Jeff Goins's Blog, page 35

Here’s How You Actually Write a Book

As writers, we pay a lot of attention to getting our work published. And rightly so. We must know our options so we can make the best choice for our completed work. But publishing isn’t the hardest part of writing a book. Not even close. It’s the writing.

If you’re not a full-time writer, living in a cabin in the woods, how will you actually write your book?

How will you do the work of writing when the demands of real life threaten to overwhelm your already busy schedule?

I struggled with this for years. As an aspiring writer, I dreamed of one day sharing my words with the world. But the truth is I was kidding myself.

Why? Because I wasn’t writing. I didn’t even know where to start.

Fast forward seven years, and now I’m the best-selling author of four books and living the life I always dreamed of. I haven’t gotten everything right along the way, but I have gathered some helpful advice that has kept me going.

It takes a lot more than a dream to make it as a writer. It takes knowing what you’re doing, or at least knowing the next step.

So here are some of the first eight steps that I took. This is what I did when I didn’t know what to do next. This is what it looked like for me to move from aspiring writer with a day job to full-time writer and bestselling author. It really is this easy. And this hard.

1. Choose a topic

You must have something important to share before you start writing. Like F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “You don’t write because you want to say something. You write because you have something to say.” What will you write about?

When I was struggling with this, I went one level deeper and started writing about writing. Turns out, that was the perfect first step for me, because I’m still doing it today.

“It takes a lot more than a dream to make it as a writer. It takes knowing what you’re doing.Tweet thisTweet

You need a topic that you care enough about to sustain it for the length of a book, a blog, newsletter. Sometimes all three, and more. You’re not imprisoned by that first idea, of course—you can pivot without losing your audience—but this gives you an idea of how big your topic needs to be. Here are some ideas to get you started.

2. Develop a premise

You need an angle, a hook. There are no new ideas, but you can do something original in the way you present your idea. Consider how Seth Godin writes about marketing, or how Ernest Hemingway wrote about bullfighting. Everything’s been done before, but you haven’t done it before. That’s the difference. That’s your premise.

3. Think about your reader

The golden rule of writing is that you must know your audience. You must know a lot about them and their needs so that when you write, they know you understand where they’re coming from. If you do that, if you meet them where they are, you can lift them up to where you want them to be.

And they’ll be forever loyal to you because of it.

4. Create an outline

An outline often feels like the boring part of writing. Maybe you think it’s limiting your creativity or holding you back from just getting started. But the truth is, taking the time to create an outline will make the rest of your writing go so much faster and more smoothly.

“The golden rule of writing is that you must know your audience.Tweet thisTweet

I know from experience. While writing my fifth book this summer, I realized two-thirds of the way through—after writing 40,000 words—that everything was suddenly coming more easily than they had in previous chapters. Why? Because I’d accidentally given myself an outline: Five things, in order, that I wanted to make sure to cover in that chapter. And with that outline in front of me, writing became a simple exercise of filling in the blanks. (Simple, but not easy, of course.)

5. Read, read, read

If you want to be a writer, reading is not a luxury. It is a necessity. You must read widely and frequently both to see how it’s done, and to see how you can do it differently.

There’s no shortcut to this, but I do know of a few ways to get more reading time into your day.

6. Set a due date

When my wife was pregnant earlier this year, we knew the day that our daughter would be arriving. That due date set in motion all kinds of activity for our family and my business. We knew we had to be done by a specific date because ready or not, we would be adding to our family that day. There was no opportunity to procrastinate, no leeway for laziness.

Treat your writing the same way, with the same dedication to a due date. Once you’ve decided what you want to write and who it’s for, it’s time to be a professional and commit to a completion date. If you don’t, life has a way of interrupting and overshadowing our best intentions.

“If you want to be a writer, reading is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.Tweet thisTweet

If an arbitrary completion date isn’t sufficient motivation for you, attach a consequence to not accomplishing your goal. A friend of mine, a talented writer, did this recently when he wanted to finish a book he’d been thinking about for years. Fearing he might never reach the last page, he wrote a check to a political candidate he hated, and post-dated it for X months in the future. Then he gave the check to a friend with strict instructions to mail it if he had not completed his book by that date.

The result? He’s done his book.

7. Create a writing schedule

Your season of life will dictate the writing schedule that works for you, so there’s no use in trying to copy what another author is doing. We can find inspiration in how others structure their days, but the point is this: find a regular schedule that works for you, and commit to showing up on that schedule from now until the day your book is complete.

There will be days it’s tempting to skip, and those, of course, are the days it’s probably most important that you keep showing up. That’s what a schedule is, after all. It’s a way to remove your own willpower and whims from the work of being an author. Because yes, even a dream job is still a job.

8. Write, don’t edit

We hear this one all the time, but it bears repeating because it’s almost always the thing that’s keeping you from finishing your book. If you’re obsessing over every sentence as you write it, you’re not just being a perfectionist. You’re actually withholding momentum from yourself; you’re preventing yourself from entering into that all-important state of “flow” where the words come easily and the goal feels achievable.

If you’re trying to write entirely perfect sentences and a perfect book, you’re pursuing the wrong goal. Instead, find a strategy that will allow you to write first, and edit later. I use what I call the three-bucket system, and maybe that will help you, too.

What makes a writer is the writing. So you’d better get started.

What step did you find most helpful in writing your book? Is there a particular step that’s tripping you up? Share in the comments.

Why You Need to Aim Small to Make a Big Difference in the World

Note: This is a guest post from Chris Marlow. Chris is the founder of Help One Now, the author of Doing Good is Simple , and a speaker at this year’s Tribe Conference.

Have you ever felt empty in a moment where you thought you should feel excitement and joy?

I know I have, and I’m guessing you may have also. Let me introduce myself: I’m Chris, the founder of Help One Now. We do some really cool stuff around the world, and we have a saying that I believe to be true: What if doing good was simple?

I know what you might be thinking: “Doing good is hard.” Well, let’s hold that thought and return for a moment to what it means to feel empty.

Over the years, the most amazing people have been involved in Help One Now’s story. Some are TV stars, professional athletes, and best-selling authors. But the majority of people involved are everyday normal people–doctors and dads, entrepreneurs and moms, and everyone from teachers to pastors to plumbers.

They all have a lot in common—discipline, drive, and the desire to accomplish much. Many are on the path to meeting and exceeding their expectations of life. They are building their dreams, reaching their goals, and moving toward the other side of success.

Yet, many faced the same struggle. Despite their ongoing “success,” they still felt a sense of emptiness.

Why is this?

Fighting the drift of life

Truth be told, we sometimes get so busy doing whatever it takes to reach our goals that we forget this simple, essential fact: We live in an interconnected world, and each of us matters.

We have passions, talents, and the ability to make the world more beautiful, and we exist to use those gifts to write, sing, paint, create, and build businesses that make the world better.

Yet, it’s so easy to drift, to get caught up in our own dreams, goals, and hopes that we don’t realize that we should be living our lives for others, not just for ourselves and our family.

Otherwise, we will never fulfill the deep desire in our soul to be a good neighbor, to live generous lives, to help people flourish and overcome, to love people who are broken, to extend grace to people who have failed, and to seek justice for people who have been mistreated.

Doing good and living a life that matters is important. Every human–each one of us, down deep in our soul–craves meaning and purpose. We all want to be part of something far bigger than ourselves. All the success, all the money, all the accomplishments in the world can feel meaningless if we do not also do something to make the world more beautiful.

Doing good really is simple and significant. We need you! You matter; the world cannot and will not be the same if you don’t become “others focused.”

Yet, often we don’t do good because we don’t know how. We’re too busy; the demands of life have us feeling as if we’re constantly in the middle of the ocean, and we’re just doing whatever we can do to get to the shore.

We have one life, filled with a few moments that tend to go fast. We can allow the demands of the world to keep us feeling overwhelmed and busy, or we can take control and live intentional, focused, and meaningful lives.

It’s your call.

Small is the new big

In my book, Doing Good is Simple, I talk about three obstacles, three reasons WHY we fail to do good:

We’re overwhelmed.
There are too many problems.
The problems are too big.

Have you been there? I have, and it’s okay. The issues we are facing are very complex and can feel nearly impossible to solve.

But the majority of people don’t need to worry about the macro problems. You probably don’t have the time, energy, or information. That is not your fight. Leave it to those who are vocationally called.

One of the most significant ways you can change the world is to partner with others who are already doing it, and then take small, significant steps in the right direction.

Yes, the problems we face are big, but it’s far better to focus on the small. Here’s what I mean: You might not be able to fix all the problems in the world, but what if you focused on just a few?

For example, there’s a story in my book that shows how small can be really big.

In 2012, Help One Now gave a $300 microloan to a family in Zimbabwe who used it to start a chicken farm. I had a chance to visit the family the following year, and I asked the father what he liked best about having his own business. I was expecting him to mention the greater financial security the family had, or the fact that his kids were regularly in school, or their future potential.

Instead, he answered, “What I love the most is that every Thursday, I’m able to take my son to get an ice cream cone.”

Sometimes, doing good and making a difference is simply helping a dad buy an ice cream cone for his son. When all of the world’s problems seem so big, so out of our reach, just remember this: $300 literally transformed an entire family’s future.

Maybe we can’t help everyone, but we can help ONE family. And if we all did that, imagine the possibilities, the beauty, the impact!

The simplicity of doing good

Now, maybe you have succeeded. You’ve reached your goals. You have achieved your dream, and you’re trying to process how to give back–how to leverage that success to make a difference. Or, maybe you’re striving to reach your goals now. Either way, the real question is this: How can you use what you have to make the world better?

Imagine the possibilities, living a story with more meaning and adding value to others because of your success, because of who you are, and because of your unique gifts. To me, that just seems like a better life, a better way to live. What do you think?

Doing good is simple, and yes, it is significant. Together with big and small acts of kindness, we can make the world brighter. I think we’d all agree the world needs that right now.

Do good.

Do good well.

And do good together!

Chris’ new book, Doing Good is Simple, is available now. As a bonus, Chris is offering my readers a free copy of my book The Art of Work to the first 100 people who order a copy of his book.Just fill out this form.

119: How to Build Your Personal Brand the Smart Way with Chris Ducker

“Do I really need a brand?”

This is a question I’m often asked by writers and creatives. And I get it. The idea of a personal brand feels gimmicky and non-artistic. But regardless of where you stand on branding, here’s the thing you need to know as a writer: You have a brand.

The idea of branding has been around for centuries. Going all the way back to ancient Egypt, people have “branded” their cattle as a way of claiming ownership.

Today, the concept of branding—in general—hasn’t varied far from its historic roots. At its core, branding is an impression you leave on someone. So, if you’ve shared your writing with anyone, then you have left an impression on them, which means you have a brand.

As a writer, you need to proactively develop your brand. Don’t read this as some sort of marketing activity I’m recommending. That’s not what I’m saying at all. What I am saying is that if you’re going to share your writing with anyone else, then you need to take steps toward forming the opinion you want your readers to have of you.

This week on The Portfolio Life, Chris Ducker and I talk about what it means to have your own brand, and steps you can take toward building your brand the smart way. Chris goes into detail on what you need to do from the outset, how to attract the right people to you and your message, and how to make your writing and business unreproducible.

Chris is also closing out this year’s Tribe Conference. He will go into a lot more detail on how to build your personal brand with practical exercises you can complete during the conference. You’ll leave with confidence that you’re on the right track.

So, if you haven’t already, click here to get your ticket for the Tribe Conference.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below. (If you are reading this via email or RSS, please click here.)

Show highlights

In this episode, Chris and I discuss:

How Chris got his start as an entrepreneur.
The importance of being yourself from the outset.
Why marketing is like a magnet.
Youpreneur, the entrepreneurial community Chris started.
Embracing a people-to-people business mindset.
How to become someone’s favorite person to do business with.
Making pivots to explore new business opportunities.
Focusing only on what you do best, and outsourcing the rest.
The right time to start thinking about outsourcing your work.
Why time is your most valuable commodity.

Quotes and takeaways

You are your brand, and no one can take that away from you.
No entrepreneur has a monopoly on good ideas.
People want to do business with people, so it’s important to become someone’s favorite.
You can pivot with your work at any time if your passions change or new opportunities are presented.
Focus on what you can do, and delegate the rest to other people.

Resources

Tribe Conference 2016.
Youpreneur.
Virtual Freedom , by Chris Ducker.
All Marketers Are Liars , by Seth Godin.
Tropical Think Thank.
Download the full transcript here.

What are you willing to let go of to save yourself time and build your brand? Share in the comments.

A Writer’s Life: A Q&A With Tribe Conference Speaker Asha Dornfest

Asha Dornfest has been writing her entire life, but it wasn’t until she published her first book that she started to call herself a writer. What is it about that term, writer, that makes so many creatives fearful? And what can we do when we have something to say but are scared to get started?

Well, for starters, we can listen to Asha’s advice.

Eight books later, no one would dispute that Asha is a capital-W Writer, nor that she’s leveraged that title into even greater success. With over 20 years of experience to her name, and a flourishing online platform and podcast, she might be one of the strongest examples out there of how to live a Portfolio Life.

I sat down with Asha last month during a visit to her hometown of Portland, Oregon. I wanted to hear more about how she found her voice, connected with her tribe, and leveraged her platform into a thriving, multi-faceted career.

She has so much wisdom to share, and I wish I could fit it all into this interview. But because I knew I couldn’t possibly do so, I’ve invited Asha to come speak at this year’s Tribe Conference. It’s coming up in just a couple weeks, and if you’re ready to find the kind of creative success that Asha has, you don’t want to miss her on the main stage.

Here’s just a glimpse at her story and her advice for other writers.

Q: Have you always been a writer? How did you come to that realization?

Asha: I’ve always written, but it took me a while to call myself a writer. That is to say, I’ve enjoyed writing (and reading) ever since I was a kid, but I didn’t see writing as a career path until much later. I was the kid who wrote poems and stories and submitted them to kids’ magazines. I was the college student who never pulled all-nighters because writing papers came easily. I was the employee who loved to write up reports and internal communications.

“I think new writers are too worried that it has all been said before. Sure it has, but not by you.Tweet thisTweet

But I didn’t consider myself a writer until after I published my first book, a how-to about web publishing, in 1996. Weird, I know.

Q: What does it mean to you to be a writer? Has that definition changed over time?

Asha: I love to write. But more than that, I love to communicate which, by definition, is two-way.

I wouldn’t be a writer today were it not for the Internet (blogs, specifically) because my energy comes from having conversations—the exchange between writer and reader, the talking and the listening and interpreting.

I’m more interested in exploring ideas with a group of thoughtful people than I am in delivering a message from a pedestal (or platform, as the case may be).

Q: What does your daily writing routine look like?

Asha: My writing and family life are very much entwined, and so my routine varies week to week, and year to year.

I do my best work in the morning, so I try to get down to my creative work shortly after the kids are in school and the dogs are walked. When they were little, I would do my writing before they woke up. I save administrative and editing tasks for the afternoon.

But I have a long way to go in this regard. I sometimes joke that I’m a better employee than a self-employed person because I find it so hard to define and stick to my own routine (bosses and offices help with this!). I’m also an extrovert, so there’s the constant, distracting pull from social media and potential coffee dates.

I’d get a lot more done and be a more effective writer if my work life was more structured. Not rigid, just more clearly defined.

Q: What other things do you do as part of your portfolio life? Writers never just write for eight hours a day—what else fills your professional time?

Asha: In addition to my books, website, and social media presence at ParentHacks.com, I co-host a podcast called Edit Your Life with Christine Koh.

“There’s always room at the table, and success doesn’t require a perfect writing system or method.Tweet thisTweet

Christine and I co-wrote the book Minimalist Parenting in 2013. We find such joy in working together that a podcast was a natural way to keep doing that.

Q: What do you wish you’d known about the writer’s life when you started?

Asha: That it can be lonely. I need regular infusions of in-person contact or I start feeling anxious and unsure of myself.

Social media both helps and hurts because it lets me feel like I’m interacting, but really it’s still solitary. (This is why conferences like the Tribe Conference are so, so important.)

Q: What’s one thing writers get wrong about mastering the craft and succeeding as a writer?

Asha: I think new writers are too worried that it has all been said before. Sure it has, but not by you.

The human condition doesn’t change that much over time, so there’s more than enough room for similar themes to be interpreted by many different people. Just start writing.

Q: How do you conquer common writing challenges like writer’s block and procrastination?

Asha: I set a timer for 15 minutes, work with focus during that time, then reward myself with 15 minutes of something offline.

Q: What milestones have you achieved as a writer, and what do you still hope to achieve?

Asha: I’ve written eight books, most recently Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids. I’m so proud of this book as it represents the very best of my 10+ years of community at ParentHacks.com. It’s something delightful and fun that people can hold, page through, and give as a gift and say, “Hey! I’m part of that.”

The book launch and national tour in spring 2016 was an incredible experience, and I have my fabulous publisher, Workman, and my amazing online community to thank for that.

“Just start writing.Tweet thisTweet

One of the most exciting moments was getting to do a live interview with Kelly McEvers for All Things Considered at the NPR studio in LA.

I’m also proud to have won an Iris Award last year for Parent Hacks. Winning this industry award, voted on by peers whom I admire and respect, was one of the great highlights of the year.

Q: What will you be speaking on at Tribe Conference?

Asha: I’ll share wisdom and lessons learned along my 20-year journey as a writer, the last 11 of which have been spent primarily on the Internet. New writers should know that there is always room at the table, and that success doesn’t require a perfect system or method.

Join Asha Dornfest, myself, and a couple hundred more writers and creatives at this year’s Tribe Conference. Click here to get your ticket and learn more about the conference.

What do you hope to achieve as a writer? Share in the comments.

118: 3 Writing Habits, Blogs, and Books You Need to Succeed as a Writer

You will not become a successful writer accidentally. You will need to develop yourself as a writer and learn from others better than yourself if you want to succeed. So, where should you begin?

I’ve had the privilege of writing full time for over three years now. The work I get to do today isn’t something I take for granted. It took me several years, many sleepless nights and early mornings, and the guidance of trusted friends to help me along the way.

The opportunities I have today didn’t happen accidentally. Yes, I’ve had some unplanned breaks come my way that made a tremendous difference. But I wouldn’t have been in a position to take advantage of them if I wasn’t putting in the work ahead of time.

If you want to become a full-time writer, then you have to intentionally work toward becoming one. This involves developing great writing habits, learning from others, and becoming a voracious reader.

Over the years, I’ve read countless blogs and books, and I’ve developed writing habits that have helped me to become a full-time writer. To help you decrease your learning curve, I want to share with you some of the lessons and resources that have helped me develop myself as a writer.

So, this week on The Portfolio Life, Andy Traub and I discuss the three habits writers should build and the three blogs and three books every writer should read.

If you want to become a full-time writer, then I encourage you to listen in as Andy and I talk about the importance of developing writing habits, and the lessons you’ll learn from the different blogs and books I recommend.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below. (If you’re reading this via email or RSS, please click here.)

Show highlights

In this episode, Andy and I discuss:

The three habits every writer should build to become a more productive writer.
The three parts of writing you need to master.
How to create a folder full of writing ideas and prompts.
Different tools you can use to capture ideas and write.
Why you need to learn from someone far better than yourself to improve as a writer.
Why most people struggle with writer’s block.
The three blogs writers should read.
One overlooked step to becoming a great writer.

Quotes and takeaways

You want to close the gap between thinking about what you’re going to write and actually writing it.
Give yourself time to think about what you’ve written. This will help you to review your work with a fresh set of eyes.
If you want to become a great writer, then you have to learn from someone far better than yourself.

Resources

How to Get Your Writing Done Every Day: The Three-Bucket System, by Jeff.
Drafts, a note-taking app.
Evernote.
My 500 Words.
My 500 Words Facebook Group.
The Write Practice.
The New Yorker.
Copyblogger.
The War of Art , by Steven Pressfield.
Bird by Bird , by Anne Lamott.
On Writing , by Stephen King.
On Writing Well , by William Zinsser.
Writing resource recommendations from Jeff.
Pocket Casts, a podcast player.
Download the full transcript here.

What writing habit, blog, or book has helped you to become a better writer? Share in the comments.

Tribe Building from the Trenches (Free eBook)

Click here to download my new, free ebook, Tribe Building from the Trenches: 14 Tips from Those Who Have Done It.

Today, we live in a noisy world. Everyone is vying for everyone else’s attention. So, what are we to do?

There are, of course, only two options. One is to be quiet and let the talkers talk. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this, but that’s not always the right choice.

Recently, I read an interview with John Grisham, in which he shared how it took him three years to write his first book. He was a busy lawyer and a new dad, arguably in the busiest season of his life.

“You have a tribe, an audience out there who is waiting for you to speak up.Tweet thisTweet

While he was writing this book, he would occasionally go into a bookstore and look at the tens of thousands of books there, and wonder to himself, Who wants to hear from me?!

But the truth was lots of people did.

How to build your own tribe

The same is true for you. You have a tribe, an audience out there who is waiting for you to speak up. But if you just start talking, they won’t listen. You have to earn their attention, and that is a subtle art that takes practice.

When I decided to become a writer, I knew it would take work and that I’d have to build an audience. So I sought out people who were smarter than me. And I learned from them.

This is how we grow in our craft today: We surround ourselves with those who are wiser and more experienced than we are.

So, to help you build your own tribe, I’ve rounded up some of the smartest tribe-builders I know to offer some helpful advice on how to share your work with the world in a way that won’t be annoying or forgettable. These are authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs who you should listen to because they’ve actually taken the journey and found success.

I gathered their thoughts together to create a new, free eBook, Tribe Building from the Trenches: 14 Tips from Those Who Have Done It.

Read on at your own peril, though.

“Get “Tribe Building from the Trenches: 14 Tips from Those Who Have Done It” for free!Tweet thisTweet

Because once you hear this advice, you can’t un-hear it. You will be responsible for what you know and for what comes next. And you just might be called to act, speak up, and let your voice be heard.

Click here to download Tribe Building from the Trenches: 14 Tips from Those Who Have Done It.What’s the great challenge you’re facing with building your own tribe? Share in the comments.

117: How You Can Change the World in Your Sleep with Jeremy Cowart

“I can’t do this.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“I’ll never be a success.”

These lies plagued Jeremy Cowart with hopelessness for years. Despite struggling in school, being fired from jobs, and even being told to pursue a different career, Jeremy continued to pursue his calling as an artist. So, how did he overcome these limiting beliefs to become a world-renowned photographer?

Today, Jeremy is not only a photographer, but also an entrepreneur and humanitarian. From starting his own graphic design company and photographing world leaders, musicians, and actors, to spearheading several humanitarian projects, Jeremy has defied countless odds to use his art to serve a great purpose.

The lies Jeremy believed are things I’ve believed myself as a husband, father, and writer. And I’m not alone. These lies also find a welcome home among many writers and creatives I know.

Listening to the constant voice of these lies is crippling. They can lead us to inactivity in pursuing our calling and even hopelessness. But what I’ve learned over the years about these lies is that they only talk to those who listen.

This week on The Portfolio Life, Jeremy Cowart and I talk about how he overcome his initial struggles, and how he not only discovered his calling, but how he has also had the opportunity to influence thousands of lives through his humanitarian efforts.

Listen in as Jeremy and I discuss how he organically and accidentally discovered his life’s work, how to know if an idea is worth pursuing, and his plans for serving various causes around the world through The Purpose Hotel.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below. (If you are reading this via email or RSS, please click here.)

Show highlights

In this episode, Jeremy and I discuss:

How he struggled with school and traditional education.
His short stint as a backup singer.
Discovering your calling through a series of moments versus one significant epiphany.
How Jeremy organically became a world-famous photographer.
Honing your craft by blending it with different disciplines.
The inspiration behind The Purpose Hotel.
The three steps Jeremy takes to test a new idea.
Jeremy’s focus on his magnum opus.

Quotes and takeaways

Listen to your life to help inform your future.
Don’t pursue personal greatness. Pursue great work for a great purpose.
Artists not only have to be creative, but they also have to show people they can deliver.

Resources

The Purpose Hotel Kickstarter Project.
“I’m Possible,” a video of Jeremy’s personal story.
Download the full transcript here.

Are you limiting your potential? Have you let your dreams fade away? Share in the comments.

What’s Really Happening When You Get Writer’s Block (and How to Overcome It)

Writer’s block isn’t what you think. It’s not a medical condition afflicting writers everywhere. It’s not a disease preventing you from doing your best work. And it’s not a virus that takes control of the creative process, rendering you useless.

What writer’s block is, then, is an excuse.

Nothing more.

Ever wonder why other people in less creative careers don’t experience blocks the way we writers do?

Cubicle dwellers may lament the Monday Blues or the 3PM Slump, but in no other industry do professionals speak of being prevented from their work by an invisible and all-powerful force beyond their control.

As Liz Gilbert says, there are no engineers suffering from engineer’s block.

Why is that?

Few professions require the honesty and self-reflection that writing does. Few vocations demand the constant mining of one’s life experiences, and even fewer allow you to spin this information into beautiful prose for public consumption.

“Writer’s block is an excuse. Nothing more.Tweet thisTweet

In that respect, writer’s block makes sense. It is a creative person’s pre-emptive defense against judgment. It is a wall between ourselves and the public. It’s what we say when we don’t want to answer any more questions about that book we haven’t written. We’ve got writer’s block.

People nod understandingly, almost empathetically. Oh, yes. I’m so sorry. That must be hard. I hope you get well soon.

Here’s the truth: writer’s block doesn’t exist. Not really. It’s a condition that exists entirely in your head. That wall you’re building is made of air, not bricks. But when we believe this lie we tell ourselves, it becomes real.

When we think we are blocked, we become blocked.

The concept of writer’s block has so infiltrated our daily lives that it gets a pass in nearly every creative conversation. We do not hold ourselves to a standard of daily discipline, and therefore, neither do others.

But this is a problem. When a toxin to our productivity gets into the creative bloodstream, it must be flushed out. The way we do this is not by treating the symptom, but by acknowledging the real disease.

The real cause of writer’s block

If you’ve ever felt like you have writer’s block, here’s what you actually have:

Fear
Exhaustion
High standards (which is basically fear of failure)
Imposter Syndrome (fear of rejection)
Perfectionism (fear of not being good enough)
Busyness (fear of not having enough time)
Laziness (or is it really fear?)
Lack of structure (fear of not knowing how to start)

Look: I don’t mean to impose my reality on you because every writer is different. But, for me, what almost always prevents me from writing is fear.

To help me understand what’s going inside of me when I feel blocked, I take the following three steps:

1. Acknowledge the resistance

First, I acknowledge the resistance I feel as a sign that I’m doing something right. I must be doing something important if an unseen force is trying to stop me from finishing, even if that unseen force is myself.

“Writer’s block is a condition that exists only in your head.Tweet thisTweet

Subconsciously, I must recognize that this is important work, hence the need to self-sabotage. So, when I realize this, I am encouraged. Excited, even. Because it means I’m doing something that matters.

2. Identify the root problem

Second, I ask myself what’s really going on. Not, what’s preventing me from finishing? But rather: why do I feel stuck?

Am I afraid of failure? Of rejection? Of not being good enough?

Do I feel like I don’t have enough time? Enough talent? Enough grit?

Or, am I just tired?

Depending on the situation, my step three varies. But unless I’m tired, in which case I take nap or do some exercise, it’s most likely fear that I’m having to overcome.

I’m scared to publish because I feel like my best work is behind me or that I’ll never finish it. I’m scared of what people might think, or that I’ll somehow get pigeonholed into some role I don’t want for myself. I’m scared it’ll fail, and therefore I will be a failure.

So, it’s just easier to stare at the screen or procrastinate and find something else seemingly more important to do. Then, when the writing time is over, I play the martyr, pretending like I didn’t have “enough time.”

3. Ask what’s the worst that can happen

Three, once I’ve determined what’s actually wrong, I do a worst-case scenario. Could I fail? Sure. Would that destroy my career in a single stroke? Not at all.

“Your output depends on having a system in place that makes productivity not probable, but inevitable.Tweet thisTweet

It would take multiple failures all in a row to take me out of the game. That’s not impossible, of course, but it’s certainly not likely. And that takes away the pressure of this one creative act, which frees me up to do what is mine to do, today.

We must acknowledge the true cause of our writer’s block. Then, we must find a practical solution so we have a shot at getting back to work.

Start with structure

A quick word on writing structure: If you’ve balked before at structure as something that would limit your creativity or even induce writer’s block, that’s fear talking.

Your output depends on having a system in place that makes productivity not just probable, but inevitable.

That’s why my friend Tim Grahl and I recently worked together to develop The Productive Writer course. We designed this course to help you find the time to write, overcome your fears, and finish your book in the next 90 days.

You are not merely a vehicle through which writing flows (or doesn’t) despite you, which means that the thing you’re perceiving as a creative block is just you getting in your own way. This is why it’s important for you to use proven strategies to help you remove the obstacles that stand in the way of your writing.

Step aside, define the thing you’re actually experiencing, and try out this proven system to get real traction as a writer.

Register today for The Productive Writer course before it closes on Friday, August 26. What’s happening in your mind when you’re facing writer’s block? Share in the comments.

116: Why Writers Need to Build a Professional Network to Succeed

Your success as a writer is not solely dependent upon your ability to write. If you believe this, then you might be missing out on one of the most important pieces to your success: Your professional network.

No matter how much we want to believe that successful men and women are self-made, it’s just not true. At times in your life and career, you will need the help, support, and guidance from someone else.

Someone who will pick you up when you fall down. Someone who can teach you important lessons and even speak hard truths into your life. And someone who will walk alongside you in support as you take steps toward pursuing your calling.

Like most writers, I’m a little shy and found building a community really difficult to do at first. But I learned that this type of network and support I needed couldn’t be developed behind the comfort of my computer. It wasn’t until I stepped away from my writing and into a community when I not only began to forge key friendships, but began to improve as a writer and professional.

This week on The Portfolio Life, Andy Traub and I talk about the importance of building a community for your development and success as a writer. We also share some good and bad examples of building community, and practical steps you can take today to expand your professional network.

Listen in as Andy and I share my personal experiences and awkward moments in building my network and what I’ve learned along the way.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below. (If you are reading this via email or RSS, please click here.)

Show highlights

In this episode, Andy and I discuss:

Being intentional about creating community.
How stepping away from my writing and joining a community changed everything.
Finding and creating a community where you live.
Connecting with like-minded people.
Why real success comes from finding people who are as ambitious as you are.
Networking with people who are ahead of you and similar to you professionally.
What to do when you lack self-confidence in approaching others.
How to develop and maintain relationships after forming them.

Quotes and takeaways

Close your laptop. Put away your work. And step out into your community.
Wherever you are, there is some kind of opportunity to network.
Identify and network with people who are ahead of you and similar to you professionally.
Don’t worry about your perceived level of success. That’s not the point. The point is to connect with someone at your level.
A network is a relationship of people working together to give and receive.

Resources

Tribe Conference 2016.
Full transcript coming soon.

What steps can you take today to connect with people who are ahead of you and similar to you professionally? Share in the comments.

How to Get Your Writing Done Every Day: The Three-Bucket System

Note: I have a free video teaching on this system. If you’d rather watch that, click here.

Most writers struggle with getting their writing done for one surprising reason. They think writing is a one-step process, when in fact, it’s a three-step process.

What we call “writing” is actually made up of three distinct activities: coming up with ideas, turning those ideas into drafts, and then editing those drafts into publishable pieces.

When I decided to become a writer and made the commitment to write 500 words per day, every single day, I quickly ran into the resistance that holds most of us back from doing our work.

I’d get up early, brew my coffee, and sit down to write. And I’d wait. And wait. And I’d wait for the words to come, but nothing would come quickly. Some days, nothing would come at all.

The minutes would tick by, with me stupidly staring at the cursor, squandering what little time I had before having to go to work. When my writing time was over, I’d pack my stuff up, defeated, and beat myself up for the rest of the day.

Why couldn’t I focus?

The truth is most writers struggle with this. Because they believe the myth that writing is one thing. When I realized that coming up with a great idea, writing 500–1,000 words on that idea, and then editing that idea into something I could publish on my blog – all in one sitting – was, in fact, a ridiculous goal, everything changed.

I began breaking those activities – ideation, creation, and editing – into three separate actions. And you know what? When you have one goal to accomplish, you are far more productive and focused than when you have three.

Imagine that.

As I did this, writing became easier and easier. I started writing more. I stopped getting writer’s block – period. I didn’t feel stuck anymore. I knew exactly what I needed to do, and I knew I could do it – so I did.

What resulted was, to my own chagrin, a system. To be honest, I’m not a very organized guy. I wish I were. But the truth is most of my life is messier than I care to admit. But what I’ve realized is every working writer I know has some sort of system to get the work done.

“When you have one goal to accomplish, you are far more productive & focused than when you have three.Tweet thisTweet

A system doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. It just has to work. To quote my friend Tim Grahl, a system is just a way of doing something that gets you a predictable result every time. Like, putting your keys in the same place every day after work (which I only recently started doing).

Below is my system, and maybe it’ll work for you, too. I call it: The Three-Bucket System. And it’s how I get my writing done.

Bucket #1: Ideas

All throughout the day, I capture ideas using an app called Drafts that syncs with Evernote.

That’s the first bucket: ideas.

I have a whole folder full of them for when I’m feeling dry in the creativity department.

You can use a notebook for this as well. The tool doesn’t matter, as long as you aren’t just hanging onto all those ideas in your brain. Don’t trust that operating system. It will fail you.

You must capture ideas in a place where you can return to them later when your memory fails you and the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.

Bucket #2: Drafts

Then, when it’s time for me to write (usually in the morning), I’ll pull an idea out from the first bucket and start writing, usually around 500 words in one session. This process makes it easier to just start writing because I don’t have to think about what I’m going to write – I already have a prompt.

The ideas I collect function as prompts for me, but this is not just a writing exercise. It’s work. I never write something without the intent of publishing it. This is what my friend Marion calls “writing with intent.” The best practice is the kind done in public, and the best writing is the stuff you intend to publish.

“This is what professionals do. They write for an audience, always with the intent of publishing.Tweet thisTweet

Once I’ve written about 500 words on my idea, I save it as a draft in Scrivener (if I’m working on a book) or in Byword (if it’s a blog post). Again, these are the tools I use. They don’t matter as much as the method.

This is the second bucket: drafts.

At any given time, I have a whole bunch of half-finished chapters and blog posts on my computer begging to be edited and completed.

This is not an overwhelming feeling. It’s an empowering one, because when it’s time to edit, I get to choose what I want to work on. I don’t have to come up with an idea or “just write.”

The point of this system is to think as little as possible and just do the next thing.

Bucket #3: Edits

Finally, I pull out one of those half-completed drafts and edit it. I’ll polish up the flow and sentence structure and of course, check for grammar and spelling.

At this point, the piece isn’t perfect, but it’s at least 90% done. I’ll either schedule it for a blog post or tuck it away in another folder called “Finished pieces” on my computer.

This is the third bucket: edits.

These are pieces of writing that are more or less ready for the world to see. The next step is to share them with an editor or publisher or post to my blog. Again, I don’t write anything just for fun. It all has a purpose.

“I don’t write anything just for fun. It all has a purpose.Tweet thisTweet

This is what professionals do. They write for an audience, always with the intent of publishing. Anything less than that will result in something that isn’t your best work.

Putting it together

So here’s how this works in practice. But a quick word: if you’re just beginning, you’ll really need two days to get the system fully running.

1. Collect Ideas

Today, as you go on with the rest of your day, grab any ideas that come to you and capture them in a notebook or on an app that you can easily return to later. Shoot for five ideas. Write down a sentence or a phrase. Just enough to save the idea.

2. Write and Save

Tomorrow, when it’s time to write (say, in the morning, or whenever works for you), pull one of those ideas out of that first bucket.

I find that certain ideas speak to me, call to me even, and I try to listen to that voice. But sometimes, I just pick one. Typically, I choose the one that either most excites me or represents a deadline I have to meet.

When you’re done, put this piece in the “drafts” folder and save it for later. Then today, you’re done.

3. Edit and Publish

The day after, return to yesterday’s draft and edit it. Then move it to bucket three, maybe even publish it on your blog or wherever. Then go to bucket one to pull out a new idea and start writing again.

Do this every day, and you’ll never run out of writing topics. You’ll never run out of things to edit and publish. You’ll never have writer’s block again.

As long as you remember: writing is not one thing. It’s three things. So that’s my system. Give it a try, and let me know how it works.

If this advice has inspired you and you want to go deeper in becoming a productive writer, you should check out the free video series I’ve just released with Tim Grahl. You’ll learn more about this three bucket system as well other strategies you can use to create a writing system that gets results every day.

Click here to check out the free video series.

Can you relate to my story of feeling stuck as a writer? Do you ever feel discouraged because you aren’t making progress? Share in the comments.