The Benefits of Changing Your Mindset

 

I don’t know about you, but it is easier for me to see where other people need to change to achieve writing success than it is for me to see where I need to change. After all, I make sales and have a resume to prove it. 

That said, I also have dozens upon dozens of computer files of drafts I have never finished. And I don’t mean finished ready to send out. I mean that I often don’t finish a full draft if no one is waiting for the project. 

Recently I picked up a copy of Make It: Turn Your Creative Skills into a Business and Thrive Doing What You Love by Martina Flor. Flor is a lettering artist and author. She has written this book for other creatives who want to make a living as actual creatives. 

One of the topics that Flor discusses is turning from being an amateur to being a professional. In Flor’s mind, an amateur is someone who treats the work that they do as practice. A professional is someone who treats the various projects that they are working on as contracted jobs. What does this mean? They plan it out, consider the steps, and take it to final. 

Ouch. Does that mean I’m an amateur? 

I think it all depends on what we are talking about. I make a living writing nonfiction. Fiction is what often goes unfinished although I do have several unfinished nonfiction projects. So what can I learn from Flor’s approach? If I want to publish fiction, I have to finish it. I know that, but sometimes I need a reminder. And I need to decide if I want to one day call myself a fiction author. 

Just when Flor's ideas were sinking in,  I saw Susan Freidman’s blog post, “Do Podcast Interviews Sell Books? You’re Asking the Wrong Question.” You can find it here.  

In her post, Freidman discusses the number of authors she knows who are disappointed after they appear on a podcast and then don’t see the sales of their books go up as a result. Like Flor, Freidman wants people to change how they are looking at things. Appearing on podcasts isn’t an opportunity to sell books as much as it is an opportunity to build recognition. 

Let’s say you’ve written a book about essay writing. You want people to buy it. So you work to get podcast appearances. You don’t see your sales go up so you quit trying to get those interviews. 

According to Freidman, you need to change your focus. You need to look instead for the ripples. One podcast interview leads to another which leads to a different speaking opportunity. Your authority and expertise grow. You are invited to teach a class, and everyone is required to buy your book. Eventually podcast interviews may lead to book sales. But that will be because they lead to expertise and other opportunities first. 

Are you getting what you want from your creative career? Maybe you need to change how you are thinking about something before you can succeed. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 80 books for young readers. To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

To get a free copy of Sue’s book, What to Do When Your Book Is Banned, subscribe to her newsletter, One Writer’s Journey, here.

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2 comments interviews, mind set, perspective, planning a writing career, podcast, Sue Bradford Edwards

The Mirror and the Back-of-Book Text

I’ve walked by the fancy mirror many times. It’s not my mirror, after all, it’s my sister-in-law’s. But this time, I stopped. Because this time, I spied a little switch on the bottom of the mirror. 

Hmmmm…I wondered, what if I flipped this switch? And BAM! The mirror lit up! As I peered into it, I saw deep crevices of a flesh-tone, and splotches of a darker color and…wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute. IS THAT MY FACE?

 It’s like those pictures at 2500X magnification and one doesn’t realize it’s a box of matches until the lens pulls back. I was both appalled and enthralled. And after gazing at the close-up wonders of my face for way too long, I thought about the text on the back of my book. 

I am not exaggerating when I say I rewrote those approximately 200 words dozens of times. There’s a lot riding on that back cover copy; it must be perfectly brilliant and downright captivating! And after four or five weeks of revisions, I decided to take a Saturday and just get ‘er done.

Fortunately for me, I had only one sticky sentence (or two) to work out at this point, so I figured an hour, tops. Four hours later, I had a headache from the gnashing and grinding of my teeth. Midway through hour five, hangry and frustrated, I knew I was nit-picking, to use an extremely apt word for this situation. So I quit fiddling with the text and pressed send. 

Oh frabjous day! I literally danced out of the office into the kitchen. But I'd barely finished my sandwich when this popped into my mind: I should have said this. 

I whipped out my phone, checking the copy and saw immediately what I should have used to make the meaning clear. It was two words switched in two sentences. TWO words. 

Honestly, are there any worse thoughts than the should-haves? And the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it could not stand. I had to fix it! Except the form had been sent. I’d emailed a lovely note to the project manager, thanking her for her patience. Within a few minutes, she'd responded. She’d passed it along and I’d hear back within seven days. 

For seven days, those two words haunted me. They woke me in the middle of the night, tormented me every time I opened my laptop. According to the fine print, any errors that were mine—and let’s face it, this was totally mine—that had to be fixed would incur a fee. But how much? And could I afford to sink another penny into this project? And was it really worth it? AM I CRAZY? 

Ugh. (And perhaps yes, I’m crazy.) 

But mostly, I was seriously annoyed with myself. I was too close to this text, scrutinizing every little detail, obsessing about every single word and…quite simply, I needed to pull back and take a breather. Had I walked away from the back cover copy, eaten lunch, taken a walk, or cleaned a bathroom and then come back with fresh eyes to check before sending, I would have seen the solution—the two words—easily.

And here’s the kicker: I know this about myself. I don’t even send a blog post out tout de suite. I write it and come back later for a re-read. I almost always see something that needs fixing, even though I didn’t notice when I was close up and working on it. 

Anyway, all’s well that ends well. The back cover came back and I asked about changing the two words, resigned to paying whatever it cost. But there was no added fee and the revised text came back within 20 minutes. The company was probably just glad to be rid of me. 

Now I’m thinking maybe I should keep a mirror on my desk. You know, as a reminder of what happens when I get fixated on something close-up and don’t step back for a bit. 

You think my sister-in-law would notice if her mirror went missing?

~ Cathy C. Hall

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1 comment Cathy C. Hall, over-working text, perspective, writing back cover copy

Perspective - What's Yours?

 

Perspective - What's Yours?

How silly is this cow?

She's trying to figure out what I'm drinking - cows are naturally curious animals and I just love spending time with them. When I was looking for a picture for this article, I thought you'd all enjoy this particular perspective seeking, milk producing, bovine! 

I learned something new lately and have been applying it in all sorts of areas of my life, but it can definitely help us as writers. Particularly if someone says something negative about our work. Keep that in mind while you're reading and get ready for my infamous questions at the end of our time together!

By definition, perspective is our attitude about things. Here's what I thought in the past (and it was holding me back):

* I thought I had to attend every argument 

* I thought I had to win every argument

It seems silly when you write it out like that, doesn't it? My problem is my emotions get the best of me; particularly so when it comes to teenage offspring. My new perspective is helping me be more peaceful:

* It's okay to walk away from an argument

* When you argue with someone you love, you don't win...you both lose

Isn't that interesting? I went from having to have the last word to being able to peacefully walk away. I'm decades away from convincing my teenage daughter that taking her cell phone away is for her own good. Arguing with her about it is damaging our relationship and when things get heated, we run the risk of saying something we don't mean. It is completely okay for us to walk away from those type of arguments.

I haven't always been able to walk away. I heard other mom voices in my head saying "you can't let them get away with that" and I felt like I had to attend every argument I was invited to. I forgive myself for the times I didn't walk away and now that I know better, I'm doing better. 

As for my writing - if someone wants to write a negative review or provide negative feedback, guess what? I don't have to reply! I don't even have to change anything I'm doing! I do NOT have to attend the argument. I can hear what they are saying and move on - it's okay! We both win - they said what they had to say and I can walk away without the stress of thinking of some snappy come-back - and oh...it feels good! 

As our time together comes to an end, let me ask you:

What was something you previously thought that was holding you back? What opened your eyes and how has your perspective changed?

How do you deal with a negative review or critical comments when it comes to your writing?

Since I never leave the farm - tell me about something exciting happening in your town or city? Tell us a little bit about your 'neck of the woods'? What's going on with you friend?

 Share your answers as a comment on this post!

Hugs,

~Crystal

About Today's Author:

Crystal is a foodie, farmer, and friend! She has 6 children and lots of special young people who call her "mom" even if she isn't 'their' mom! She starts each day sipping coffee and milking cows with the love of her life and occasionally ends the day with a glass of wine.  Crystal is raising kids and cattle while juggling cleaning jobs, bartending shifts, music gigs, her job as office manger and she escapes reality a few hours each week riding horses and reading books (not simultaneously)! And who knows, she may start blogging again sometime soon: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

In the meantime, you can find her posting pics of food, cattle, and more on Instagram and Facebook! 

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1 comment arguments, crystal otto, dealing with rejection, faith family farming, finding peace, perspective, raising kids and cattle

Just For Today, For a Writer (Part Deux)

Like you, I keep up with the blog posts here at The Muffin, and when I read a few recently—namely, Jeanine DeHoney’s A Writer’s Prayer for Serenity and Sue Bradford Edwards’ 3 Steps to Developing that New Writing Habit—something clicked in the dark recesses of my memory. Hadn’t I written something similar?

It took a while to find the blog post (I knew it had something to do with writing but as you can imagine, that was not a helpful key word for my search), but eventually, it popped up on the screen: Just For Today, For A Writer. It ran right here on The Muffin in January of 2013. 

2013! That was eight years ago. 

Well, firstly, I was pretty darn impressed that I remembered it at all. But secondly, I wondered, reading the post, if I’d successfully developed these writing habits. You see, I take stock monthly, even yearly, but eight years? That’s some serious accountability. 

So here’s the original post, but for today, I decided to just look at the basic promises I made in 2013, the ones this writer vowed to tackle, on a mostly daily basis: 

Just for today, I will write.

Uh-oh. Right from the get go, I smelled trouble. But wait! I could count my journal because that’s writing. And the deal was not to write a set amount but to write. So despite the tragedies and the triumphs of the last eight years, I have always written something, just about every day. Yay, me! 

Just for today, I will read. 

Reading is my comfort food, my happy place, my go-to for learning. I probably didn’t need to add that promise; I’ve been reading since I figured out how. On the other hand, I know writers who don’t read much so I will reiterate now that you can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader. 

Just for today, I will encourage or support another writer. 

Admittedly, I don’t always do this. Sometimes, I support a non-writer friend or encourage someone I don’t even know, like a young mom in the grocery store. On my bathroom mirror is a sign where I’ve written, “Whose day will I make today?” I wholeheartedly recommend the habit of support and encouragement; I’m sure I sleep better every night for following that practice. 

Just for today, I will take care of business.

Yikes! I struggle with this chore as much today as I did eight years ago. It’s why every January, I spend the month cleaning out all my inboxes. I know I should keep up with it every day but I’m busy, y’all. Reading. 

Just for today, I will be thankful that I’m a writer. 

How I’m thankful today as a writer may not be the same as it was years ago; now, I appreciate that writing is not just about validation but about helping me to work through all that makes up my life, and hopefully figuring out who Cathy C. Hall is. So whether I’m compensated in dollars and cents or serenity and joy, I’m good to go. (Not to mention that I’m sitting here, just as I was eight years ago, writing away in my pajamas. I’ll always be grateful for that!) 

Okay, then. I’m going to say that eight years later, I’ve done a fairly good job, keeping my writing promises. How about you? Can you remember where you were on your writing journey eight years ago? Sometimes it takes the long view to show us just how far we’ve come, day by day!

~Cathy C. Hall

Cathy C. Hall is a children's author, freelance writer, blogger, speaker, and dog wrangler. Way harder than it looks.

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6 comments accountability, Cathy C. Hall, gratitude, Jeanine DeHoney, perspective, Sue Bradford Edwards, the muffin, writing advice

Mother’s Day Reflections

Happy Mother’s Day a few days late! If your house was anything like mine over the weekend, you may still be recuperating. We were busy (to say the least) and in the midst of all the preparations and visiting I learned a very important lesson from my 7 year old daughter, Carmen. Carmen is quiet, but she notices every little thing. She can hurry through a room and stop suddenly to say “Mom, is that a new table cloth?” and she’s the first to notice a change in hair color or cut. When she has something to say, I try to really listen because she has an interesting perspective on things. More on that in a moment.

My mother in law is staying with us while convalescing from joint replacement surgery so it just made sense to host Mother’s Day at our house. Hosting meant a bit of work (especially since I play organ and was scheduled to play two services Sunday morning) but it was a great way to see everyone without the stress of eating in a restaurant. I planned something fairly easy since we were feeding 12 adults and 6 children. Saturday morning, I headed to the market with my 3 children (Carmen 7, Andre 5, and Breccan 7 months). We bought whole wheat buns, locally grown produce, and dye free pastries. We talked about making wise food choices and we headed home to grill up our grass fed beef patties and pork brats made from animals we raised ourselves. This isn’t something we do occasionally, it’s how we live. We don’t give it much thought most of the time.

Mother’s Day was a delightful time of love, laughter, and food a plenty! After our company left, Carmen pulled me aside and was full of questions:
• Mom, why don’t our cousins drink our milk? Don’t they know raw milk is better than store bought milk?
• Mom, why do people drink soda? You say it’s bad for us, isn’t it bad for them?
• Mom, there was a lady at church wearing high heels. Aren’t those yucky for her back?
• Mom, some people use throw away diapers, isn’t that terrible?

It was at that moment I realized I had been so busy teaching my children about our way of life I had forgotten to teach them about acceptance. Luckily, Carmen was paying attention and brought this to me early. I gathered both older children and we chatted about how people doing things differently didn’t mean one was wrong and one was right – they’re just different. (Somehow this encompassed a very short lived conversation about being cremated as well – not sure how that happened?) We ended our little chat by agreeing on the following:

Everyone’s parents and families are doing the best they can and as long as something is done in the spirit of love, it is done right.

Now it’s your turn. Please leave a comment about this post or answer one of the questions below:

What is something you do at your house that might be different than how other people do things?

What about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, is one wrong and one is right or can we agree both are done in the spirit of love and both are right?

What lessons have you learned through children?



Crystal is a church musician, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, three young children (Carmen 7, Andre 5, Breccan 7 months), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, and over 200 Holsteins. You can find Crystal blogging and reviewing books and all sorts of other stuff at: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

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2 comments acceptance, eyes of a child, interesting perspective, lessons, life lessons, parenting young children, perspective, what children see

Surviving a Bad Manuscript Critique

Cathy-on-a-Stick  with sister survivor, Scarlett

I attended a conference recently and it was a pretty swell event, if you don’t count the last fifteen minutes.

I signed on for a professional manuscript critique, and when it was over, I staggered from my seat feeling like Georgia after Sherman marched through it. In fact, I wondered if the critiquer had used Sherman’s slash-and-burn methods (metaphorically) in the hopes that I would use Sherman’s methods (literally) so that no one would ever have to read what I had wrought.

That’s the way it goes with manuscript critiques. Sometimes, they’re very good; other times, they’re just plain rotten. And that can be for the very same manuscript. But I’ve learned how to survive the bad evaluation and go on my merry writing way. And you can, too.

Give Yourself Time

You will want to scream and yell and rip your pages to shreds. Or you will want to bury every shameful word you’ve ever written in a deep, dark hole. Perhaps you will want to bury the critiquer in a deep, dark hole. But what you must do instead is give yourself some time so that the raw emotion swirling in your soul can recede.

I know it’s tempting to wallow in misery, or worse, rant and rave, especially to friends and fellow writers. But resist the urge to vent loudly (particularly if you are within shouting distance of other professionals) and save the tears for the bathroom stall. Find a quiet spot and collect yourself so that you can move on.

Good, Old Perspective

It’s tough when you receive tough criticism. It’s tougher, really, than a curt “not for me” rejection. Because with a critique (which you paid for!), you are forced to sit through the excruciating exercise of someone telling you exactly why your work stinks. What you need is a little perspective.

Here’s what I do. I give myself a pep talk. I think of a time I’ve been challenged and how I survived, and I start to feel a bit empowered. And then I count all the wonderful blessings of my life, and I start to feel grateful. It’s not long before good, old perspective kicks in. The world will keep spinning, friends and family will still love me, and I’ve still got a pretty nice roof over my head—even if my manuscript is the pits. I’m ready to move on to the truth.

Facing the Truth

In the midst of curling into a fetal ball, you may not be ready for the truth of your evaluation. But after time, and a healthy dose of perspective, you can take a look at the notes thoughtfully provided by your critiquer. You can relive that less-than-delightful one-on-one experience and maybe even recall some of what was said.

First, look for the positives. I guarantee you that there will be a note or two of praise in your critique. Second, cling to those words as you peruse the pages and perhaps you’ll have the courage to accept the flaws of your work. You can fix flaws.

Or you can chuck that manuscript and start on something new. Or you can even ignore the entire evaluation. But don’t let one bad critique defeat you. Get back to work and write. After all, tomorrow is another day.

~Cathy C. Hall

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9 comments Cathy C. Hall, critique, manuscript critique, perspective, writing evaluation, writing tip