Who Am I To Write This?
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One of the biggest blocks to getting to this day when you're sharing your work with the world is Imposter Syndrome. We all have that thought, "Who am I to write this?"
Yet, no one else has your specific inspiration mixed with your specific life experience. If you need a pep talk to find the courage just to take the next step check out this week’s video. You don't need to finish the book today, all you need to do is take the next step. That's what The Meaning Method is designed to help you do. Just pick up a chapter or pick up a prompt day after day. Before you know it, you've transformed into an author.
Read MoreEvery Chapter and Scene of Your Book Needs this Element
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We live in exciting times. Capturing our thoughts and stories in the form of a book is one of the most transformative and grounding things you can do for yourself. It creates a strong foundation for all of your dreams. I know it has for mine.
I've created weekly coaching videos on YouTube to help you write elegant scenes and chapters. Check it out here.
Read MoreBig Changes are Coming to The Meaning Method Blog
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“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -
In September 2017, I launched a blog, "The Meaning Method." I was still a school teacher working full time and I had a toddler at home. Through the written blogs I developed the first material for The Meaning Method: A Spiritual Path to Writing and Publishing which is available for pre-order now! 🥳
Getting a book out into the world creates a foundation for big change. Find out what’s different in the blog!
Read More5 Amazon Stats You Need to Know
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When you're ready to publish your book, it's important to get to know the genre you're about to enter into. When you walk into a party, it's not only important to introduce yourself, you also need to get to know the people who are already there. Researching a few key Amazon statistics can be an easy way to understand your milieu in a relatively short period of time.
Read MoreBooks & Money: 3 Profit Models to Support a Thriving Literary Life
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If you want to create the financial situation of your dreams you’ve got to bake fulfillment and financial abundance into the same cake. The economic principles for artists that I’m sharing below were honed under a substantial amount of unexpected financial pressure and they’ve been very successful for myself and my clients. These models are both grounded and aspirational. They incorporate the sky-is-the-limit vision with down-to-earth practicality.
Read MoreCompassion Works Better than Pressure if you Want to Achieve your Goals
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On Wednesday I got my COVID vaccine and I sent my book to my editor. And when I woke up the next morning, I was terrified.
For the past year I’ve been curled up, working on my book, staying safe, and helping others survive. Now everything is about to change. Many of us are going through major transitions as we navigate post-COVID life. And I found I needed to give myself an indepth coaching session which I wrote out for anyone else who feels this way. If you're ever mean to yourself, when it would be so much better to be kind, keep reading…
Read MoreBig News: We're Launching an NGO between Colombia and Venezuela
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September will mark the four-year anniversary of The Meaning Method. That's the month we opened The Writer's Block Facebook Group, and author Miranda Rijks signed a contract as my very first client.
The biggest development this year will be the launch of The Meaning Method NGO. This began right around Christmas with my good friend Nidia. We've started regular shipments of school supplies, toys and baby clothes to kids in Caracas. It all began with a very special baby faced a major turning point in life when he was eight months old.
Here’s the full story…
Read MoreMaking Your Creative Practice a Spiritual Practice is the Path through any Block
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Have you ever been challenged by a glut of emotion that stopped you from writing your book? This could come in a variety of forms: anxiety, sadness, insecurity, or a bomb of self-criticism. And it seems that right on the other side of this emotional wall there is the dream of that book. You just have to get to the other side.
Here’s the thing that most people know intuitively, but quite can’t explain: When you create something to be put out into the world, it heals you. As a writing coach, this is a pattern I see over and over again, and as I’ve recently been wrapping up another book. The final chapters aren’t easy. There’s often a struggle to follow through, but when you marry creativity with spirituality there’s always a path forward.
Read MoreGenerosity is your Margin of Growth
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If you imagine a gap between where you are now and where you want to be, that’s your margin of growth. It’s the career, goals and impact you aspire to. The distance between here and there can be bridged with generosity.
Generosity is my margin of growth. This is a phrase I used to whisper to myself all the time, especially in my first years of business. The more I held onto those six words, the more opportunities opened up. It’s one of the most magical mantras I’ve ever come across.
Read MoreMake the Most of Your Regular Writing Habit
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Over the years, my pics of messy drafts have been some of my most popular posts. The process is emotional, and I know many of us wonder, is it easier for everybody else? Am I just not that talented? Should I give up?
My answer is an adamant NO! One of the reasons I think I’m a good writing coach is that my first drafts stink. They’re very rough and it takes me a while to figure out what I’m trying to say. My saving grace is that I love the process. I didn’t feel that way in the beginning, but over time I’ve found solace and security coming back to my pages day after day. It relaxes me. No matter what else is going on, I can grab a notebook or a draft of a story and just write.
Read MoreThis will make Selling Your Book a Million Times Easier
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You’ve come so far with your manuscript, and now it’s time to test it with readers. Before you get too nervous, let me make your job a million times easier. You don’t have to test this by releasing your book to the masses. Instead, find a handful of like-minded readers and ask them specific questions to get quality feedback.
In order for your book to be successful, you must have a profound understanding of your category, i.e. niche, i.e. micro-genre. Who are the people you want to draw into your literary conversation? What kinds of books matter to you?
Within the publishing industry I like to call this mandala economics.
Read MoreThe 4 Main Secrets to a Successful Book Launch
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When a new author prepares to launch, the first image that comes to mind may be more of a lemming hurling itself from a cliff, rather than a bird taking flight. Don’t worry, I’ve planned for that. Let’s start from scratch.
To begin with, what is a book launch anyway?
Basically, it’s a celebration of your book in order to give you a boost in audience growth. It takes place in the weeks and months before and after your publication date. This celebration includes four major categories, that work together to make your book soar.
Every time I coach a book launch I like to stretch the author’s comfort zone with at least one new element. I do the same for myself.
Read MoreDon't Let the Critics Bring You Down
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There are authors that have transported me with the magic of their words and even altered the course of my life. Some are well-known, others are obscure. In any case, every impactful creative genius I’ve ever read has also received bad reviews from crabby people. Thank God they cared enough about me, their ideal reader, to ignore that other noise. My life, and everyone I connected to, is so much better for it.
As far as I’ve noticed there’s no level of artistic, intellectual or spiritual achievement that exempts you from crap reviews, so it’s really not worth the mental space. You’ve got to love the people who love your book enough to ignore whoever hates it. Here’s how to navigate that strange and winding path.
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