4 things NOT to tell yourself when you’re writing a book
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” William Wordsworth
I’ve just sent the November issue of Psychologies magazine to the printer and I’m very excited because we’ve got a 20 page special on Brene Brown’s new book: Rising Strong. She talks about creating a new story for our lives – and if we want to change our lives, we have to re-write the stories that we tell ourselves.
I’m completely agree.
The way we feel is led by the stories we tell to ourselves about our actions and our lives.
What stories do you tell yourself about your writing?
These are the 4 stories which are guaranteed to finish you and your writing career off:
- MY WRITING HAS TO BE PERFECT
Remind yourself at every occasion that you’ve got to get every word perfectly right or you will never be approved of/loved/included or respected. The best strategy ever for not writing anything.
- COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS
They wrote 50,000 words in a day/they have already been published/they are brilliant and I’m not/this book has already been written. We are all unique and we have to find the RIGHT WAY for us.
- MAKE HAPPINESS CONDITIONAL ON WHETHER YOU WRITE A BOOK OR NOT.
If you constantly tell yourself, ‘I’ll be happy when … I’ve written a book’, etc. You’re putting your happiness on hold. Tell yourself you are writing the book now and enjoy the process.
- TRY TO PROVE THAT YOU’RE SOMEONE BY WRITING A BOOK. If this is all about your ego, then you will find every word torture. Write because you have something to say, write because you love writing, write whether it’s published or not. Just write.