Anne H. Janzer's Blog, page 20

Is This the Year You Write?

Is this the year you take up your pen, metaphorically or physically, and raise your voice for a cause that you believe in?

Is this the year you write that article, or share an opinion piece with the local paper about a topic that you care deeply about?

Will you write a blog post that will help dozens or hundreds of people? Or learn how to do a podcast and invite someone you’ve always wanted to talk with?

Will you start that book you’ve been meaning to write?

Is this the year you stop being a bystander and start participating—amplifying the important ideas or adding your own into the mix?

If so, start now. Jump in.

Don’t wait for the stars to align and the perfect book thesis to alight in your brain. Don’t wait to finish every last shred of research. You can keep researching even as you write.

Get started.

Start small and keep moving.

Identify the logical first (or next) step and do it.

If your project is huge, focus on the first thing. What’s one thing you can do this week to advance that project? Put it at the top of your to-do list for the week.

Once you’ve done that, what’s the next task? Start small and keep moving forward.

Great things are accomplished this way, step by step.

Maybe you’re not sure what the first step is, or exactly how to get where you’re going. If that’s the case, getting started might mean journaling about the project every day.

Write every day. 

Create a journal, whether physical or virtual, for your project. You might use a notebook, a Google Docs file, or a folder in DropBox. It doesn’t matter.

Commit to writing in it every day, at least 10 minutes. If you’re still going when you hit 10 minutes, keep writing until the ideas stop.

At the end of the month, take a look at what you’ve done. Are you clearer about what you’re doing? Do you spot an outline for a book? Maybe your goal will shift. Even if the path ahead isn’t clear, you’re on a path to somewhere new.

Sure, you might throw away some of what you write. That’s part of the process. Sometimes, the early writing is essential “inner research.” It’s kindling that starts the fire, but then disappears in the flames of something larger.

Start. This week, then the next, then the next.

Related Posts

What’s Your Mountain?

How Shortcuts Cheat the Writer

 

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How Often Should You Blog?

How frequently you should you post blogs or send emails to your lists? If you have an email list, you may struggle with questions like:

Is it better to show up in the inbox every day, or to write less frequently, in more depth?

How do you remain memorable without being annoying?

When I first started blogging, the standard advice was to blog at least once a week, ideally three times or more a week.

That was then, this is now. Our emails boxes are overflowing. Who needs to hear from us on a daily basis?

Sure, Seth Godin publishes a valuable and thought-provoking post on a daily basis. I’m not Seth. Most of us aren’t.

I’d suggest that you find a consistent cadence frequent enough that people remember who you are, but not so frequent that you drive them nuts. Also, make sure it fits into your life.

My Every-Other-Week Experiment: Results are In

For years I sent a writing-related post it to my email list once a week. Two years ago, I dialed back to every-other-week. (I’d say bi-weekly, but I’m never sure if that means every two weeks or twice a week.)

Here’s the post I wrote about my decision at the time: Balancing Frequency, Length, and Substance in Writing

Two years in, it’s time to report on how that’s going:

Great!

From the audience perspective: No one has complained. My email open rates remain high. People read and comment on the posts.

It’s possible that the readers didn’t really notice that I’d cut the emails in half. (The spotlight effect is a common cognitive bias in which we think people notice us much more than they do. That may apply here.)

From my perspective, switching to every other week gives me more breathing room and the opportunity to explore ideas and spend time polishing the posts. Not every post is polished, but that’s another story.

I feel better about my blogging—more inspired—on this schedule.

Instead of scrounging around for topics under deadline pressure, I accumulate a list of ideas and  can be selective about the ones I develop. I feel that the quality of the posts has increased, and that they are more substantive.

This schedule also leaves me more time for other writing, including:

New books
Guest blogs on other sites
Book reviews and other posts I don’t include in my Writing Practices emails

Every-other-week is frequent enough to keep me focused on expanding my ideas about writing.

So, two years in and I’m pleased with the results.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog or on my email list, how does this frequency feel to you? Do you want more? Or still less?

And if you blog yourself, what kind of frequency do you use? Let me know in the comments.

 

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Books to Give Writers: 2019 Edition

Once of the best gifts you can give someone is a book that will change their lives, or stay with them. And do you know who really loves getting books as gifts? Writers!

I carry bits and pieces of the writing advice I’ve heard around in my head. Sometimes, I bring back up something from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, other times advice from Stephen King’s On Writing rattles in my head.

In case you need some shopping inspiration, here’s a list of some of the books that I’ve read in 2019 that will stay with me, paired with the kinds of writers who might love them.

Note: some were published years before—they just made it to the top of my reading list this year.

For anyone looking for inspiration to write

Some Day is Not a Day In the Week by Sam Horn

I heard Sam Horn speak at a conference this year, and loved her inspirational enthusiasm. It’s all here in this book. If you’re looking for rocket fuel for 2020, read this book.

For women who want to publish a book

Write On, Sisters by Brooke Warner

If you’re a woman who wants to write a book, or if you want to support a woman on this path, pick up a copy of Write On, Sisters! Voice, Courage, and Claiming Your Place at the Table by Brooke Warner. Read my review of Write On, Sisters here.

For anyone struggling to find the time and attention to write

Successful writing is all about managing attention. I have three recommendations for the people who struggling with finding the time and battling distraction.

Indistractible by Nir Eyal

Indistractible isn’t only about managing the distractions of attention-seeking technologies; it’s a guide to living an intentional life in an interrupt-driven world.

I loved the underlying psychological studies, particularly the Ryan and Deci theory of the three things children and young adults needs. The business case studies are also particularly helpful. Personally, I’ve started timeboxing my days and found a greater sense of peace in doing so. Productivity is fine, but peace is better.

Read my review of Indistractible on Medium.

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Reading this book made me focus on where (and how) I was spending my time. Newport’s general thesis is fascinating: just at the time that we have more things pulling us away from deep work, it’s growing in value as a life skill. I found the theory fascinating and the advice useful. The book has given me the courage to reclaim more deep work time and “budget” my shallow work.

Reader Come Home by MaryAnn Wolf



In Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World, Maryanne Wolf argues that the digital world is transforming our reading brains, and not always for the better. Only by understanding these changes can we figure out how to navigate them and form a brighter future for a literate, and digital, society.

Read my review of Reader, Come Home.

For fiction writers

Wired for Story by Lisa Cron

A story proves itself not on the paper but in the reader’s brain. In Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, Lisa Cron offers valuable insights and practical advice for crafting better stories. ( I hear that her book Story Genius is quite good as well.)

Read my review of Wired for Story.

For nonfiction writers trying to convince others

The Misinformation Age by Cailin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall

The Misinformation Age by Cailin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall offers important insight for scientists, journalists, nonfiction writers, and anyone who wants to combat the spread of false beliefs.

Read my review of The Misinformation Age.

Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall

If you want to change people’s opinions with your words, and particularly if you want to write an opinion piece that makes an impact, read this new book by the former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page. Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall interweaves fun, behind-the-scenes stories about the workings of the Times opinions page with solid advice grounded in both research and experience. It’s both informative and entertaining. Read my review here.

The Influential Mind by  Tali Sharot

I have pages of notes from this book; it’s filled with incredible research and valuable advice on how to persuade people from a cognitive science perspective. It covers topics like why evidence doesn’t change beliefs, how emotions work in persuasion, and how leading with fear tends to inspire inaction rather than action. It’s a terrific book.

Of course, my own Writing to Be Understood is a strong addition to this list. It came out last year, but the audiobook was released in 2019.

For Entrepreneurial Authors

The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur by John Jantsch

If you’re an indie author, then you’re truly a solopreneur. You’ll find strength and wisdom in this lovely book by John Jantsch. Read my review of The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur here.

BookBub Ads Expert by David Gaughran

The community of authors owes a huge debt to David Gaughran for so generously sharing his wisdom and insight into BookBub advertising. BookBub ads are a valuable tool for authors, if you do them right. This book will show you how to do them right.

For authors who are getting discouraged and need a boost

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit by Becca Syme

Becca Syme must be one heck of a writing coach, because she’s written a wise and wonderful book for writers. It’s not long, but if you put its practices in place, this book may have a lasting impact. If you’re flailing around on your writing career or feeling that you’re not “enough” yet, read this book.

For writers in the workplace

Better Allies by Karen Catlin

This book is the antidote to toxic corporate culture in any industry. Catlin’s practical, empathetic suggestions address systemic problems, unconscious bias, and the general obliviousness that make people feel unwelcome in the workplace. Whether you want to better understand, support, or advocate for underrepresented groups, this book will help. Read it and share it.

Read my interview with Karen about inclusive language.

Talking from 9 to 5 by Deborah Tannen

In this fascinating book, Deborah Tannen explores how mismatched conversational styles affect women and men in the workplace. I highly recommend it for writers, as well as anyone who works with other people. Read more in my review here.

Lost in Startuplandia by E. Keller Fitzsimmons

Lost in Startuplandia is a wise, honest look at navigating the harsh realities of entrepreneurship.

Read my review on Medium.

And of course, I’d always recommend The Workplace Writer’s Process for those workplace writers on your list.

I hope you find inspired gifts ideas on this list!

If you want more, check out these ‘gift posts’ from previous years:

Books to Give the Writers in Your Life (2018)

Books for the Writers in Your Life (2017)

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Any money earned in affiliate sales helps support my buying and reviewing books.

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Be Generous And Strategic in Book Marketing

I often speak about book marketing to various groups of writers. Sometimes the writers all belong to a single genre (like Sisters in Crime). Sometimes everyone is self-publishing, but writing in different genres. And sometimes, as at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference, people write in all genres, following various paths to publication.

Here’s the catch when speaking to diverse audiences: a tactic that works for one author won’t necessarily work for another.

Heck, the same marketing tactics don’t perform evenly across my own four books.

Tactics are highly specific, but strategy has a broader reach.

There’s one book marketing strategy that works for every writer, no matter how you’re published or what your genre: be generous and strategic.

Generous and strategic

The and is important.

If you are generous without being strategic, you will burn out.
If you are always strategic and never generous, others may burn out on you.

Find those marketing tactics that meet both requirements and that fit easily into your life.

Here are a few suggestions that I offered a recent, mixed audience of writers:

Show up as a podcast guest, offering valuable information to listeners while helping the host reach a broad audience. (Guest blogging can do the same thing. )
Review other books in your field, then share those reviews on your blog and on social media. That’s generous to the other authors and readers, and strategic in building a relationship with those readers. If you cannot afford to buy the books, consider signing up as a reviewer on NetGalley.
Sign up as a potential source on HARO (Help-a-Reporter) and help journalists and bloggers by providing useful content and expertise.

Each of these tasks is relatively easy to do and has no up-front financial investment. Each gives you valuable information to share with your email list, on your blog, and on social media. And each potentially expands your reach and builds ongoing relationships with others in your field.

Plus, they’re fun.

Being generous is rewarding in and of itself; being generous while building your author platform is even better.

Don’t forget the email list

Your email list can (and should) be generous and strategic as well.

I send every-other-week updates to my Writing Practices list.

Ideally, these updates provide value to the readers. I also offer drawings for writing-related books on this list—another act of generosity.

Strategically, the people on this list support me and send me their writing problems. I benefit from the regular blogging deadline and the forum for writing about different topic areas.

Do you have other examples of generous and strategic marketing strategies? Share them in the comments.

Related posts

The Best Book Marketing Advice I Ever Got

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Short-Term, Intentional Obsession

To finish a major project like a book, you often have to put aside everything else for a period of time:

Close the door.
Stop responding to emails.
Put aside the books you want to read, courses you want to take, and meetings you should attend.
Delay other activities—even projects you should be doing.

It’s not easy. But sometimes it’s necessary to get the job done.

Obsession with limits

When you’re in this state, the writing project almost becomes an obsession.

You think about the book while you’re at the gym, driving, sleeping, ironing. New ideas appear. Problems resolve themselves in the early morning hours, while you lie awake in bed.

You’re using the incubation effect to its fullest capacity. (Incubation refers to the creative work that your background mental processes do while you’re otherwise engaged.)

This kind of sprint can be tiring. It’s tough on family and friends. Sometimes, though, it’s necessary.

Just make sure it’s a short sprint. Put limits around your obsession.

Finish the project, then rejoin the living.

—

How about you?

Do you ever go into isolation mode to get things done? And how long can you tolerate it? Let me know in the comments.

Related content

Why writing takes more, and less, time than you think

Cognitive science terms for writers

Read more about the incubation effect and its role in writing in The Writer’s Process: Getting Your Brain in Gear.

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Making Revision a Habit with WordRake

Most of us understand that great writing happens through revision. We realize that revision is important, but we’re in a hurry.

As long as we think of revision as an ‘extra’ process outside of writing, we’re tempted to skip it.

So we send out our work with imperfections, excess words, remnants of messy thought processes—small glitches that add to the reader’s cognitive load.

Even if your writing doesn’t have glaring errors, why pass up an opportunity to present your ideas with crystal clarity?

Why not embed careful revision into your writing process for everything?

Technology has moved us in this direction by integrating spelling and grammar checking into our writing environments. But those features can’t help with subtler but critical writing issues: excess wordiness or terminology that might confuse the reader. For that, we need a nuanced editorial eye.

While nothing beats a human editor, no one wants to hire an editor for every email and memo. The right software, however, can take you far.

There are many software options on the market. I have become enamored of WordRake. It’s perfect for a someone like myself, who works in Microsoft Word and who values clarity and brevity.

WordRake: Clarity and Brevity on Demand

WordRake is editing software that integrates into Microsoft Word and Outlook. It’s designed for professional writers—not novelists or journalists, necessarily, but professionals who write as part of their jobs. It’s perfect for the workplace writer.

WordRake isn’t a grammar checker or a spell checker; you can find those features already integrated into Microsoft Word. Rather, it edits for clarity and brevity.

The company’s origin story appeals to me: New York Times best-selling author Gary Kinder noticed persistent patterns when coaching his writing students, which led to the origin of this company. Several years and many patents later, the WordRake software has loyal fans in the legal profession and other industries where precision and clarity are essential.

Raking unnecessary words is so much more fun than raking leaves

My Review of WordRake

I’m basing my review on the Word integration, but there is also a version for Outlook.

Here’s how it works for us Word users:

After the software installation, a new entry appears on the top menu of your Word screen, next to the Review menu: WordRake.

Once you have drafted the document and are ready to polish it, select the WordRake menu and click the Rake icon.

Then wait a moment while the editor ponders your words.

The suggestions appear in Word’s familiar track changes style. If you’ve ever collaborated with people using change tracking, you’ll be familiar with how this works. You can either accept or reject each suggestion.

WordRake looks and feels like a native part of the Word experience.

In my experience, the suggestions are excellent. Here are a few examples from an early draft of this post:

Examples of WordRake’s suggested edits

The software catches those disposable words that clutter my first draft, for which I’m grateful!

WordRake doesn’t always appreciate the subtlety of my prose when I choose a phrase for its nuance or the sound of the words. (Perhaps my readers don’t either!) Even when I reject a suggested edit, I welcome the reminders to simplify.

Could I spot these issues on my own? Probably, but WordRake saves me that time and effort.  I’m not tempted to skip the WordRake pass because it only takes a moment.

The suggestions are so useful that when I draft a post in my blog’s editor, I import it into Word so I can run it through WordRake.

Separate but always available

Want to know the secret to becoming a consistently better writer? Make revision a habit rather than something you do occasionally for critical content. WordRake helps you establish this habit by embedding the process into your writing environment.

Using WordRake is like having a wise editor standing by, willing to look at your work when you’re ready.

Maintaining the separation of drafting and revision is important. I don’t want these suggestions popping up when I’m in the flow of writing. As a writing process geek, I’m dedicated to preserving any sense of flow I achieve while writing.

Because it’s integrated directly into Word, I can choose when I’m ready to polish and refine by navigating to the WordRake menu. Even if time is tight, a quick pass helps me find and clear unnecessary fill in my writing.

Just as important, Word integration adds to the security of the solution. Your words aren’t stored in the cloud or added to a machine-learning data set. If you’re working on proprietary or private content, WordRake is a secure choice.

My take-away

WordRake’s tagline is “Seamlessly edit for clarity and brevity.” It delivers on that promise, and more. By integrating into the writing environment itself,  WordRake helps you make revision a habit.

WordRake is available for individual and enterprise purchase.

Related posts

Revising for Cognitive Ease

Two Reasons Not to Revise as You Draft

Try my online course Revising Your Writing

 

 

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Finding Your Ideal Creative Environment

 

Want to spend time procrastinating from writing, yet still feel like a “writer?”

Do a Google Image or Pinterest search for writing space. You’ll find a mouth-watering assortment of home offices, libraries, cozy nooks overlooking forests, you name it.

We all dream of having the perfect space for crafting our works, but maybe that’s not what we actually need.

Maybe your retreat is less comfortable and glamorous. Maybe it looks and feels more like an airplane seat at 30,000 feet in the air.

My airplane “writing retreat”

I recently returned from a trip to see my mother. I’m on the west coast, she’s in the midwest. Getting there takes two flights and several hours in the air.

On this last trip, I only brought out the laptop and worked for an hour or so in each direction, yet I accomplished a great deal:

Outlining a blog post from lengthy interview notes
Writing the rough draft of a writing post
Outlining a book chapter
Coming up with a plan to rework a section of a book

That’s not a bad result for a couple hours of work. The thinking and planning will fuel many hours of productive work back at home.

It’s odd, because an airplane seat is not a luxe writing retreat. It’s very nearly the opposite.

It’s constraining. I can’t spread out papers and pens. There’s barely enough room for my small laptop on the desk, and anything extra lands on my lap. I can’t get up and walk around easily. (When you sit in the window seat, as I often do, escaping the seat is an adventure.)

There’s no Wi-Fi. Even if it’s available, I rarely pay for the Wi-Fi, as I’d rather do concentrated work, then settle down to read a good mystery.

It’s not even comfortable. The temperature is often too cold or too hot, the person in front of me may be reclining, and the engine makes a constant, loud background hum.

This isn’t the first time that airplane time has been productive. I came up with the idea for The Writer’s Process on an airplane. Other writers have reported similar experiences.

Something is going on here, and it’s worth paying attention to.

Looking for clues

My output included outlining, planning, and creating a rough draft. The airplane environment supports creative work, reflection, and planning.

Why is that? Maybe it’s because of the constraints:

No distractions: Without Wi-Fi, I can’t follow online distractions. The most I can do is gaze out the window, and that somehow helps me enter a state of open attention.

Limited options: In the airplane seat, I am literally strapped in with my laptop. I can’t get up and do something else, because I’m on the plane and there’s nowhere to go.

Background noise. Airplane noise isn’t pleasant, but it does fall into the category of white noise, which can support creative thought. In this article on Jane Friedman’s blog, Donald M. Rattner, architect and author of My Creative Space, makes the case that silence isn’t the answer for creative thought. He writes:

Absolute noiselessness tends to focus our attention, which is helpful for tasks that entail accuracy, fine detail, and linear reasoning, such as balancing our checkbook or fixing a Swiss watch. It’s less supportive of the broad, big-picture, abstract mind-wandering that leads to fresh perspectives and a creative work product.

Maybe that silent cottage or idyllic retreat isn’t what you need.

Building your own airline seat

Your ideal writing retreat may not be Instagrammable

Have you had airplane writing success? Booking trips is too expensive, so consider bringing elements of the experience to your writing life.

You would never want to replicate the airplane environment in your own home. (I can hardly wait to leave it when I’m on the plane.) But you can implement a few of its elements when you need to be creative.

Limit the connectivity. Shutting down Wi-Fi might be dire, but you can try other ways to reduce online distractions. I write first drafts on an old laptop I don’t use for anything else. While I do use Wi-Fi (hello, cloud storage), I avoid opening many browser tabs.

Add background noise. Some writers like to work in areas like libraries or cafes, with some background noise. Others use music playlists or white noise. You might find comfort in the sounds of being outdoors; cars, birds, planes, and more.

You can find multiple online sources for customized white noise and soundtracks, including a couple at the end of this post.

Confine yourself to writing. You could strap yourself into your chair, but people might think you’re crazy. Instead, trick your mind into thinking you’re confined. Set a timer and commit to working until the timer rings. Find your perfect interval.

Followers of the Pomodoro method would say it’s 25 minutes. I like to work for an hour at a stretch. Do what works for you.

Pro tip: Don’t put a loud alarm on the end of the timer. If you’re in the flow of writing, you don’t want to be jarred out of it and distracted.

Use strategies like this to build mini creative retreats into your everyday life.

Let me know if it works for you!

Related Links

Soundtracks for creative work:

Focusatwill.com

Brain.fm

On Jane Friedman’s blog: For Writers, Silence May Not Be Golden After All

 

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What’s In Your Writing Baggage?

Every time you sit down to write, you bring extra baggage with you. And, just as with the airlines, that extra baggage can cost you dearly.

Your writing baggage might be filled with past experiences in the educational system: college, high school, or before. Perhaps you struggled with language mechanics or diagramming sentences, and now have perpetually low expectations for your writing.

The educational system doesn’t always teach students how to understand and honor their own writing process.

Conversely, people who consider themselves “good writers” carry a burden of high standards. They won’t settle for less than pristine, sparkling prose or intricately plotted stories. First drafts rarely meet expectations.

These inner burdens can prevent us from writing. They make the blank page intimidating.

At worst, those stresses become an unsurmountable hurdle that prevent us from sharing our thoughts through writing.

When we have no choice, when we must do the writing, the echoes of critical voices in our head make us question every sentence or agonize over each word.

If you experience trouble getting started, or simply don’t enjoy writing, ask yourself:

What would happen if you just wrote?

What if you wrote without worrying about the grammar, or the word choices—without regard to those high school English conventions or the voices of criticism?

What if you didn’t polish every sentence, or even stop to assess them as you went?

Write fast, then fix things

“Move fast and break things” was a design motto in the early days of Facebook.

The company has since abandoned the motto; Mark Zuckerberg suggested in jest that a better approach is now “Move fast with stable infra[stracture]”.

As a product design strategy it might be problematic, but move fast and break things isn’t a bad approach to writing. It’s worth trying if you’re stuck in the process of getting the words out.

Try writing quickly. Don’t worry if the words are broken.

Fixing has never been easier

If you dread revising and fixing, don’t worry. It’s easier than ever before to fix your grammar, spelling, and other writing issues.

Basic spelling and grammar checking software, available for free, can help you find and correct many problems.

Paid software adds a smart editor over your shoulder as you work; programs like WordRake, ProWritingAid, and Grammarly all have options that integrate into your word processing programs.

You’ll have time to revise and polish once the draft is done.

“But I love to polish while I write!”

If you experience the artist’s joy in crafting the perfect turn of phrase, or hunting for unexpected word choices, go for it. Enjoy yourself.

But if you find yourself getting frustrated at not finding the right word, let it go.

Crafting and polishing can derail you from finishing the first draft.

If you’re stuck, revert to “write fast and fix things later.” Get the words down. Fill your text with placeholders:

Once you have a draft, you can always improve it. Without the rough draft, you’ve got nothing.

Be fearless and write.

Related Posts

Two Reasons Not to Revise as You Draft

Move the Starting Line

 

 

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The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: A Review

John Jantsch is well known in the marketing community as the author of the small-business-marketing classic, Duct Tape Marketing.

His latest book, the Self-Reliant Entrepreneur, is something entirely new. It’s philosophical and thought-provoking, yet still highly relevant to the audience of entrepreneurs that he reached with Duct Tape Marketing.

Most of the book is a daily journal of reading and contemplation, with one page for each day of the year, featured passages from authors in the American Transcendentalist movement. The days of the year are organized into “seasons” of entrepreneurship: planning, discovering, evolving, and growing.

Each day’s excerpted passage is followed by Jantsch’s personal commentary, applying the reading to the challenges and dilemmas that we face today. Each entry concludes with a question that you can complete on your own, applying the theme of the day to your daily work.

The resulting combination is both straightforward and profound.

As an example, the entry for October 21 (the day of this post) is titled “Expert on You.” The passage begins with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance:

Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it.

Jantsch’s commentary spins this theme to the entrepreneur. My favorite part is this:

Don’t let anyone tell you that your purpose or idea or dream is the wrong one. You may need to develop a thick skin, but you don’t have to listen. You’re the only expert on you.

Reading this book is like having a thoughtful conversation with a wise friend.

Having read the electronic version, I’ve ordered the physical book, so I can have the tactile satisfaction of revisiting it—opening it to the day, reading the passage, and contemplating my business.

I look forward to spending a year in quiet, thoughtful (albeit virtual) conversations with Jantsch through this book.

3 reasons authors should read this book

I’ve included this in my “books for writers” category for three good reasons:

Reason #1: Authors are de facto entrepreneurs.

Even if you’re traditionally published, you’re at the helm of your author business. If you’re self-published, you are also a indie publisher. The advice here is applicable to authorpreneurs of all kinds.

As Jantsch writes in the introduction,

Being an entrepreneur is as much about who you choose to be as what you choose to do for a living.

Reason #2: The curated quotes are wonderful

Authors love books. Jantsch pulls gems books you may not have visited since college, if at all. I realize now that I didn’t appreciate Thoreau when I read him in college. (What 18-year-old has time for self-reflection?)

Jantsch also introduced me to a few women authors of the period that I did not yet know, for which I am grateful. (I’ve got to read up on Margaret Fuller now.)

Reason #3: Self-reflection is golden

Jantsch’s wisdom and thoughtfulness will encourage you to step back and think about what you’re doing with your books, your writing, and more.

We all need more self-reflection in our lives.

Related Reading

Two Books to Build Your Writing Resilience

Ego is the Enemy: A Book Review

 

 

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How to Boost Your Writing Motivation, Scientifically

The following guest post comes from Chandler Bolt, a tireless supporter of new authors. Through his books and courses, Chandler has inspired countless writers to fulfill their dreams of writing and publishing a book.

Have you ever struggled with a serious loss of motivation as a writer?

I’m not talking about that slight resistance we feel until we sit down and the words eventually start to flow. I mean those times when we are so demotivated that writing anything at all is next to impossible. The times when our lack of progress takes a serious emotional toll on our wellbeing.

If you’ve felt this way, you know how easy it is to give up. While absolutely understandable, giving up is the wrong path to take.

The problem stems from seeing motivation as an elusive force outside of our control and influence. In actual fact, there are things we can do to boost our motivation. Even better, they are scientifically supported.

Ready to take charge and feel motivated again? Here’s how.

Support Your Feelings of Self-Efficacy

In case you’re unfamiliar with the idea of self-efficacy, it basically refers to the belief that you will be able to achieve something. If you think you are capable of getting your writing work done, you have self-efficacy in this area.

Writing a book is no easy task, so it’s natural you might experience moments of low self-efficacy from time to time. When these occur, it’s important to recognize them for what they are, and then to take action to boost your self-efficacy.

So, how can we overcome times of low self-efficacy during our writing?

We can recall our times of success.

Often, we get weighed down by the temporary struggles we face. In times like those, it can be hard to recall better days. However, it’s important to try.

One of the best ways to boost self-efficacy is recalling a time you overcame a similar writing struggle.

What if it’s your first book?

Seek a model. Realizing others have overcome their book writing struggles is immensely powerful. By modeling their mindsets and actions, we can increase our own efficacy.

Set Realistic Writing Goals

From the standpoint of cognitive science, our goals play a key role in the level of motivation we experience.

You’ve probably heard of the comfort zone, but have you heard of the stretch zone and the panic zone?

The writing goals you’ve set for yourself play a big role in which zone you end up in. Let’s consider this briefly.

Comfort Zone. If you’re not willing to challenge yourself as a writer, you’ll probably remain in your comfort zone. You won’t take risks or seek to advance in your writing endeavors.
Panic Zone. A lot of writers are in the panic zone! If you’ve taken on too much, you end up feeling panicked and unable to perform at a proper level.
Stretch Zone. This is the golden mean. When your writing goals are in the sweet spot, between not demanding enough and too demanding, you’ll find yourself in the productive stretch zone.

One goal-setting concept to help keep you motivated and in the productive stretch zone is SMART. By ensuring your book writing goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-limited, you have a better chance of staying motivated.

An example of a SMART approach to goal setting would be to give yourself a word count to hit within a certain period of time that is within your capability, but is demanding enough to keep you motivated.

Make Sure You Value Your Vision of the Reward

According to Victor Vroom, a professor at the Yale School of Management and creator of the Vroom Expectancy Theory, the value we place on our expected reward plays a key role in how motivated we feel.

This might sound obvious, but it’s actually an incredibly powerful idea. Stop and take a minute to consider why you are writing your book, and the reward you expect to experience.

Are you motivated by financial reward? If so, take the time to really consider how much money your book could realistically make you. Seek examples of similar books and their performance. Get excited.

Do you value learning? Think about how much knowledge you will gain by completing your book. Find other authors who are able to confirm the growth they experienced.

Showing your brain real examples of your desired reward will greatly increase your motivation.

When we’re mired in the challenge of completing our book, it can be easy to lose sight of our expected reward. Focus on the reward you will experience, and further ensure it is in line with your values.

What Motivates You the Most?

Some people find certain things more motivational than others. There are also many ways to successfully apply a scientific principle to a personal activity like writing.

In the spirit of seeking role models, I’d love to get your take.

What motivates you to make progress on your book? How do you apply the ideas found here?

Please feel free to leave a comment, so we can learn and grow from one another.

About Chandler Bolt  

Chandler Bolt is the host of the Self Publishing School podcast & the author of six bestselling books, including his most recent book, Published. He’s also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School.

The post How to Boost Your Writing Motivation, Scientifically appeared first on Anne Janzer.