I have often talked about the importance of finishing a first draft of your book quickly. I’m not saying you should be sloppy or rush through things. You should make your book, or any writing for that matter, as good as it can be.

But the fact of the matter is that we all have limited time on this earth. There comes a point after you have written the first draft, the second draft, done revisions and formatting, and the other things you need to do to make it great, when you need to publish it.

Your #1 goal should be to get your current project finished and published, and then move on to the next thing. We make this whole writing thing overly complicated sometimes.

Make it good, do your best, and hit “publish” on that sucker. You won’t become a better writer by continually tinkering with your current project and never actually pulling the publish trigger. You’ll get better by doing more work and learning from each one, while getting feedback along the way.

It’s hard to get a lot of meaningful feedback on something you have not yet published.

The author Dan Poynter was one of the early advocates of self-publishing. He said, “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”

Maybe that’s an overstatement. Even waiters deliver something to the table.

So, make it your goal to deliver your work to your hungry readers who have been waiting for your book.

Today’s Challenge: Finish that book you’re working on and publish it.

The post The Productive Writer: Publish Your Work appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Lots of people want to write a book, start a podcast, create a blog, or build a writing business. But why do so many people stop short of following through?

The answer is simple: it gets hard and people give up. You have probably fallen victim to giving up as well. You have started something, it got hard, then you quit because it wasn’t as fun anymore.

I’ve been there myself!

Here is a simple yet effective way to ensure you will follow through: before you get started, commit to the middle 50%.

The first 25% of a project feels fun. You have lots of enthusiasm and energy. People are cheering you on because you have announced it. The whole thing feels new and fresh.

But the middle 50% gets hard. The enthusiasm wears off and you have to stick with it. You are far away enough from the starting block that you’ve lost the initial excitement. But you’re too far from the finish line to see it. So, you have to manufacture your own enthusiasm and keep pressing on, knowing the end is coming.

When you get to that final 25%, the excitement of finishing is going to pull you forward and give you a second wind. But that middle 50% kills an awful lot of projects because it forces you to focus and be disciplined.

So before you get started, make sure to commit to the middle 50%, knowing it’s going to get hard. But you can make it if you keep pushing through.

Question: Think about your most difficult project right now. Have you made the commitment to keep going in the middle 50%?

The post Commit to the Middle 50% appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Finish what you start.

This might be the most important practice of all.

It is easy to get distracted by other projects. I have done that many times myself. But I encourage you to finish what you start, and then publish it. When you have too many things you have written but not finished, it’s demoralizing. You feel like you have put in a ton of work, but you have no results.

A few years ago, I spend months and months doing research for a book. I literally took 150 pages of notes. I had a massive Scrivener file full of ideas, outlines, details, and plans. But I never finished the book.

Now, I do plan to write that book someday, but since that time I’ve developed the Daily Writer and built a ghostwriting business. But I have to tell you, I was really demoralized and discouraged for a long time after putting together all that material and never finishing it. Since then, I have done a much better job of starting… and finishing… projects.

And honestly, the thing that broke me of the habit of not finishing was doing client work. When you are a ghostwriter, you have to produce on demand whether you feel inspired or not. That’s a pretty good habit for all of us who are writing, whether we’re doing it for ourselves or someone else.

When you finish what you start, it gives you incredible confidence and momentum to keep going.

Plus, you can’t sell what you don’t finish. Readers don’t buy half-finished books. When you finish and publish, you have products you can sell to readers that will change their lives and bring you income.

Question: What do you need to finish and publish? How could it give you the confidence and creative fire you need?

The post Writing Habits Practice #8: Finish What You Start appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Have you ever thought about why do so many writing projects get started, but never get finished?

Lots of people want to write a book, start a podcast, create a blog, or build a writing business. But why do so many people stop short of following through?

The answer is simple: it gets hard and people give up. You have probably fallen victim to giving up as well. You have started something, it got hard, then you quit because it wasn’t as fun anymore.

Here is a simple yet effective way to ensure you will follow through: before you get started, commit to the middle 50%. The first 25% of a project feels fun. You have lots of enthusiasm and energy. People are cheering you on because you have announced it. The whole thing feels new and fresh.

But from the 25% to 75% mark, it gets hard. The enthusiasm wears off and you have to stick with it. You are far way enough from the starting block that you’ve lost the initial excitement but you’re too far from the finish line to see it. So, you have to manufacture your own enthusiasm and keep pressing on, knowing the end is coming.

When you get to that final 25%, the excitement of finishing is going to pull you forward and give you a second wind. (Or maybe a third or fourth wind.) But that middle 50% kills an awful lot of projects because it forces you to focus and be disciplined.

So, before you get started, make sure to commit to the middle 50%

Daily Question: Think about your current projects. Have you made the commitment to keep going in the middle 50%?

The post The Middle 50% appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

In the previous episode, I mentioned the importance of finishing a first draft of your book. But the urgency doesn’t stop there.

I’m not saying you should be sloppy or rush through things. You should make your book, or any writing for that matter, as good as it can be. But the fact of the matter is that we all have limited time on this earth. There comes a point after you have written the first draft, the second draft, done revisions and formatting, the other things you need to do with your writing to make it great, when you need to publish it.

Your #1 goal should be to get your current project finished and published, and then move on to the next thing. We make this whole writing thing overly complicated sometimes.

Make it good, do your best, and hit publish on that sucker. You won’t become a better writer by continually tinkering with your current project and never actually pulling the publish trigger. You’ll get better by doing more work and learning from each one, while getting feedback along the way. It’s hard to get a lot of meaningful feedback on something you have not yet published.

The author Dan Poynter was one of the early advocates of self-publishing. He said, “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”

But maybe that’s an overstatement. Even waiters deliver something to the table. So, make it your goal to deliver your work to your hungry readers who have been waiting for your book, blog, or podcast.

Daily Question: Have you been putting off publishing your work because you’re a perfectionist? Be honest.

The post Finish & Publish appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

The Disney Imagineers are a group of architects, engineers, designers, and writers known for being one of the most creative think tanks on the planet. The group was originally founded by Walt Disney to oversee the production of Disneyland in California, but today is responsible for designing and building Disney theme parks and attractions all around the world.

In their fantastic little book The Imagineering Way, the Disney Imagineers said, “Every new project at Imagineering starts with the assumption that it will be fun and exciting. We never say we don’t really want to do it this way—we do it the best way we know how. We are our end users because we like the product.”

Think about your current writing project. When you sit down to work on it, what do you assume? Do you assume it will be difficult? Unbearable? Something you just need to get through?

Or do you assume it will be fun? That you will enjoy the process? That you are adding value to others and will have a grand adventure?

In life, we generally get what we expect. If you expect drudgery, that’s what you’ll get. If you expect to have the time of your life… well, that’s what you’ll get, too.

Having the right mindset changes everything.

The post The Imagineering Mindset appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

As writers, we spend loads of time worrying about the details of writing: getting the words done, editing, publishing, and so many other things. Sometimes it’s good to step back, take a look at the big picture, and ask, “What do I really want from this book project?”

My guest today is here to help us figure out the answer to that question. Carolyn Roark is a writing coach, editor, and ghostwriter who helps aspiring authors express themselves beautifully and find the right platform for their ideas. Her clients have included everyone from venture capitalists to restaurateurs to cancer survivors.

She finished her Ph.D. at 29 (impressive!) and headed straight into the Ivory Tower. In her bio, she says, “Five years later I stole out a window and never looked back. I loved teaching analysis, theory, and composition, but if I never attend another committee meeting it will be too soon.” As a former college professor, I can totally relate!

In this conversation, Carolyn helps answer some burning questions, such as: What can a book do for you? How can we maximize the benefits of a book for our personal life and business?

What are some obstacles or problems that get in the way of success with book launches and marketing? What are the mindset shifts authors need to make around their book launches or marketing?

Click on the links below to find out more about Carolyn and connect with her on social media:

Check out Carolyn’s website

Read Carolyn’s blog

Find Carolyn on Pinterest

Connect with Carolyn on LinkedIn

Follow Carolyn on Twitter

The post Carolyn Roark: What Do You Want Your Book to Do for You? appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Welcome again to my monthly business update. As usual, I will focus on three areas: ghostwriting, The Daily Writer, and personal updates.

Ghostwriting

Here are three important lessons I’m learning:

1. You probably need to raise your prices.
2. Clients are not mainly concerned about your writing ability.
3. Having the right connections makes a huge difference.

The Daily Writer

Let me highlight a few important things happening:

1. DW is getting more active on Instagram with quotes, writing prompts, and other content coming soon.
2. The Daily Writer Community is growing, with courses coming in November. The first course is “How to Build a Writing Habit.”
3. This podcast continues to grow in listenership and provide a source of content to repurpose into other forms.
4. I have started to offer one-on-one coaching to authors to help them get their books written and self-published. (Reach out if interested. Spots are very limited.)
5. I’m working steadily on three books of my own: The Daily Writer, How to Build a Writing Habit (lead magnet), and a secret project!

Personal Update

1. I just completed a half-marathon.
2. I’m considering transitioning to a co-working space.
3. I’m loving The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

The post October 2021, Business Update appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.