Make yourself write with Jeff Goins

You might remember the post where I mentioned several free books from writer Jeff Goins. He started like most of us, wishing he could write and get published. And then he did it.

Why not you?

A writer's determination, drive, and will to see a project to its end is one of the biggest hurdles we face. Time management, insecurity, and fear (even of success) can be major roadblocks in the pursuit of our dreams. It's easy to let the big and small emergencies that pop up every day keep writing at the bottom of the list of things that must be done.

I know. I'm there right now.

So here are a couple of posts that helped.

Study the habits of great writers. Even the great ones must have had sick kids, and financial reversals. Days of no energy or stretches of time when ideas seemed scarce. What did they do when writing seemed like the very last productive thing they could do with their day?  In 15 Habits of Great Writers, Goins posts a free mini-course that goes along with his book You Are a Writer (so start acting like one). Read through one each day, and two weeks from now you might enjoy a different mindset.

Focus on the basics. Writing a book can be hard, but the individual components are pretty basic. Why do some people finish, and others live knowing their work languishes on a thumb drive? Goins breaks down the essentials into three groups: getting started, staying accountable, and staying motivated. Check out his 10 Ridiculously Simple Tips for Writing a Book. Sometimes simple is exactly what I need. 

How about you? Are you inspired by the lives of other writers, or do you forge your own path?
Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the inspirational words and links! I need to get organized so I can dive back into writing (new baby is making finding time for writing a bit challengeing)

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  2. Great ideas shown here... especially figuring out what to do with your time when the ideas just aren't coming. Thanks, as always!

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  3. I've started to follow his posts and he provides a good amount of great advice.

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  4. @Jess: I can't imagine trying to write with a new baby. You're my hero!

    @Sonia: I doubt you've had many times without ideas. You amaze me with your productivity!

    @Dean: Glad you found Jeff, too. He's got a lot of practical things to say.

    ~Debbie

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  5. Thanks for the link, Debbie. Really kind of you. Looks like a great site you have here!

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  6. Thanks so much, Jeff. I appreciate you stopping by!

    ~Debbie

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  7. Thanks, Debbie. I just started following Jeff's blog thanks to this post. He's got some great tips!

    As far as your question, yes I'm inspired by the lives of other writers and I meld what worked for them into what fits into my life. Everyone's experiences are different, so if we can learn from the paths taken by others and integrate some version of that into our lives, we may just avoid reinventing the wheel. That works for me, anyhow.

    Enjoy your week!

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  8. Glad you're following Jeff, Janette! You've got some great tips, too.

    ~Debbie

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