Keeping Your Vision Before You

Thursday, February 28, 2008


Writing can be a solitary profession. Writers spend a lot of time alone, trying to find the right words, the perfect phrasing, and the unexpected plot twists. When things don’t come together the way that you wish they would, discouragement settles in. Then that nagging little voice in the back of your head reminds you of all the reasons you should quit. It says you’re not good enough, that you’re not creative or clever enough to be a professional writer.

If you’re a novice writer, or even well on your way into the publishing world, turning off your inner nagger can be hard. But in order to be successful in this business, learning how to do just that is crucial.

Even the most seasoned professionals suffer from the constant pestering of an inner nagger. But they’ve learned to push through their fears by replacing self-doubt with focused optimism.

Here are a couple of ways that can help build your confidence and put a muzzle on your inner nagger.

1. Get a Vision. Many highly successful people keep vision boards in their offices or private work spaces. A vision board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations. Making one can be fun and easy. Mine contains positive affirmations about perseverance and writing. It also has many pictures of things that I want to achieve in the future – becoming an awesome cook, vacationing in a tropical getaway, publishing a bestseller….. When the inner nagger strikes, take a good look at your vision board and remember why you write.

2. Get Connected. Many writers join critique groups while other cringe at the idea. If a critique group is not for you, consider forming or joining a mastermind group. In many regards, a mastermind group is similar to a writers’ critique group. But members of a mastermind group often include people from different professions. What joins them together is a common goal – to be highly successful at whatever they do. In addition to offering encourage and support, group members hold each other accountable to achieving preset goals. Plus, no one has to read your writing unless you want them to. A mastermind group also offers networking opportunities and is fertile ground for new ideas that can fuel your writing.

3. Get Inspired! Figure out what gets your motor running. Does music inspire you? Motivational quotes? Stories of perseverance? Art? Oprah? Whatever it is, find it, place it close to your work area, and use it whenever that inner nagger raises her irritating voice. I happen to love Celtic music. Whenever I need a boost, I listen to my favorite songs. Mentally, they transport me to a place that boosts my creativity. Find something that does this for you and stick with it. The more you use it, the greater returns of creativity you will reap.

Remember that everyone suffers from doubts and insecurities at times. Plug into people and things that help you keep your vision of successful before you.

9 comments:

Cher'ley said...

This is the second time this week I've come across "The Inspiration Board" idea.

Sometimes, I wonder why I keep writing novels and especially why I keep taking courses and reading instructional books on writing.

Aria said...

if you like making vision boards, there's an easier way online. visionboardsite.com lets you upload images and audio to create some really motivating slideshow vision boards! it's especially helpful for a diet I've been working on for a while now! :)

ARIA SAGE

Anonymous said...

What a timely post! I received two rejections this morning and have been struggling with my nagging voice. I even have a free cork board at home that I've been trying to decide what to do with!
Thanks for the boost!

Anonymous said...

Never give up.
Never, NEVER give up.

Terry Finley

http://terryrfinley.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

So glad I stumbled across this website.
They were great suggestions. The vision board is such a powerful technique. Also, finding my "why" for my dreams and projects and writing my "why" down and putting it in a place where I see it frequently... really helps me when my nagging doubting voice pounds through my head.

Jeanne
http://www.goalsnaspirations.com

Angela Mackintosh said...

This is a great post, Kesha! When I was putting together the artwork for Kelly Love Johnson's interview in the December issue of WOW!, I found a pic that I had to include... http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/16-FE-Kelly-Love-Johnson.html ...it was what she called her "mood board," which is basically the same thing that you're talking about with your Inspiration Board. I loved the idea after seeing that pic, and now you reaffirmed how much of a benefit it is to writers. I'm going to create my own thanks to your excellent advice.

Cheers & happy writing!

Ang

Jose A. Rivera said...

Hey I love the idea so much that I started a blog with inspirational posters to stay motivated. I just started writing and got a great idea for a book. Any comments or tips will be greatly appreciated. www.myinspirationalviews.blogspot.com

thund said...

very good blog that I'll follow up

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Free Articles Directory Submission said...

Your blog is wonderful! I'm so glad I found it

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