As a Hollywood exec and now a Story Coach, I’ve helped a lot of writers over the years. Novelists, memoirists, screenwriters, short story writers…
Something I’ve found that all writers have in common is a desire to share their stories.
Most writers understand the power of story lies in its ability to impact others.
Humans are wired for story. Stories form an important part of our daily lives. Stories about what happened at work, at the park, on the bus, at the store, at the pool with the kids, on your dog walk, on your vacation. These are stories that get told around the family dinner table. That get passed down through the generations. These are oral stories.
The writers I work with WRITE their stories. And written stories need to be published in order to be shared. In order to impact others.
Over the next five days I’m going to share with you five obstacles I consistently see writers struggle with. These obstacles prevent them from sharing their stories. From publishing their stories.
I want to help you sidestep these obstacles so they don’t prevent you from sharing your stories. So you can jump right into creating your stories with confidence. And be that much closer to publishing. So that you can impact lives.
Obstacle #1
Feeling Guilty About Your Writing Time.
When you write…
Do you ever feel like you should be taking out the trash?
Or trying to find the match to those twenty lone socks that accumulate on the dryer, in the hall, in the car?
Or doing your day job?
Or scrubbing cat vomit off the carpet?
Or washing the windows?
Or vacuuming?
Or folding laundry?
Or grocery shopping?
Or cleaning out the pantry?
Or cooking dinner?
Or replacing that lightbulb that’s been out for, ahem, over six months?
Or paying bills?
Or… yeah, this list could go on and on and on.
Because who has time to write when there are so many things to do every day?
And writing is just a hobby, a pipe dream. Right?
Nope!
If you really, truly want to write that novel, you have to take care of that creative part of you. When you nurture your whole self you’ll be a happier partner, parent, co-worker, sibling, friend, and writer.
And how do you take care of that creative self?
By writing.
Did you know you can finish a novel by writing for only twenty minutes per day?
Yup. Truth.
Stop feeling guilty about spending twenty minutes per day pursuing your calling.
If writing is your raison d’être, make room for it. Pay attention to it. Nurture it. And give it twenty minutes per day.
Because you know what? You can write 20 minutes per day AND take care of important chores like taking out the trash.
If you write twenty minutes per day for six months you’ll have written for 60 hours. Think about how much you can accomplish in 60 hours!
Stop feeling guilty and give yourself permission to start writing!
