I read a story a while back about a farmer who was sowing seeds by hand. He would bring his pouch of seeds, go out and start sowing. The farmer threw the seeds everywhere. At first, one would think that he is losing so much because he throws handfuls of seeds on the ground. To the extremely hungry, those seeds could make a decent meal. Why would he be throwing them away like that? But when you look at the big picture, the farmer really does lose handfuls of seeds, but in time he gains bounties more.

I was reminded of this story when I was out fishing with my girlfriend and her family. I’m not good at fishing, but I love the quiet atmosphere of the place.

The rules of the park were that you throw some type of bait that they provided in order to get the fish to come closer, and then you can then hook them with your fishing rods.

My girlfriend’s niece, was a little girl by the age of 4. When she got a hold of the bag of fish bait, she tore it open and got handfuls of the stuff and threw them out to the water.

A lot of us told her that throwing handfuls of bait was not the right way to do it. She then said that the reason why she threw a lot of the bait on the water was so a lot more fish would come closer and every one of us would catch one. She said the more bait, the better.

Wisdom from a 4-year-old

Do you really want to be a writer?

If you do, then you should be open to the fact that you’ll need to throw away lots of seeds. This means you need to be prepared for a lot of sacrifice on your end.

You should be ready to sacrifice money. As a writer, one of the best tools to have at your disposal is a blog. Getting your own domain name is going to cost money. Certain tools to market your blog cost money. Writing courses cost money. Getting professional web design can be costly, unless you’re willing to learn how to do it on your own.

Then there’s time. Time is golden, but you’re going to have to be ready to sacrifice a lot of your time to work on your writing. Say goodbye to long nights of sleep. Say goodbye to spending all day every day with your family, or hanging out with friends. You can still do these, but not as much as you would want to.

There’s a significant amount of sacrifice that you have to make if you want to be a writer.

So, do you really want to be a writer?

You’re not alone

But one thing that you have to know is that you’re not alone in this.

Writers everywhere also learn that they need to sacrifice time and money for doing what they love. They understand that they have to sow their seeds.

But it’s not just writers. Every one is involved. In order to succeed at something, everyone has to sacrifice some part of their old routine. Their old lifestyle. Their old habits.

I know a lot of people who had to sacrifice spending time with their families to work on other countries, to get jobs good enough to pay for their family’s needs.

I took up a  bachelor’s degree in Nursing when I went to college. I personally know hundreds of fellow nursing graduates who had to leave the country to work in greener pastures. Their biggest sacrifice is that they can’t spend as much time with their families as they want to.

How many seeds are you willing to sow?

With sacrifice done wisely though, comes great rewards.

Like the farmer who throws away handfuls of seeds across his farm, he earns bounties more in time.

So would all your hard work. All your sacrifices will bear more fruit than you’ve ever dreamed possible. You just have to make a few wise sacrifices at first.

This  will be your big dream reward. Whatever you want, a book deal, thousands of subscribers and readers, a teaching course that will let you earn money, anything. Not just a goal, but a dream that you would work your ass off for it to come true.

I also heard a passage from the Bible related to this.

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

No seeds to sow

I loved reading stories as I was growing up. I’ve read books from Robert Ludlum, John Le Carre, Franklin W. Dixon and a whole lot more. I got back to my roots. I loved reading books as a child, and come high school I was writing my own fantasy/adventure short stories. Ten of them, actually. I titled them ‘Hollow Dreams’. That’s why I decided to get back to writing again.

But I had a problem.

There are lots of writing courses on the Internet. Courses that I couldn’t afford. My current writing job could only provide for food and rent, and some little savings.

But I wanted to learn more. I wanted to write better. I wanted to tell stories. The same stories that inspired me as a kid growing up surrounded by paperback novels. I decided to start sowing some seeds.

I tried learning how to write by reading and studying a lot of writers’ blog posts. I’ve also got back to reading A LOT of old books that I haven’t read yet. It may not be the easiest method, but it’s what I could obtain at the moment.

Journey to be a great writer

We’re all on our journey to achieve writer immortality.

Whether we take writing courses, or dissect other people’s writing, or read books, we’re all sowing our seeds. And the more seeds we spread across the soil, the more rewards we get, in time.

A writer’s job isn’t easy. There’s a lot of sacrifice involved. But these sacrifices help us grow and improve our trade, in order to give us the opportunity to live out the dreams we had as children.

How do you sow your seeds as a writer? Let’s share our experiences and struggles in the comments section below.

Josh Sarz is a Freelance Writer, Blogger and the founder of Sagoyism, which talks about Epic Content Marketing and Storytelling . He also likes punk rock and metal, among other things.

Isaac Asimov, one of the big three science fiction writers of the twentieth century, published over 500 books including novels, short story collections and non fiction, making him one of the most prolific writers of all time.

Asked by Writer’s Digest magazine for the secret to his prolific writing, Asimov said:

“I guess I’m prolific because I have a simple and straightforward style.”
~Isaac Asimov (500 books)

Could it really be that easy?

Write clearly, in a conversational voice

Writing clearly, in a simple and straightforward style allows you to write fast.

At the same time, when you write fast, you don’t stop to process your thoughts . You put them straight onto the page, in a simple and straightforward style.

Best of all, writing clearly should be the goal of every writer. Clarity is the cardinal rule of nonfiction writing, and it will almost always improve your fiction.

Write fast, and you’ll have a conversational tone. You’re writing as fast as you can put the words together, just like when you’re speaking.  This gives your words power and immediacy, engaging the reader.

Literary critics dismissed Asimov’s writing as colorless, with functional dialogue and a transparent style.   Readers disagreed, buying his books in the millions.

In response to the critics, towards the end of this life, Asimov wrote:

“I made up my mind long ago to follow one cardinal rule in all my writing—to be clear. I have given up all thought of writing poetically or symbolically or experimentally, or in any of the other modes that might (if I were good enough) get me a Pulitzer prize. I would write merely clearly and in this way establish a warm relationship between myself and my readers, and the professional critics—Well, they can do whatever they wish.”
~Isaac Asimov (500 books)

Try to get your first draft down in 5-10 minutes

Writing fast improves your motivation to write.  If you know you’ve only got to sit down for five minutes to get a draft down, you’re more likely to sit at your desk and put pen to paper.

When you’re writing a first draft of a blog post, article, or scene, try to get your first draft down in five minutes.

Sean Platt, author of “How to Write an Article in Less Than 20 Minutes” has published 11 books in the past nine months.  He sets the following exercise:

“Get a timer and set it for five minutes. Think of a topic and write three prompts, these can be as short as a word or as long as a question. Start writing. Don’t stop until the timer goes off. Now read over what you wrote. Your writing is better than you thought it would be, right?

“This won’t seem easy until it finally is, but it will happen almost immediately. Again, don’t concern yourself with quality. You can always go back and edit, though you won’t need to clean up nearly as much as you think.”
~Sean Platt (11 books since March 2011)

Start with a question

Choosing a question to write from is the key to writing fast.  Get down the question, then focus on writing the answer.  No need to edit as you go, just write, as though you were giving your best possible answer to a friend.

How do you come up with a question?  If you’re writing a how-to article, make it the question you’ll be answering.  How do I find a holiday home in the Algave? How do I get an Angling license for the Grand Union Canal? How do I train a dog to sit on command?  The more specific the question, the better.

If you’re writing fiction, use the story question for your scene.  Or choose three words as the pith of your scene, and write from there.

Use established structures and plots

When you start writing fast, use established structures for the form you’re writing in.  Writing what you enjoying reading will help here (Asimov read science fiction from the age of 10).

As you learn to write fast in an established structure, you will gain the knowledge and experience you need to create your own structures and plots.

Romance novelist Barbara Cartland holds the Guiness World Record for the most novels written in a single year, having written 23 novels in 1983. She says:

“You can’t lose if you give them handsome highwaymen, duels, 3-foot fountains and whacking great horses and dogs all over the place.”
~Barbara Cartland (280 books)

Treat your writing as a craft

Anyone who knows how to do something well can work faster than those who are still learning.  Devote time to learning writing skills. Read books and blogs about writing. Attend writing classes.  Apply what you’ve learned to you writing. The more you learn, the faster you’ll be able to write.

Writing is a craft, so take time to edit after you write.

“I have always tried to write in a simple way, using down-to-earth and not abstract words.” ~ Georges Simenon (500 books)

Know your motivation for writing – and keep it with you as your write

You will only write if you enjoy writing.

Writing fast makes writing more enjoyable. Rather than wrenching out words, you let them flow from your fingers.

Knowing why you write will also increase your motivation. Do you love telling stories? Do you want to earn a living as a writer? Are you driven by the search for truth? Or is fame the name of your game?

Whatever your reason for writing, even if you have mixed motives, search it out, and keep it close.  It will come in handy on those days when you need an extra boost to get you sitting at your writing desk.

“Infatuated, half through conceit, half through love of my art, I achieve the impossible working as no one else ever works.”
~ Alexandre Dumas (277 books)

Write Every Day

When you’re motivated, you’ll write every day.  When you write every day, you’ll increase your motivation to write.

Some writers find they lose momentum if they don’t write every day.  Others find it better to take a break from writing every so often.  I find I lose energy to write if I don’t let myself take a break from writing one or two days a week. I usually take my break at the weekend.

“How many words a day do I write? Between six and seven thousand. And how many hours does that take? Three on a good day, as high as thirteen on a bad one”
~ John Creasey (564 books)

Never Give Up

Children’s writer Enid Blyton published over 700 books.  Like Asimov, she was criticised for her simple, earnest style.

Her writing was an immediate hit with the British public, yet BBC executives banned her work from being dramatized for radio from the 1930s to the 1950s, describing her style as “stilted and longwinded”.

Blyton continued to write and publish books until her death in 1968.

“The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.”
~ Enid Blyton (753 books)

In the decade up to 2010, she remained in the top-ten best selling authors, with sales of nearly 8 million copies in the UK worth £31 million ($48 million).

How Much Do You Need to Write?

To write 100 books (75,000 words per book) over the next 30 years, you need to be writing 1,000 words per day (writing 5 days a week, 50 weeks per year). At a brisk but comfortable pace, that’s an hour a day.

If you want to write 100 books in the next 10 years, that’s 3,000 words a day.

Being prolific is closer to possible than you might have believed.

David Masters is a freelance writer and storyteller helping the world tell powerful stories at inkably.

With the advent of writing communities on such networking sites as Twitter and Facebook and half a thousand forums and Nings, writers are perhaps more social and less solitary than at any time in our history.

This brings its fair share of both benefits and drawbacks, since our easy access to other writers—both those who are striving to be published and those who have a dozen bestsellers under their belts—causes inevitable comparisons.

Are we as good as they are?

Are they as good as we are?

Let’s explore what we can gain from answering these questions, as well as the pitfalls to avoid.

Cons

Jealousy: Easily, the most destructive con of comparison is that of jealousy. Sometimes this jealousy is the simple result of having read a book that spun its tale with such gossamer characters and seamless themes that we were left astonished.

We look at this brilliant author’s perfect prose, and we hate them just because they’re so much better than us. Or perhaps a writing buddy has just nailed a plum contract with the Agent of the Year. What did she do to deserve that honor, especially when—let’s be honest here—her writing leaves a lot to be desired compared to ours?

Jealousy is a flaw common to the vast majority of writers (due largely to the next con on our list), but it’s one that gets us exactly nowhere. The sooner we can stand up to our feelings of jealousy, put them behind us, and work toward being genuinely happy for our fellow writers, the more content and the more productive we’ll be.

Because, let’s face it, there’s always someone who’s better, richer, or luckier than we are. Jealousy is a never-ending melodrama of pain and pettiness.

Inferiority: Perhaps the reason jealousy is so prevalent among authors is that it almost always follows on the heels of its kissing cousin: inferiority. Very few writers are able to maintain perfect confidence in their skill.

When we run across a writer whose prose is more effortless than ours, whose characters are more realistic, whose paychecks are larger, and whose accolades are louder, we can’t help but compare. And when we find ourselves wanting, we either want to plot laborious and exhaustive murder for the object of our comparison, or we want to crumple in a corner and bawl at our general wretchedness. Sometimes both.

In one sense, this chronic inferiority complex is actually a positive thing, since it keeps us honest. As Orson Scott Card put it in How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, “Writers have to simultaneously believe the following two things: The story I am now working on is the greatest work of genius ever written in English. The story I am now working on is worthless drivel.”

Maintaining humility in our work is crucial to our genuineness as artists. But we can’t take this too far. We have to be able to reach a place of objectivity from which we can honestly compare our work to other writers, glean what we can from that comparison, or, if there’s simply nothing to be gained (as would be the case if we, say, compared the latest advance on our books to Stephen King’s), shrug it off as the inconsequentiality it is.

Pros

Inspiration: Comparing ourselves to other writers isn’t all bad. So long as we keep the downfalls in mind and are prepared to avoid them, we can actually gain a number of benefits from considering our fellow writers and how we measure up against them.

Honestly, can you imagine living entirely segregated from writerkind?

That would mean no books to read.
No fellow crazies to understand our quirks and obsessions.
No writerly energy to feed off.

We gain our inspiration from the art of others, from hearing about our writing buddies’ struggles, and from bouncing ideas back and forth.

If I were to write a thank you note to every author I’ve read, loved, and inevitably compared myself too, I probably wouldn’t have time to finish my next novel. Because most of us write the kind of books we enjoy reading, we are constantly reading books that are similar to our own. We recognize similar elements, compare them, and learn how to improve our own characters, plot, and prose as a result.

It’s a win-win situation, because who’s to say our mentors may not someday read one of our stories and find some similarity that brings that next epiphany to their writing?

Motivation: Once we get over the crumpling and crying brought on by our sense of inferiority in comparing ourselves to great writers, our next step is to rise from the ashes, pen in hand, motivated to blot out the very reason for our inferiority. The brilliance of this other author isn’t a boulder to crush us; it’s a mountain to scale.

Perhaps today we’re not good enough to be mentioned in the same breath with our heroes, but, you know what? If they can do it, so can we!

Reading great writers and comparing their brilliant stories to my own has been one of the single greatest factors in motivating me to keep writing, keep learning, keep trying. Nothing is more exciting to the dedicated writer than reading good fiction. Good stories excite us and drive us forward. We close the covers on a good book, and the first thing we want to do (after buying the sequel) is run to our keyboards and funnel all that inspiration and motivation into our own writing.

As with so many things in the writing life, successfully comparing ourselves to other writers is all about balance. If we can tamp a lid on the cons and embrace the pros, we can use the success of our fellows to launch ourselves to even greater heights.

It should be the goal of every writer to be comparison worthy. Hearing someone say, “I wish I could write as well you,” isn’t only the highest of compliments, it’s also a sign you’re giving back to the writing community the benefits you drew from it yourself.

About the Author: K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.
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You yearn for that week-long rendezvous with your Muse, the one where they (the mysterious, powerful and there-to-serve-you they) leave a basket filled with lunch goodies on your cabin doorstep. Where you have no laundry, no carpooling duties, no meetings to endure and no one else to attend to but your creative genius.

Or that day-long writing session where you do nothing but sip your cup of perfectly brewed green tea and express your creative passion in your studio.

Truth is, we’re pulled in so many directions that long stretches of time to immerse ourselves in our creativity are rare indeed.

If you’re not getting the time you need with your Muse, perhaps it’s time to consider the Creative Quickie. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes to get in, get your creative juju on, and go on with the rest of your obligations.

I can hear you protesting now, “But Cynthia, I need at least thirty minutes just to get into my creative flow.” That may be true, and I suspect it takes longer when you know you have hours ahead of you. Our creative energy will take as much space as we give it.

Let me repeat that: Our creative energy will take as much space as we give it. So give it more with regular creative quickies.

Try Creative Quickies

The creative quickie works to help you stay connected to your Muse when life threatens to break the two of you up. As I’ve seen with my clients, there are always more demands on our time than seem manageable.

When you slip in Creative Quickies on a regular basis you will:

Dispel the notion that you need tons of time to ‘get into the flow’. You can learn shortcuts that will allow you to slip in and out of your zone more easily.

Keep a thread of connection to your work. Short, consistent sessions with your project will keep it at the top of your mind. New ideas and strategies will be incubated while you go about the rest of your life.

Gain energy for the rest of your day. When you have even a brief encounter with your project, it can fuel you for your other work.

Build self-confidence. When you blow off your creative projects because you think you don’t have the time or energy, you drain your confidence. Grabbing short sessions will boost your self-esteem by showing you that you do respect your creative urges.

Finish your projects more easily. With ongoing connection and steady commitment, you shed the struggle and have more energy for creating.

Be more inclined to schedule and enjoy longer periods of creativity. Soon, these quickies will entice you to make more time for creative work. You’ll feel the benefits and will re-structure your priorities to ensure studio time is on the calendar.

And guess what – you’re going to be happier. Honoring your creative impulses instead of struggling against them will help you feel lighter, more energetic and satisfied. And who doesn’t want that?

Simplify your process

If you’re not getting as much time as you’d like with your art, commit to spending fifteen minutes once or twice this week with your art or writing project. No goals other than hanging out with it. This could look like:

Opening your notes for your book project and reviewing them. Chances are this will generate more ideas, so have a notebook handy to capture new insights.

Opening the last chapter you were writing and making notes for revision. Revisiting previous drafts shows you what changes need to be made. This process also teaches you about your strengths and weaknesses.

Going into the studio and stretching a canvas or watercolor paper. Depending on your medium, there are multiple steps in the creative process, many which can be done in fifteen minutes or less. Consider dividing your projects into fifteen-minute chunks; it could change the way you create forever.

Doing a free write to generate ideas for next steps. Often, when we’re stuck, a quick mind dump can help us identify best actions to take.

Try a creative quickie or two this week. See how it works for you and what impact it has on your creative work. I once read about a woman who completed her novel in five minutes a day. That’s quick! What might you be able to achieve in short bursts of time?

In fact, grab a quickie now and then leave a comment letting us know how it went.

Cynthia Morris of Original Impulse helps writers, artists and entrepreneurs make their brilliant ideas a shining reality. Cynthia authored Create Your Writer’s Life and pens articles, e-books, and is finishing a historical novel set in Paris. Get your creative juju back with Cynthia’s free newsletter, Impulses.

A guest post by Larry Brooks of Storyfix.com

One of the Oscar nominated films this year is The Fighter, conceived by and starring Mark Wahlberg. See it – even if you’re not into boxing – it is a triumph of writing and acting based on a true story known by few outside of the boxing world.

You probably know a thing or two about Wahlberg, that he used to sling his pants just above his butt crack as a lil’ white boy rapper named Marky Mark, and that he went on to become a bonafide Movie Star and become richer than God as the producer of cable hits like Entourage, which is loosely based on his acting career.

Here’s what you may not know about Mark Wahlberg. It took him five years to get The Fighter made, all of them at the height of his career. It was his baby, and in the face of continued rejection he continued to prepare for the day when someone said yes.

And when I say prepare, I’m not talking about taking meetings. I’m talking about blood and sweat… literally.

There are two lessons here for us writers.

First, when someone says no to you (as in, a rejection slip), feel sorry for them. Their loss, they may have just missed out on something wonderful. Then move on with hope, revising and growing as necessary, because each no is an obligatory stone in the path that leads you to a yes.

Everybody gets rejected. Everybody.

Secondly, Wahlberg went into training to become world champion welterweight Mickey Ward, upon whom this true story is based. He trained over the entire five year stretch between the idea and the green light. Even when he was making other films, he would get up two hours early to hit the gym and put in the sweat equity required to be ready when that yes moment arrived.

That’s how badly he wanted this.

Critics and viewers are swooning over the way Christian Bale morphed into Ward’s crack-addicted brother (it earned him a Supporting Actor nomination, while Wahlberg was shut out of the nominations), and certainly it was a stellar display of acting chops. But it was Wahlberg’s film, because it is drenched in the sweat and blood, any way you want to define those terms, that it took to get this project made.

The idea for this post hit me today when I was at the gym, sweating profusely.

There’s something about taking yourself to the wall, to the point of the sweet pain that signals you’ve given it everything.

Kinesiologists will tell you that’s an endorphin high. Nothing but bio-chemicals kicking in. Funny thing about bio-chemicals, though: they can take you to places you wouldn’t go otherwise.

I realized that I have, on occasion, experienced that same exhilarating high about my writing. And then, between sets on a machine inspired by something out of a medieval dungeon, it hit me: I don’t do that enough.

I couldn’t wait to get home and start writing this post.

I slept until 9:00 am today. Even in the face of no less than 11 blog posts due now, two overdue freelance projects and three career-defining letters to a prospective new agent and two publishers I want to get into bed with

There was a gap between how badly I want success as a writer, and the degree to which I will push myself to get there.

And now here I am, writing this post instead.

And sweating profusely, I might add. Because this is an important message for anyone with a writing dream.

Consider it Day One in my new training regimen. Throw it out there to the world – and what better way to do that than to say it here – and you can’t look back. Not if you have an ounce of pride and self-worth in you.

I don’t know a lot of writers who are also athletes. I’m sort of an odd duck in that regard. I’ve often used analogies from my own athletic past in the writing workshops I teach, and they are sometimes greeted by blank stairs and the fidgety body language of folks jonesing to get outside for their next smoke.

Not judging. But it’s not an athlete’s mindset.

But that doesn’t dull the shine on this particular truth: success in writing is really no different than success in sports. Or in any endeavor in which only the manically dedicated and self-made world-class achievers see their dream come to fruition.

Behind closed doors, you have to pay a steep price to make it happen.

We don’t hear much about that private agony at awards banquets and profiles in major magazines, but this backstory is almost always there.

Which makes me ask myself, and you, this question: how much blood, sweat and tears are you putting into your writing? Are you casual about this, thinking that if you tinker enough you’ll get there? Or are your words drenched with pain and desire? Have you felt the endorphin high of writing something brilliant in the middle of the night, and the fear of suspecting you’ve not done enough in the face of opportunity?

A Case Study In Discipline

You’ve heard of James Patterson, he of the 68 books written (eight in 2010 alone) and 40-some-odd bestsellers and more shelf space in the bookstore than, well, anybody on the planet. But you may not know this guy’s backstory, and it’s soaked to the bone with blood, sweat and endorphins, all of which were in his life long before those big writing bucks showed up.

Prior to being James Patterson the immortal writing demigod, James Patterson the wannabe novelist held a pretty cool day job. He was the CEO of the largest advertising agency on the planet, J. Walter Thompson. In fact, he was the youngest CEO of a major ad agency, ever.

Patterson’s train to get to his Manhattan high rise office every morning left at 6:30 am. He rarely got home before 8:00 pm, and traveled frequently.

How do you manage the dream of writing novels – indeed, how does the dream even endure when you are pulling down seven figures in your day job? – with a schedule like that?

Answer: you get up at 4:00 am and pound the keyboard for two hours. Every day, no matter where you wake up or how bad your head hurts.

He wanted it that badly.

How badly do you want your writing dream to come true?

You may not know many athletes, you may not particularly like the ones you do know. But take a closer look at the intangibles of making it big in sports in today’s competitive environment, an era in which current high school jocks can out-run, out-strength and out-play professionals of as little as two decades ago.

Now put that into context to today’s publishing market, which is tighter and in a greater state of flux and metamorphosis than at any time in history.

You have to want it badly enough to pay the price required. To humble yourself before the high bar you seek to clear. To compete with others who hold their dream just as dearly as you cling to yours, when there are only so many open slots in the chaos of today’s collective publishing landscape.

Are you writing hard, or are you writing smart? And do you realize you have to do both to make it?

You have to go back to the drawing board frequently to review the basics and test your abilities. Just like athletes go to training camp each and every year to brush up on fundamentals. You need to keep learning, practicing and experimenting. To keep pushing yourself. You need to read everything and everybody in your target niche, and you need to have an insider’s take on the industry you are trying to break into.

You need to sweat blood. You need to bleed tears. You need to seek the high that only endorphins deliver after you’ve taken yourself to the wall.

You need to back your belief with sacrifice and solitary, intense effort. Casual practicioners of the writing craft need not apply.

Never settle. Never quit.

Never forget that mediocrity is everywhere, but also there is an abundance of quality writers with killer manuscripts out there, too.

You have to be better than they are.

You may not be the fastest, strongest, most naturally gifted writer in the game. Dare I say, James Patterson wasn’t, and isn’t. But he is a role model we can learn from. (I met him at a book signing once. There were about 300 people waiting for his appearance, and when I got there late I was at the back of the room. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I turned, there he was, beginning to thread himself toward the podium. When he saw the recognition in my eyes – the dropping jaw helped, too – he extended his hand and said, “Hi, I’m John Grisham, thanks for coming.”)

Like I said, and like his work or not, the guy’s a role model.

Maybe you’re not going to win the Pulitzer, but you can be the most disciplined and focused of writers. Determination isn’t something you claim, it is something you earn through demonstration and performance.

Ask any professional athlete, they’ll tell you.

Because more than ever before, in sports and in writing, this is something that is required to elevate a dream to a career reality.

I feel better now. High on endorphins from writing this.

Let the bloodletting and the sweating begin.

Larry Brooks is a former professional baseball player, and the creator of Storyfix.com, recently named to the #1 position on Writetodone.com’s recent “Top Ten Blogs for Writers” competition. He is also the author of five critically-acclaimed popular thrillers. His new book, Story Engineering, comes out in February from Writers Digest Books.
Photo image by Jessica M. Cross

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A guest post by K.M. Weiland of Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors.

Writers come in all shapes and sizes, from all personal backgrounds, all walks of life, and all cultures and countries. We’re a varied bunch, but we all have something in common: in order for any of us to make it past first base in this business, we have to possess three traits. These traits are non-negotiable. If we don’t possess all three of them, we’ll never be writers, and we’ll certainly never find marketable success.

What are these traits, and how do we solidify them in our lives?

Trait #1: Talent

In some ways, talent is the easiest of the three, since it’s something over which we have no control. We’re either talented, or we’re not. Generally speaking, talent incorporates one or all of the following:

• An aptitude for words, which can include (but isn’t necessarily limited to) an understanding of language and a perceptive ear for powerful and rhythmic phrasings.
• An instinctual understanding, however raw in the beginning, of story structure.
• An insatiable curiosity, a desire to discover truth, and a willingness to be audaciously honest about the human experience and the world in which it takes place.

I consider talent the least important, simply because it’s the only one of the three traits that is useless without the other two. Still, it’s important to recognize that without that original kernel of talent, all the watering and weeding in the world won’t cause the growth of a burgeoning tree.

Trait #2: Learning

I use the word “learning” instead of “knowledge” because “learning” indicates more than a static pile of facts stored in our brains. Learning encompasses the following ideas:

• An ongoing process that suggests a mindset in search of enlightenment more than a simple checklist of facts to be mastered.
• A hunger for knowledge that is further stimulated, instead of sated, by the actual discovery of knowledge.
• A willingness to devote an endless amount of time and energy to studying the craft.

Even the largest measure of talent can only carry an author so far. We must study to show ourselves approved by reading widely and voraciously, researching the tenets of the craft as seen by other authors who have proven themselves through their own devotion, and seeking and accepting the wise criticism of readers, editors, and other writers. Writing is a skill that can be learned by almost anyone, and it is in the learning that we raise ourselves above raw potential to refinement and eventual mastery.

Trait #3: Diligence

Finally, we come to the most important of the three traits, the bottom of the pyramid, the foundation for the previous two. Without diligence, we will inevitably lack the ability to grit our teeth and put our innate talent or our sought-after knowledge to practical use. Writers who possess diligence are able to bring the following to their writing desks:

• A commitment to writing, even in the face of its difficulties.
• A certain amount of hardheaded tenacity that allows them to keeping marching right past the inevitable discouragements.
• A consistency is showing up for work every day, no matter what else has to be sacrificed.

The writing life is filled with setbacks and even outright failures. Without the determination to persevere, no writer will make it past the starting gates. We have to be willing to devote our time and energy to pursuing our craft, polishing it, and loving it even when it isn’t lovable.

In order to call ourselves writers, we have to act like writers. We must recognize our responsibility to our talent. We must open our minds to studying and perfecting the art of writing. And we must be willing to do these things day in and day out. Writing isn’t always a hobby; it isn’t always a career; but it is a lifestyle. If we can devote ourselves to pursuing these three traits, we can wake up every morning with assurance that we are writers.

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Want to become a successful blogger? Join Leo Babauta and Mary Jaksch in the A-List Blogger Club,

By Mary Jaksch

Want to Write Better? I mean, a lot better – in just ten minutes. I’m not talking about some kind of writing Voodoo; I want to show you a no-fail way that can improve your writing dramatically in minutes.

Let’s start at the beginning. And that means starting with the brain, because that’s the main machine we use for writing. Whether it’s having great ideas, or choosing a structure, or dancing with words – it’s all to do with brainpower. So a simple way to write better is to boost the performance of your brain.

How to boost brainpower in only 10 minutes?

Here’s what made me consider this question:  I was recently in Las Vegas at Blogworld where I spent 5 days in canned air with piped muzak. I tried to write – but my imagination was sluggish and my focus scattered.
When I got back home to New Zealand, I inhaled the pure air deep into my lungs. And I got really excited about raising my fitness. After all, as a writer I tend to sit at my desk a lot. Maybe you do too?

I started an 8-week Fitness Challenge and wrote a post, called Want to be Fit, or even Ultra-Fit? Join the 8-Week Challenge People are joining in droves. (Leo Babauta joined too and is super helpful in the Challenge forum).

As soon as I started cranking up my fitness, my creativity flooded back. It’s not only the oxygen that sharpens our skills, what makes a difference is that exercise is a circuit breaker that lifts us out of the writing rut.

Here is how to lift your writing to new heights in 10 minutes

1. Exercise briskly for 10 minutes
   If possible, exercise outside so that you have a change of environment. Once you’re outside, walk briskly or run. If you can’t go outside, use whatever is at hand for exercise. For example,  a staircase is a great exercise tool. Run or walk up one flight of stairs. Then take some deep breaths and repeat.
2. Raise your pulse rate
   It’s important to raise your heart rate substantially. When you do that, the mind lets go of worries and preoccupations and focuses on the exercise itself. This means that you can return to writing with a clear mind.
3. Get out of breath
   Being out of breath is good! Use it as your benchmark for brisk exercise.  When you are ‘out of breath’ you are gulping huge amounts of oxygen which will refresh your brain.
4. Be mindful
   When you exercise, leave mp3 player and phone behind. Focus on your present experience. Notice the color of the sky, the ground under your feet, and the sounds around you. When we are mindful (which is really a form of meditation), the mind becomes expansive and open.
5. Drink water
   At the end of the 10 minutes exercise, drink a couple of glasses of water.  Hydration also helps your brain to function well.

Taking ten minute breaks like this is a great habit. Not only does exercise boost brainpower,   it also acts like a circuit breaker. This is especially helpful if you get stuck with the piece you’re writing, or if progress is sluggish.

Once you get back to your desk, remember to sit upright. Good posture helps your mind to focus. That’s why most forms of meditation include instructions for upright posture. When the spine is aligned, random thoughts die down and you are less likely to get caught in endless cycles of ‘what if’ or ‘if only’ thought patterns, and can open up to your full creativity.

Mary Jaksch is Chief Editor of Write to Done. Read more on her blog Goodlife ZEN. Together with Leo Babauta, Mary runs the A-List Blogger Club, an ongoing training for bloggers that members rave about:

By Mary Jaksch

Have you ever had to give a public presentation? If so, you may remember damp palms, butterflies in your stomach, and an overwhelming wish to hide in a cupboard instead of striding onto the stage. If you turn into a successful writer, chances are you’ll have to get used to public speaking.

The good news is that you can learn to speak publicly with confidence – and even enjoy it.

There are two keys factors that change the way you experience public presentations, one factor is the use of mental strategies that enable you to feel confident and in charge. The other factor is the preparation that results in a presentation that rocks – this is what this post focuses on.

In tandem with this post, I’ve published an article on Goodlife ZEN that covers the psychological and physical strategies that you can use in order to become a cool presenter: How to Speak in Public With Confidence – And Be On Top of Your Game. Read both articles to get the full juice.

Nail the benefit

Before you start preparing for your presentation, you need to ask an important question: what is the benefit to my audience? In order to get a good response from your audience, the presentation needs to have a clear benefit. It’s important to formulate the benefit right from the start. What new knowledge, new inspiration, or new skills do you want your audience to take away from your talk?

Create a memorable structure

As I explain in my article How to Speak in Public With Confidence – and Be On Top of Your Game one of the fears we face is that our mind goes blank during a presentation. There are some simple psychological tricks you can use to avoid memory blanks. In addition, you can structure your talk so that it is memorable for you as well as for your audience.

An structure that storytellers have used since ancient times is the three-act form. In the design of your presentation, Act 1 is the opening. It is the description of the pain points, challenges, and frustration that your audience faces in respect of your topic. When you promise to show how to overcome these challenges in order to reach a desired outcome, you sets up a dramatic tension.

The corresponding part of your presentation is Act 3. It offers the resolution, and describes how one is changed and rewarded through overcoming the challenges and attaining the desired outcome.

Act 2 is the detailed description of the path from A to B. It is the ‘how to’ section of the presentation.

No matter what your topic is, this structure ensures that you connect with your audience, because people feel understood when you name their pain, and inspired when you show them how to overcome it.  This three-act structure ensures dramatic tension and release – which you need in order to create a memorable presentation.

What is your story thread?

Whatever the topic of your presentation is, it’s useful to consider using a consistent story thread or motif. We have all internalized many archetypal motifs through stories that have been told and retold through the generations. Here are just a few:

Climbing a mountain: how someone overcomes all difficulties to reach the summit.

Finding the missing piece of a puzzle: how a search is finally rewarded with a new insight into how pieces fit together.

Voyage into the unknown: how an adventurer set out into the unknown and finds a place hitherto unknown.

The treasure hunt: how someone follows hidden clues and finally uncovers a treasure.

The reluctant hero: how an ordinary person overcomes all odds and ends up a hero.

Finding the source: how someone walked back in order to find the source or origin.

The blockbuster story: you can use a story thread from popular culture. An example would be Star Wars.

There are many more such story threads. If you use a story thread, your presentation will be strengthened with an invisible backbone. A consistent motif will make it easy to find appropriate metaphors and images to support your topic.

The building blocks of a great presentation

In keeping with the underlying three-act structure, you need three main building blocks, the opening, the development, and the closing.

The opening

Your first task is get your audience’s attention and to create a connection. A great way to do this is to relate a personal story, the ‘why’ of your presentation. Why are you passionate about this topic? How does this topic relate to your life? If you lead in with a personal story, it’s much easier for people to relate to your topic. And your personal story establishes authority. In order to grab your audience’s attention, see if you can start in a way that’s unexpected.

Let’s say you are going to present a talk on how to become a runner, in order to go from flab to fit.

Your opening could be your story about how you were overweight, and then managed to become slim and fit by taking up running. Once you’ve established your motivation and authority, it’s time to start with Act 1, that is, you need to speak about people’s pain, frustration and barriers in respect of your topic. The pain points here could be feeling unattractive, unhealthy, or unfit. The challenge could be the beliefs that ‘I could never learn to run’, or ‘I get puffed after only a few meters – how could I ever get fit?’

The desired outcome (that’s going to be Act 3 of your presentation) is to become a runner in only 5 weeks ‘by using the following 5 step body-control program’.  In this scenario you would need to spend a moment explaining why the ‘5 step body-control program’ is effective. Then it’s time for the development phase.

The development

This is the phase where you lay out exactly how to overcome the pain points in order to reach the desired outcome. The brain learns best if you offer bite-sized bits of information. This is why numbered steps or bullet-points work so well. This is going to be the ‘meat in the sandwich’, so to speak. The development part of your presentation should be the longest part with detailed information. Once you have laid out how to achieve the desired outcome, it’s time for the closing.

The closure

In the closure it’s time to talk about how it feels when you achieve the benefits. Maybe you can give examples of others who also achieved success in order to inspire and motivate. It’s a good idea to repeat briefly the main steps of your development phase. In other words, you need to remind them briefly of the main content of your presentation.

Then comes the call to action.  You need to outline the next step for your listeners. What should they do now in order to move closer to the desired outcome? Are there special resources they can access? Is there an action they can do today that will start them on a new path?

To PowerPoint or not?

Most presenters these days use PowerPoint slides. That can be very effective. Because you can use images and motion in order to hammer home your points. I think in general, PowerPoint presentations are great if you want to convey information. However, if your presentation revolves is inspirational and revolves around your personal story, then just words may well work better because such a presentation is more intimate.

Whether or not you use PowerPoint, it’s important for your presentation to sound like your talking, and not reading aloud.

Here are two books that I find especially helpful in creating PowerPoint presentations:

Cliff Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points. This book explains in detail how to put together a presentation that is based on the 3-act structure. For Mac users, iWork: Keynote ’09 by Richard Harrington is a great resource that shows how to create stunning presentations that inform, motivate, and inspire.

Conversational tone

The best presentation are conversational. Even if you’ve worked them out to the letter, they still need to sound spontaneous. The way to write conversationally is to read aloud your draft to others. Whenever you notice that a sentence sounds contrived, mark it for further work. What often works is to shorten sentences, use simple language and use contractions, such as ‘you’ll’ instead of ‘you will’. These rehearsals are a key part of building confidence. Read more on how to conduct rehearsals for maximum effect here.

Timing

Each presentation usually has a timeframe that you need to adhere to – especially if you invite questions at the end. Make sure you time your rehearsals. Then cut your text so that you spend only 80% of the allotted time, in order to have some time up your sleeve.

Conclusion

As you can see from the notes above, the key strategy for creating a riveting presentation is to set up a dramatic tension, using the 3-act structure that sets up a tension between the paint points that the audience experiences and the desired outcomes that your presentation offers.

Most importantly, if you use archetypal story threads that bind the parts of the presentation together, you  can create a memorable presentation.

What are your tips for creating a presentation? Please share them in the comments.

Don’t forget to read the companion article: How to Speak in Public With Confidence – And Be On Top of Your Game

Mary Jaksch is the Chief Editor of Write to Done. Enjoy more of her stuff on Goodlife Zen. And check out the legendary A-List Blogger Club that Leo Babauta and Mary run jointly.

A guest post by Stanford Smith from Pushing Social

Top bloggers didn’t achieve their success by accident.  They had a plan and they worked daily to achieve their goals.  For many it was a short list of simple objectives.  For others it was a complex strategy perfectly executed.

What about you?  What’s your plan?

I’ll be straight with you; most people aren’t master strategists.  It takes a while to learn how to plan and execute a success effectively.  So, I’m going to give you the shortcut no one talks about, setting powerful Habits.

Habits Are the Building Blocks of Achievement

As a parent, I’m constantly guarding my children from bad choices that lead to bad habits.  Why?  Well, habits are incredibly hard to break.  A child that uses whining to get their way turns into a whining and complaining teenager.

The reverse is also true.  Good habits are incredibly hard to break too.  Our minds are wired to maintain the status-quo.  Once a habit has taken hold, your own body will conspire to turn your habit into a lifestyle.

Why not use this to your advantage?  Your shortcut to success is to use your habits as tools to propel you toward your goals. This notion isn’t theoretical.  In fact, close study of popular A-List bloggers show that they rely on 7 habits that they use as tools everyday.

Let’s take a look at 7 of their most powerful tools:

1. Writing Daily

Interesting, compelling, and entertaining writing is the secret to growing a blog fast.  The only way to get good at writing is to write constantly.

Setting aside time daily to write will immediately improve your style and voice.

How much you write is up to you but for most the minimum is 1 page or 30 minutes.  The best way to start is to make it a priority to write your page before you go to sleep or immediately after you wake in the morning.

2. Confronting Your Inner Critic

Superstar bloggers are fearless.  They write provocative posts.  They take on controversial topics.  They guest post with abandon.  Even though they seem confident almost all of them will admit to wrestling with their own self-doubts.  The difference is that they learned how to harness their self-doubt to push them forward.

They wrestle self-doubt to the ground and challenge it at every turn.  They don’t let a negative idea find a place to nest in their mind.

You can master your inner critic by equipping yourself with these questions:

• What action can I take now?
• How can I continue moving forward in spite of my doubts?
• Is this problem/doubt really a showstopper or can I deal with it later?

Remember, your inner-critic wants you to stop. The best way to beat it is to form the habit of always pushing forward.

3. Connecting with Your Readers Regularly

Blogging isn’t meant to be a lone-ranger activity.  Your content gets stronger when you connect with your reader’s experiences and aspirations. Top Bloggers make it a habit to set-up easy ways to get one-to-one contact with their readers. For them Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn is not an option.  This is where they find inspiration for their posts and recharge their batteries.

But be careful, Twitter and Facebook can be a time-waster if not used properly.  I recommend you start with a goal that focuses you on achieving a result for your reader.  Leo Babauta recommends you spend 80% of your time promoting others, 10% promoting your blog, and 10% on personal tweets.  I agree.  Set aside time 3x a week to connect with your readers and make it a priority.

4. Win/Win Writing

“Help Others Achieve Their Dreams And You Will Achieve Yours” – Les Brown

Steven Covey encouraged peak achievers to seek Win/Win solutions where both parties walk away feeling great about what they achieved.  The same goes for blogging.

Every post you write should satisfy a core desire for you and deliver a real benefit for your reader.  If you are simply writing to satisfy yourself then purchase a moleskin notebook and write away.  But if you want to blog publicly then you owe it to readers to deliver real value.

You can form a Win/Win habit by asking yourself this question before you start writing:  “How will my reader benefit from reading this post and how will I grow from writing it?

5. Be Consistently Upbeat

Optimism is powerful and attractive.  The power to put a smile on your reader’s face is magical.  You should strive to add a little light to your readers lives everyday.

On the other hand, “rants” are a zero-sum game that pushes your good readers away and attracts the wrong crowd.  The best bloggers avoid rants and focus on helpful and upbeat posts.

A great way to this is to consistently write upbeat headlines for your posts.  Start with the right attitude and your optimism will radiate from your post.

6. Master the Art of Storytelling

The words “Let Me Tell You a Story” never fails to get someone’s attention.  We are wired to listen to stories and we love to tell them.  Spectacular bloggers understand this and actively work on their storytelling ability.

The best way to develop your storywriting ability is to read great books.  Work to set a habit of reading at least one fictional book a month.  Start with the New York Times Bestseller list and go from there.  Pay special attention to how authors begin their stories and develop their characters.  This is pure gold.

7. Get Your Voice Right

Your writing voice is your #1 asset. Your voice is what the reader has in their head when they read your post.  It builds rapport and encourages your reader to engage with your content.

Successful bloggers spend considerable time refining their voice.  Most emphasize writing as if you are just talking to your best friend on the phone. One shortcut for finding your voice is to record yourself speaking about your topic.  Just naturally answer a question or even have a friend interview you talking about your passion.  Listen closely to the recording.  That passionate advocate you hear – is YOU.  Now write with the same voice

What A-List Habits Will You Work On?

Which habit do you need to establish to take your blog to the next level?  How have you caged your inner critic?  Talk to me in the comments below.

Stanford Smith obsesses about how to get passionate people’s blogs noticed and promoted at Pushing Social, except when he’s fishing with his boys. Follow him to get the latest about his new ebook “Get Noticed.”

A guest post by Joan Dempsey of Literary Living

Let’s face it – every one of us experiences self-doubt, even the most well-established writers. Dean Koontz, for instance, an author who has sold more than 400 million books and is one of the most highly paid writers in the world, says “I have more self-doubt than any writer I know.”

And Alice Munro, the celebrated Canadian writer who’s been called our Chekhov, worries every time she finishes writing a book that she’ll never write again.

Let’s agree, then, that self-doubt is an ordinary part of every writer’s experience, even yours. You’ll never be without it. The question is, what can you learn from it?

Here are four reasons to appreciate your self-doubt.

1. Self-Doubt is a Protective Instinct

Self-doubt arises out of your own instinctive desire to protect yourself, which is actually a nice impulse that you probably don’t often acknowledge. We usually bemoan or bludgeon our self-doubt; we believe what writer Sylvia Plath famously claimed, that “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

I beg to differ!

You can be more creative if you welcome and examine your self-doubts.

It’s true, though, that we writers allow our doubts to keep us away from our work. Why? To protect ourselves from pain. Author James Baldwin says we’re good at fooling ourselves because we don’t want to get hurt. “We don’t want to have our certainty disturbed,” he said.

Psychologists call this self-handicapping . If you stay away from your work you’ll never have to face the pain of writing poorly, or you can fool yourself into thinking you’ll be a great writer if you do get down to work.

The problem with that, though, is that you’ll never really be a writer. Baldwin believed that the trick is to know when you’re fooling yourself.

The best writers live an examined and therefore honest life, and that includes scrutinizing your self-doubt.

2. Self-Doubt Sounds an Alarm

Not unlike a smoke detector, self-doubt alerts us to the presence of fear, the typical cause of our doubts.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Buddhist teacher, advises us that because fear is a natural and constant presence in our lives, we’d do well to welcome it rather than fight it:

It is best not to say, “Go away, Fear. I don’t like you. You are not me.” It is much more effective to say, “Hello Fear. How are you today?”

The next time you feel self-doubt, don’t despair or fight – look around to see what might be smoldering; be grateful for the alarm.

3. Self-Doubt is a Call to Action

Dean Koontz is notorious for obsessively polishing his paragraphs. “I began this ceaseless polishing out of self-doubt,” says Koontz, “as a way of preventing self-doubt from turning into writer’s block: by doing something with the unsatisfactory page, I wasn’t just sitting there brooding about it.”

In Koontz’s case, feeling uncertain about his abilities actually motivated him to take an action he might otherwise not have pursued.

Similarly, Write-to-Done Chief Editor, Mary Jaksch, believes that a “healthy dose of self-doubt, of not knowing” can lead writers to the “edge of creativity” by not allowing us to stay complacent.

I learned this first-hand through kayaking. After more than twenty years of paddling, I finally took a safety class. I realized I’d avoided such a class because I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to learn the appropriate skills. But the longer I kayaked, the more my fears began to be about saving someone’s life. I knew I didn’t have the right skills to be safe and those doubts about my ability became my call to action. I took a safety course and before long I was happily flipping over in my boat, certain I had the skills to save myself from drowning.

4. Self-Doubt Provides Fresh Perspective

If you keep your doubts to yourself you’re missing a valuable opportunity. By sharing your doubts with friends and writing colleagues you’re bound to get a fresh perspective. Others often don’t see your failings or uncertainties in the same way you do.

By sharing your doubts you’ll likely learn something new about yourself, feel companioned, hear a helpful cheer, or receive a much-needed boost to your self-esteem.

James Baldwin, in discussing why he writes, says he does so to describe. What he means is that by describing something in detail you come to understand it intimately. Describe your doubts in writing, or through dialogue – either way, your new understanding can help disarm your doubts.

The next time self-doubt keeps you away from your writing, try this:

• Review these four reasons to appreciate your doubts;
• Say “Hello, self-doubt, how are you today”; and
• Get to work.

What have you learned from your self-doubts?

Joan Dempsey is a writer and the founder of Literary Living, an online program for serious, aspiring writers who want to overcome resistance and self-doubt to create a unique writing life. Sign-up for more information, a free audio interview with Leo Babauta, and a free e-book, The Power of Deliberate Thinking: 5 Strategies for Staying at the Writing Desk (Despite Your Self-Doubts)