You have an idea to bring to life on the page. You’ve told yourself you’ll get stuck into writing it when… (insert your reasons here).
Life seems to get in the way and so, the time never seems to come.
But the idea? It remains.
It began as a niggle, but is now becoming a well-formed concept in your brain busting to find its way out onto a word document.
How do you change this pattern?
How do you stop procrastinating and just do the work of writing?
Ah, the perennial question.
There are three big shifts required to turn from wannabe writer to actual writer.
The First Big Shift
The first big shift is to change your identity so you believe you are a writer. My last post offered three powerful questions to help you change your self-belief. When we think of ourselves as a writer, we can’t not write, right?
The Second Big Shift
The second big shift is to wrangle your untamed idea into a book that has clarity and structure. Until you know what it is you are writing, and how you are going to write it, it’s nigh on impossible to get down to the sweet, sweet work of writing.
The Third Big Shift
The third big shift is to turn your isolation into connection and collaboration, by finding and building your writing tribe. Many first-time writers make the mistake of believing that writing is a solo endeavour, that you must slog it out alone until you’ve typed THE END.
But behind every great writer, there’s an even greater team of people. From the get-go, even before you’ve written your first chapter, it’s vital to have a team of people on board to help pull you through to the finish line.
That team might include researchers, a co-author, a book coach, a writers’ group, a writing buddy, your life partner, a writing course, an agent, a publishing house, your editor, first readers or writer communities on social media.
Think about who you need to engage in your project. What is it you need from these people? How will they help you get to that day when you’ll type THE END? Being held accountable to others is a great motivator, especially on those days when you feel like doing anything but writing.
Brave Women Write would not have been published without my writers’ group, editor, proof-reader and designer. And I would not be making progress on my current project without the women in my Brave Women Writers’ Circle. I also have my cousin Susan and sister Angela helping with research. And that’s just for starters.
Imagine your ideal team sitting around a dining table with your book in their hands. You’re celebrating the launch and thanking them all for their contributions. Then go create that tribe in real life.
We’ll be discussing these ideas and more at the Brave Women Write Dinner on Tuesday 16 April in Melbourne. It’s an intimate dinner for 12 women where we’ll be workshopping and sharing our stories. I’d love for you to join me.
With love
Brave Women Write Book Orders
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Join the next Brave Women Writers’ Circle
Beginning Friday 24 May 2024
Are you a woman who yearns to share your story with the world? Do you often suppress your inner voice and wait for that perfect day to write? Or perhaps you’ve begun writing and are feeling stuck? If so, the Brave Women Writers’ Circle is the right place for you.
Carolyn Tate is an experienced author and educator and is the facilitator of the Brave Women Writers’ Circle. The 12-week course guides you to bring your writing project to life while connecting you to a courageous community of other women writers.
