...brought to you by Jen K Blom, foot-shooter.
Everyone gets down about writing at some point. Maybe more than the one point. Maybe it's fairly often... you compare yourself to others, you look at your writing and wonder how exactly you consider yourself a writer, you have life get in the way to where you wonder if you can ever churn anything out again...
*raises hand*
At some point in the last three months, I've done all these things. And more.
While I won't bore (or horrify) you with the horrible details, I will tell you what I try to make my mantra every day. "Only you can make yourself feel bad. Only you can compare yourself to others and come up short. Only you. You have the power to control your life. So do it already!"
While it doesn't help every day, it does help more often than not.
I know my writing and publishing journey is a work in progress, just like I am, and I've also derived a new strategy. Positive thinking in cinematic form.
I sit and think about the coolest things I think could happen to me. Then I think about how I would act if they did. Then I try to keep that sense of happiness and positivity as a basis for my thoughts about everything connected to writing.
I think it helps.
Do you have any positivity tricks? Lay 'em on me!
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
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This is beautiful! I like to quote this to myself often:
"Welcoming imperfection is the way to accomplish what perfectionism promises but never delivers. It gives us our best performances and genuine acceptance in the family of human - and by that I mean imperfect - beings." Martha Beck
I love your cinematic approach. I'm a huge believe in reeling in the positive outcomes tethered to you in the future. Something else I do is gratitude, in a way acting as if the outcome you desire is already in existence.
lol- I'm on my lunch break and my captcha word was "nomit".
nom nom nom
we writers are a cynical and despondent bunch. :)
I try to keep in mind that I always am where I'm meant to be. Just because things don't always happen the way I want them to, or on my time line, doesn't mean something better won't happen because of it.
Positivity makes life better, no matter how you have to get it.
I worked with James Rollins who said he often posts a sticky next to his computer that says: I give myself permission to write crap today. I figure if a NY Times Bestselling author can acknowledge there WILL be off days, I can too :-)
That's a great mantra!
I don't really have much by way of positivity tricks... unfortunately, I have a tendency to be a Negative Nelly. I do get excited when I walk in a bookstore though, thinking that someday one of my books could be there too!
I just try to think of the blessings. There's always a positive to find. It's kindof a game, even. How is that miserable event a positive thing in my life? And it gets easier to figure it out every time. :)
Michelle - thanks !! That's a lovely quote too. I might steal it for my "every other day" quote. :-D
Pseu, I try to keep the gratitude as a part too...as well as an awareness that my life is passing, and is this how I want to pass it? I think it helps to be aware.
Heidi, I try that too. And yes...cynical is a good way to describe it. XD
Dawn, definitely! And WOW to getting to work with such a great author! Color me impressed!
Kristin, the day they are, I expect you to let me know! I will be the first to buy! :-D
Janet, that's smart. I like your outlook. :-D
So long as I promise myself that I will learn from my mistakes, I know I can never fail. I've quit holding myself up to other people's standards, and especially with my writing. I used to worry that I didn't write like so-and-so, therefore, I wasn't a good writer.
A good friend of mine told me to write like me. My voice is worthy, so anytime I feel doubt, I remember his words.
Your voice is worthy. ;-)
Only you can make yourself feel bad.
That really helped today.
I'll just use yours ok?
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