.) But ask around and/or check out the lists from Romance Refined or Kotobee.

Make this Valentine’s Day—or any day—the time to love your writer self!

What area do you need to work on to show your writer self more love?

About Julie

Julie Glover writes mysteries and young adult fiction. Her YA contemporary novel, SHARING HUNTER, finaled in the 2015 RWA® Golden Heart® and is now on sale! When not writing, she collects boots, practices rampant sarcasm, and advocates for good grammar and the addition of the interrobang as a much-needed punctuation mark.

Julie is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. You can visit her website here and also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

About Cruising Writers

Cruising Writers brings writers together with bestselling authors, an agent, and a world-renowned writing craft instructor writing retreats around the world. Cruise this November with Angela Ackerman, fabulous writing coach and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus, NYT bestselling author Darynda Jones, and a high-quality literary agent (TBA).