Welcome to all the new Brave Women Write subscribers. I really appreciate you jumping on board.
On Monday, after a six-week holiday hiatus, my writers’ group (Sandy McDonald, Di Percy, Yamini Naidu and Kath Walters) resumed our weekly 8am Zoom gatherings.
It was wonderful to reconnect and hear everyone’s news. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed their smiling faces, words of wisdom and the accountability these women offer.
(For more on how to start your own writers’ group, click on the QR code in the front of the book and it will take you to a neat video of us all sharing our ideas.)
We each had ten minutes to share about our life events and our writing projects. When it came to my turn, I was all abuzz with the big news that I’d moved in with my partner Ric and that we’d bought a farm. Soon, I noticed myself using life events as excuses for not writing since publishing Brave Women Write in November last year.
Ironically, it was the very thing I’d warned readers about in the book. It often happens that when major life events occur (and even minor events), your writing is the first thing to go.
I left the meeting feeling disillusioned wondering why I’d abandoned the thing that I purported to love so much. Why was I not committed to my writing irrespective of what else was going on in my life?
When Di said, ‘my real work is my writing’, I had one of those mic drop moments. I realised that I hadn’t been treating writing as my ‘real work’ and that I’d put life events and other work first.
An hour later, in a goal-setting session with my friend Angela Raspass, I owned up to this fact. It resulted in me composing a simple statement of intention.
To live a writer’s life by writing every day.
I committed myself to spending a minimum of two hours per day on my craft, whether that’s journaling, writing these blogs for you, producing a story for Love Stories of the Yarra Birrarung or using Chat GPT to write a story on purpose in young people.
The quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German poet and playwright, came to mind.
Until one is committed, there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
When I committed to writing Brave Women Write every day and then powering on to publishing, this quote became true. All manner of people and opportunities presented themselves to help me get to the finish-line. I’ve experienced that providence moves when we commit ourselves to something (and someone).
Commitment is not something that keeps us trapped. It’s the most direct pathway to freedom, growth and achievement.
Are you committed to your writing? I’d love to know.
With much love
Brave Women Write Book Orders
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International Orders: $37.27 for a signed copy including postage.
Brave Women Write Private Mentoring
Do you have a book or writing project to bring to life in 2023?
If you need clarity and focus to get started and support to make it to the finish-line, I’m here to help.
Applying the practices in the book and through a unique combination of workshopping and mentoring over 90 days, I help turn your fledgling ideas into a tangible book.
I work with women who have a story to share through a memoir, biography, fiction or non-fiction book that will drive personal and planetary change for women and Mother Earth.
If you feel that it’s time to stop dreaming and start writing, make a time for a conversation to see if we are a good fit.
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