In light of this, I thought now would be a good time for a bit of inspiration and a kick in the pants. I’ve been collecting famous author quotes for the past few years, and I hope they will help keep you writing no matter what: rain or shine, snow or desert wind, school or vacation, employed or jobless, content or anguished. (And by the way, each of these descriptors can serve as the basis for a writing project!)

Sit down and write

• Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too.” – Isabel Allende
• Show up and be the vessel, not the source. – Elizabeth Gilbert, in her stunning TED talk
• The most important thing in writing is to have written. I can always fix a bad page. I can’t fix a blank one. – Nora Roberts
• If the sun rises today, I will write. – Judy Walnoh

Worth remembering

• “Write about what you know” is the most stupid thing I’ve heard. It encourages people to write a dull autobiography. It’s the reverse of firing the imagination and potential of writers. – Kazuo Ishiguro (Read more about writing what you know and what you don’t know here, here, and here.)
• The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. – Sylvia Plath
• The road to unfinished writing is paved with the phrase, “Maybe I’ll just check ___ real quick.” Sue Weems

The act of writing

• I hate writing, I love having written. – Dorothy Parker
• Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. E. L. Doctorow
• A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. – Thomas Mann
• I like to write when I feel spiteful. It is like having a good sneeze. – D. H. Lawrence

The secret to good writing

• Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer. – Barbara Kingsolver
• There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before. – Willa Cather
• Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. – C.S. Lewis
• The secret of it all is to write in the gush, the throb, the flood, of the moment – to put things down without deliberation – without worrying about their style – without waiting for a fit time or place. I always worked that way. I took the first scrap of paper, the first doorstep, the first desk, and wrote – wrote, wrote. …By writing at the instant the very heartbeat of life is caught. – Walt Whitman
• If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it. – Toni Morrison

Which of these pieces of advice are the most valuable to you? Why? Which ones will you integrate into your daily writing habit? Let me know in the Comments. And as always,

Happy writing!

Deena

Deena Nataf

www.BulletproofWriting.com

Deena@BulletproofWriting.com

I know they’re ugly

A story of shoes

I desperately needed a new pair of house shoes.

I went to one store, where I bought a pair of supposedly leather shoes. The salesperson swore up and down they were leather.

When I got home, I noticed a transparent sticker on the bottom of one of the shoes, and it said they were entirely synthetic.

The next day, I went with my husband to get my money back. Where I live, the buyer has 48 hours to return an item for a full refund. However, we had to yell, threaten, and take a picture of an illegal sign in the store (“No cash returns”) until they agreed to give me my money back – and then they made up some cockamamie story about how they can’t open the register until after the weekend.

I then went to another store down the street, bought another pair of house shoes, and after also having to exchange them for a smaller size a few days later (while the proprietors were hurling abuse at me), I now, finally, have shoes that I can actually wear.

Why am I telling you this?

Because these proprietors were more interested in making a sale than in serving their customers.

Nowadays, it’s all about the consumer. But this doesn’t mean we’re allowed to be nasty customers and vendors have to lick our boots.

A vendor must know exactly what he or she will and won’t do for a customer or client, but it can be done nicely and within the law. The consumer can express his or her requirements, and if the vendor can fulfill them, the consumer should expect to receive what they asked for.

Trust and integrity are the are the name of the game.

The professional writer and editor

The same is true with regard to professional writers, editors – and really any freelancer. Put a sign with the word “SERVICE” on your wall or computer; it will remind you of your raison d’être.

True, I’ve always said on this blog that writers have to write for themselves, and I still believe that. However, when you are being paid for your services, you need to serve. On the other hand, having work parameters allows you to write “for yourself,” while still fulfilling your clients’ needs.

Here are a few things you can do as a professional writer or editor in order to deliver outstanding product, while still protecting yourself.

Always have a contract

Please, people, don’t “feel bad” or “be embarrassed” about insisting on a contract. NO WORK should be done until you have set out in writing exactly what you will and will not be providing to your client. Be as detailed as possible.

You need dates and deadlines as well. This goes for both you and the client. For instance, if you are writing or editing an article, specify the date you will return the piece, the date the client must give it back to you with their corrections, and a date when you will hand in the finished product.

There should be monetary consequences for a client’s returning the piece late. I’m not even going to discuss your missing a deadline, because you can never let this happen.

Do not start to work until you get a deposit, somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of the estimated total cost of the project. Enumerate when the next payment(s) is expected, and how much you are to be paid. Generally, you should be paid either after you finish a draft or on a certain date. No work begins before you receive your initial deposit, and no work continues until you receive your incremental payment. Final draft is sent to the client only after final payment is received.

I know this is difficult, especially for women, but I cannot emphasize its importance enough. If it makes you feel any better, it’s still hard for me to do this.

Your responsibilities

You, too, have responsibilities to your client.

First of all, be nice. Even though this whole contract thing feels a bit tough – nay, cruel – you can do everything with a smile and an attitude of accommodation. Be positive.

Consider the following pre-contract proposal:

Here’s what I propose: If you can sign the contract and give me your guidelines/provide the manuscript by [date], I can write/edit X and send it back to you by [date]. If I receive the manuscript back from you with all queries answered by [date], I can give you a final draft on [date].

If you’d like me to also do Y, I’d be happy to do it for an additional $___.

Included in my package are two versions of the final copy: one with tracking and a clean one without. All queries will be in comment bubbles.

I will also provide you with a style sheet at no additional cost.

You’ll hear from me every week/day/ten days with a progress report. And of course, please feel free to contact me any time with questions or concerns.

Once you get the gig and have delineated what you and the client are each responsible for, write up a contract with all this information and get it signed, or at least approved in writing via email.

Other ways to serve your client

Make sure you understand exactly what the client wants

If you have a writing assignment, how many words? If you’re editing someone else’s work, what kind of editing does the author desire: just a quick eyeballing, a copy edit, a language edit, or an in-depth, line-by-line editing job? For both writers and editors, who is the audience: age, gender, secular or religious, etc.? Ask the client for the demographics, as you won’t want to use the word “ubiquitous” in a book for young children, or allow a curse word if the article is for a church publication.

Make sense

The work should be as perfect as you can make it, within the time frame you and the client have worked out. Cross your t’s and dot your i’s, and remember your grammar and spelling. If you’re writing, self-edit before you turn it in (see the following 5 articles for details: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). If you’re editing, make the author look good by giving them a comprehensible manuscript in their own voice.

Make a style sheet

Your clients will love you for this. Unless you have been given a set of guidelines by your client, write down every ambiguous word or “rule” you run into or make up. For example, how are you going to spell Ann? Or Anne? or Ayn? Will it be “God, Who told Noah to build the Ark,” or God, who told Noah to build the Ark”? Or is it “ark”? If you’ve been given a style sheet by your client, create a new document comprising any new words, phrases, or rules, and send it along with your piece.

If you are working on fiction, it is essential to write down every single detail: names, dates, places, and relationships. I have read several semi-professional books where the name of Martha’s sister is Joan in chapter 1 and Bonnie in chapter 6. Moreover, if the book takes place in Hawaii during the month of August, you cannot say, “The next day it snowed, so we couldn’t go to school.” Whether you are writing or editing, go that extra mile and hand in a style sheet.

Take pride in your work

No matter what you are working on, be it a novel, a board book for two-year-olds, a memoir, or a how-to book on growing your own mushrooms, treat each project as if it’s the most important thing ever written. You’ll feel good about yourself, your client will think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, and you’ll get many more jobs from happy clients or their friends and colleagues.

I’ll close here with a wonderful article I read recently. This amazing woman elevated the obituary column of the New York Times to an art form. There is much to learn from her.

***

Have I missed anything that relates to serving your client? If I have, please add it in the Comments. And no matter what you are currently working on, I wish you

Happy writing!

Deena

Deena Nataf

BulletproofWriting.com

Deena@BulletproofWriting.com

The inevitable has occurred.

You read some article or post (such as this one, this one, or this one) about getting consistently motivated to write. You get all fired up, plan a new schedule, and turn over a new leaf with the greatest intentions.

Things are going pretty well. You’re writing every day, and meeting your time or word quotient. You even start getting a bit smug. Ha – you cracked the writing code!

Then one of four things happens:

1. Life.
2. Work.
3. Boredom.
4. Fear.

A kid gets sick, a holiday comes around. You get a freelancing job you hate, or you’re writing a story or article that sucks all the confidence out of you. Writing suddenly takes so long, and you realize that along the way it stopped being fun.

You can’t seem to get yourself up in the morning. Or you keep getting up from your computer to eat another piece of chocolate or make another cup of tea. You forget why you wanted to become a writer, and you start thinking: “Why make life harder for myself than it already is?”

The myth of inspiration

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you probably already know that I am not an advocate of waiting for inspiration to write. I recommend just showing up, every day.

That is so not romantic, I know. But it really is the only way to be a writer. “Inspiration,” if there really is such a thing, comes while you’re in the trenches, writing away even if you don’t want to.

If you have a light bulb moment – an idea for an article, or a phrase you might be able to tease into a short story – for goodness’ sake, write it down in a dedicated notebook or in an app such as Evernote.

But don’t mistake a good idea with “inspiration.” Get those ideas down, but continue your daily writing as if they never emerged.

Motivating yourself to be motivated

To be perfectly honest, I also don’t believe in motivation. This is possibly because I have none.

Don’t tell anyone, but the only thing I’m motivated to do is drink tea, eat chocolate, and read.

Paradoxically, I have a strict wake-up time, and generally, as soon as my alarm rings I jump out of bed and go directly into the bathroom.

bandrat for freedigitalphotos.net

And that’s when the little red man with pointy ears and a pitchfork jumps onto my left shoulder and whispers, “Oh, come on, just go back to bed. You’re exhausted, and what does it matter if you start an hour later?”

The little white man is still sleeping, and he hasn’t yet landed on my right shoulder. In fact, I haven’t seen him in a while…

No lie: I have this exact conversation with the red man every. single. morning.

And then I go back to my bedroom, turn on the light, and start getting dressed. I’ve accepted the fact that the little red man will do this every single weekday without fail. Like lower back pain, I live with him.

For more bad news on motivation, read this.

There is no magic pill

And how I wish there were. Think how popular my blog would be if I had a pill to give you.

In lieu of drugs, there is but one solution to the “inspiration-motivation” issue, and here it is:

Don’t think.

I kid you not. Just do. Know the night before exactly when you will get up the next morning, and what you will do from hour to hour. And then do it mindlessly. Pretend you’re in the army and your schedule is your sergeant.

When I had a bout of insanity was getting up to run at 5:00 in the morning, three times a week, for almost a year, turning off my brain was the only way I could do it. (And anyway, who can think at 5:00 in the morning?)

Apply this to any activity, and it will get you closer to your goal.

Goals vs. consistency

Goals are essential, but don’t start worshiping them. It’s more important to be consistent. In other words,

Show up every day.

As I wrote in a recent post, articulate your goals. However, never allow them to become an excuse not to do. Don’t say to yourself, “I’ve forgotten why I’m doing this, so until I remember, I’ll just get another cup of coffee.”

Remember, don’t think. If you have no writing project or job, for instance, that is not an excuse for not writing today. This is where consistency trumps goals.

When things get tough and you start to think, go ahead and ponder your goals. I used to do this at the beginning of my runs, when I hadn’t yet warmed up and was freezing to death. My micro goal was to finish the run without collapsing or getting mugged, and my macro goal was to run a 10K in the Jerusalem Marathon.

On the other hand, when I couldn’t care less about why I was running and thought, “Who am I kidding?” (actually, I thought, “Whom am I kidding?”), I would fall back on, “I run three times a week.” In other words, I was just showing up, being mindlessly consistent.

A few nice clichés

Here are four phrases hanging on the wall in back of my computer. Take your pick:

• Don’t chase goals; chase consistency.
• Done is better than perfect.
• Action trumps thinking.
• What I want is bigger and more important than the fear that prevents me from achieving it.

Putting systems in place

Creating systems makes it easier for you to write no matter what is going on in your life or in your head, because systems eliminate choice. Same leitmotif: The less you think about the noise, the easier it will be for you to act.

Here’s a wonderful post by Ramit Sethi about creating systems. You might not need to go to the extreme that he articulates, but there are some golden nuggets there. (Swear word alert.)

***

While I hope you never run out of “motivation” or “inspiration” to write, remember that at best you don’t need them, and at worst they don’t even exist. Write, don’t think; show up every day; kick that red man off your shoulder; sit down and feel your fear – and write anyway.

Are you experiencing a writing low after an initial spurt of motivational energy? Let this post help you take action in spite of all the obstacles. And let me know in the Comments what worked.

Happy writing!

Deena Nataf

www.BulletproofWriting.com

Deena@BulletproofWriting.com

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome each time. (probably not Albert Einstein)

Take the quiz:

• Do you write for the same publications over and over again, and complain about the low pay and the boredom?
• Do you feel isolated as a writer, having no one to bounce ideas back and forth with and give you feedback?
• Do you always write about the same subjects, for the same audience?
• Do you feel as if there are no well-paying and enjoyable jobs for a freelance writer – or for you specifically?

If you answered Yes to any of these questions, you may be guilty of Writer’s Insanity.

While I was searching for a cure for this unsightly problem, I came across a really nice post from Linda Formichelli’s website which, uncannily, is called Linda Formichelli.com. She’s a freelance writing success coach, and used to run a great blog called The Renegade Writer.

Linda makes some really good points about freelance writing – and writing in general – and I think there is some very valuable information in her post for you. It might just be the perfect medicine for your writing ailments. As the owner of a blog and a business, I got a lot out of it too.

Write what you don’t know

The idea that a well-off person couldn’t possibly relate to the concerns of “regular folk” is ridiculous. Any reasonably intelligent person can look around, read the news, and talk to people from all walks of life to gain an understanding of their lives. We writers should know that more than anyone!

I’ve written about both writing what you know and using research to write what you don’t know, and I firmly believe authors can do both. I also highly recommend starting the habit of Method Writing, in which you write for 10–20 minutes a day about a small piece of your life’s tapestry: Describe the episode, summoning up all the emotions surrounding it. Soon you will have a whole arsenal of emotions that you can use when drawing your characters, narrating a scene, building tension, and even writing nonfiction.

Niche it down

Don’t let it bother you when a book, article, or blog post doesn’t relate precisely to your life…and at the same time, don’t feel bad if your writing isn’t 100% all-inclusive. It’s okay to write something strictly for a particular audience that you relate to. If someone doesn’t like it, they don’t have to read it.

Don’t write with fear:

Photo by dryhead

• Fear that no one will read your work
• Fear that people will read your work and criticize it
• Fear that you’ll never get another job/write another word

Concentrate on this piece at this time. Say what you mean. Focus.

Niching down helps you zero in on the subject, the angle, the audience, and the point of view. Your writing will be crisper because you won’t betray ambivalence or juggle too many disparate threads in your piece.

Remember to have an image of Ideal Reader in your mind as you write; in other words, write for one person only. It’s counterintuitive, but this is the way to create a piece that will be well-received by a wider group.

Having focus yields two, somewhat opposing, positive outcomes: First, you will cull an audience that is specifically and deeply interested in your subject and manner of delivery. People in that niche will flock to it.

Second, even those who aren’t necessarily in your demographic will read your stuff if they think that there is something valuable to get out of it – even if it’s not a perfect fit. As Linda says, smart readers will “connect the dots, [concluding:] ‘This tip won’t work for me as is, but how can I apply something like it to my life?’ or ‘This writer is nothing like me, but what can I take away from this book?’”

There will still be people who will not like or want to read your piece, and this can be devastating; I still shake every time I get a comment on this blog (but don’t tell anyone). Reframe the issue: think of it as pruning away the selvage and refining your market.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

Photo by JasonTromm

The next time you find yourself irritated that a book or article isn’t precisely relevant to your situation…consider how an inability to relate to people in different demographics may be affecting your career as a freelance writer. Not only does it limit what audience you’re able to write for and what you’re able to write about, but it also hinders your earning potential.

I remember my first editing mentor telling me that a good editor could edit even a chemistry textbook, as his or her job is to make it readable and understandable. This invaluable piece of advice applies to writers as well.

Writers: there are so many opportunities to write! So what if you’re Mormon and you want to pitch an article on Buddhism? Or how about writing a blog post on planting spring flowers even though you have a black thumb? Are you happily married to a member of the opposite sex but want to cover the Pride Parade in your city?

That’s what research is for – and that is what moxie, a creative mind, and initiative are for.

Don’t sell yourself short

[Having] trouble relating to people more well-off than we are may be a contributing factor to the low pay so many writers complain about….The people with money are the ones who can afford to hire you at a premium rate. They’re…looking to hire the best and pay them what they’re worth….writers who market to big businesses earn more….And writers who target their ghostwriting services to CEOs and wealthy people with stories to tell earn more.

Have you considered writing for trade magazines? Or offered your services to a large corporation or online business? Did you know there are outstanding jobs that pay well on Upwork? (If you want to make a lot of money on Upwork, go to this website.)

Stretch your writing wings and get out of your comfort zone. Do a bit of research on a potential client and pitch them. (Here’s an outstanding article on delivering the perfect proposal.)

Explore a new writing world with Google, and not only for jobs. How about joining a writers’ Facebook group, or one on Google Plus? LinkedIn is full of writers’ groups as well. All of these platforms have groups in every sort of writing niche you can imagine.

Pro tip: Make sure you give to these groups by posting valuable information and comments before you think about how they can help you.

***

For the next two weeks I challenge you to do something different with your writing. Pick one of the following:

• Learn about a subject that’s completely foreign to you – maybe one in which you think you have no interest. Find a creative angle and write up an article about it. Then find a publication or company to pitch it to.
• Join an online writers’ group and commit to going on it 10 minutes a day.
• Research a publication or corporation and think of 3 different articles you could write for them – and then go ahead and pitch them!

Please let me know in the Comments what you did, and how it felt to leave your comfort zone.

And remember: The only thing blocking you from success is you.

So get out of your own way and make it happen.

Happy writing,

Deena Nataf

www.BulletproofWriting.com

Deena@BulletproofWriting.com

There are two reasons we are afraid to write what we really think: fear and fear. Let me explain.

There is inner fear, in which we are so out of our comfort zone that we feel we’re way out in literary space, cut loose from the familiarity of the Acceptable Writing rocket ship waiting for us back on base. No one can see us; we’re all alone out there. We’re afraid no one will read our stuff.

imagerymajestic for freedigitalphotos.net

Then there is outer fear, in which we are constantly nursing an emotional neck ache, looking over our shoulder and waiting for others to comment on our writing: did they like it? Was it “good”?  Are we going to get a bunch of nasty emails excoriating us and our opinions? In other words, we’re afraid people will actually read our stuff, and won’t like it.

Both inner fear and outer fear can prevent us from being authentic in our writing.

“But what if no one reads it?”

Inner fear brings up a paradox: On the one hand, we’re supposed to write from the heart, write what feels right to us, be authentic. But on the other hand, don’t we have to put our readers first? And does that include always pleasing them?

It helps to have an picture of your ideal reader in your head as you write. This will help you tailor your prose and subject matter to the right audience. After all, there is no one book or article that will speak to or fulfill the needs of each and every person in the whole world. Everyone has a niche: teens, adults, men, women, religious, spiritual, scientific, left wing, right wing, offbeat – you name it.

But this doesn’t mean that you always have to please your readers. If your niche, say, is stay-at-home mothers, you’re allowed to take a stand and write about why watching daytime soap operas is a poor way to spend one’s time. Your audience will read it; some will agree and others won’t. But you will have touched on something that is germane to your niche, and that is the whole point of keeping your ideal reader in front of you.

If you write something so bland that there’s nothing to agree or disagree with, then what’s the point of writing at all? Why waste calories on a Quarter Pounder when down the street you can get a half-pound, grass-fed, hormone-free hamburger with all the works?

Write from your heart – even fiction – and they will read your stuff. Your readers don’t have to agree with you; that’s not your job. Your job is to deliver the best prose that you can. And all the better if it causes your audience to sit up, take notice, and think.

“But what if everyone reads it?”

We’ve all been there.

Who hasn’t received a scathing reaction to something we’ve said or written? My heart still races when I think of a couple of doozies I got.

For many of us, after being criticized our first thought is to backtrack, apologizing all over the place and going out of our way to honor the opinion of the other person – even sometimes going so far as to agree with them.

However, might I suggest an alternative to the people-pleasing and let’s-get-out-of-this-uncomfortable-situation-as-fast-as-possible approach?

Take a deep breath and…

First, remember this:

You don’t have to react immediately to criticism.

Once I got this into my head, my whole life changed.

If someone criticizes, disagrees with, or reacts angrily to something you’ve written, TAKE A DEEP BREATH and just nod or say “Mmm.” (This works equally well if the communication takes place in writing, but of course you wouldn’t write “Mmm.”)

Next, EVALUATE whether there is any merit in what the person is saying.

• Did you offend him or her maliciously, attacking personally, deliberately, and/or gratuitously? (My guess is no; you were probably merely stating your own opinion, to which you have a right.)
  

  imagerymajestic for freedigitalphotos.net

• Does this person have a life? Even if you don’t know them, the tone of their voice or email might give you a clue as to whether they’re really upset or just looking for something to do with their spare time. There are a lot of people in cyberspace (and elsewhere) these days who fit this profile.
• Is what they’re saying fact or opinion? If you got your facts wrong, or you truly attacked them personally, admit it, make amends by either apologizing or writing a retraction/emendation, AND MOVE ON. Don’t continue beating yourself up, because your critic has already forgotten about it. Remember: people love tripping others up, and it’s usually all about them and not about you.
• If the criticism is merely the opinion of the critic, then you’re home safe. They have a right to their opinion, AND SO DO YOU. This is so important. So many of us forget that we have just as much of a right to say what we think as others do. Their blood isn’t any redder than ours.

5 Ways Taking a Stand Will Benefit Your Writing

Infusing your writing with a personal touch, which sometimes will include taking a controversial stand, is one of the best ways to get people to sit up and take notice. Here are five reasons why:

1. Your writing will be more convincing, inspiring and entertaining. People will sense the authenticity and sincerity of your words.
2. People will want to read your stuff, whether or not they agree with it. If both Hillary and The Donald would agree with it, why bother?
3. You will evoke those all-important emotions so essential to good writing and reader engagement. Whether you evoke laughter, sadness, agreement or anger, your prose will encourage others to continue the conversation. Not to belabor the point, but yes, this is equally true of both fiction and non-fiction.
4. You will create your own unique voice. Honing your voice is not only about writing style. Write your truth, and you will transform yourself as well as your writing.
5. It’s good for your personal growth. Being unafraid to state your opinion in writing will enable you to stand up for it in person. Being respectfully disagreed with will weaken your need to please everyone. You will develop the courage to continue in the face of nastiness, and compassion for those with petty complaints.

***

It’s scary to lay ourselves bare for the world to see and read – and maybe even talk about! Starting this blog was terrifying for me, and I’ve never been more out of my comfort zone. But who ever said being authentic was easy?

Has your writing ever been criticized or disagreed with? How did you handle it? What would you say to a new writer who is afraid of what others will think?

Let me know in the comments below.

Happy writing!

Deena Nataf

www.BulletproofWriting.com

Deena@BulletproofWriting.com