7200 words today. KA-BOOM! I kicked some serious butt today. I haven’t had a day this good in a loooooong time.
Today was a harken back to beast mode. I spent a lot of time writing today—I had the June Power Hour, which was awesome, and then I had a quiet Saturday to devote to my writing. I passed the 90% mark on Indie Author Confidential Vol. 5. I’ll finish it tonight or tomorrow, which means book 55 will officially done. I’ll just need to go through a final time to review what I wrote, but that won’t take too long. I should be able to get this off to my editor later this week, with it going to my cover designer the week after, so I’m ahead of schedule in publishing this by end of June.
I’m thinking my next book will be the repurposing book I discussed yesterday. That’ll get me a quick win I can use to get closer to my year-end target of 64 books. I’ve still got a lot of ground to cover.
I’m also thinking about doing another beast mode challenge, probably in July. Who’s in???
MORE STUFF
A member of my community, Tiyev, put together a Discord community for a writers’ support group. It’s really cool and several folks from my power hours have joined. Support Tiyev and make some new friends in the group. I’ll pop in from time to time if I can as well.
Here is the link: https://discord.gg/cxPsXZuz
SOMETHING ELSE
Tonight, I’m reposting a message I think many need to hear. I posted this back in January but I’ve edited it somewhat.
With summer approaching (at least here in the United States), we’re solidly in what Dean Wesley Smith calls “the time of great forgetting.” This is when writers forget to write. Suddenly they wake up in October and realize they have nothing to show for their writing between May and August. If you can avoid it, don’t let that be you. Certainly enjoy the nice weather, but don’t forget to make progress on your WIP if you can!
Many people are also suffering from self-doubt. All writers have it, but some REALLY suffer. I’m reposting what I wrote in January because I think it can help some folks. Anyway, here it is:
This quarter, I stumbled upon a TED Talk that encapsulates almost every problem new writers have. In fact, it so neatly sums up the problems that I hear from writers on a weekly basis that I wanted to share and summarize it. The talk is given by a Shaolin monk, Master Shi Heng Yi.
Writing is about knowing and mastering thyself. Master thyself and you master your surroundings. Master Shi Heng Yi speaks about this:
“To bring meaning to your life
to bring value into your life
you need to learn and master yourself and
don’t let the hindrances stop you.”
In his TED Talk, Master Shi Heng Yi discusses the Five Hindrances to Self-Mastery.
#1: Sensual desires. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as anything you can experience in the five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. He uses the example of climbing a mountain and suddenly discovering that there is an amazing restaurant carved into the mountainside. The smell of the delicious food lures you off track, and you stop to eat in the restaurant. You never leave because it is comfortable and you can’t imagine climbing the mountain when you’re in the pleasure of delicious food and good company.
To put this into context:
- There are many writers in the community who come for the writing but stay for the community. They talk about writing and enjoy other writers’ company, but they don’t ever get around to writing.
- There are many writers in the community who seek out everything there is to learn about writing but never get around to writing.
#2: Ill will/aversion. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as discomfort. If you’re climbing the mountain and it starts raining and you don’t have an umbrella, you turn around and go home. But the rain is exactly what you need in order to temper your spirit. Just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean you should stop; it means you should keep going. Seeking comfort means to miss out on clarity.
To put this into context: how many people start writing but quit because it’s too hard? How many people finish their first book but never publish it? How many people publish their first book and quit because the marketing is too hard? How many people publish several books and quit because of lack of success? Writing is expensive, time-consuming, draining, and if all you can see are the negative parts, you’ll miss out on so much.
#3: Dullness/heaviness. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as your mind being locked in a cell. You tell yourself you can’t write well, or you fall for the movies your critical voice plays inside your head. What you don’t realize is that while you appear to be locked in a cell, the door is unlocked and you can leave at any time. You just have to have the courage to do so.
To put this into context, read anything I’ve written about self-doubt. I talk about how so many writers get trapped in the theaters of their own minds. They tell themselves they can’t do something, or that their writing isn’t good enough, or (insert any excuse). It stops them from making progress.
In my opinion, this is the biggest problem that writers face. Everyone, without exception, gets locked in a cell for a time. Not everyone escapes, though. I’ve been locked in the cell many times, but never for long.
#4: Restlessness. If you’re too focused on the future or the past, you cannot be focused on the present. You cannot enjoy your writing journey or appreciate where you are. That’s deadly.
To put this into context: so many writers want to be rich overnight. They want to write one book and become immensely successful. Everyone wants notoriety yesterday, and they’re in a hurry to get it. Who doesn’t want more book sales?
Instead, could you focus on where you are right now and be appreciative of it? Sure, it may not be where you want to be, but every time is a special time, and there’s always something to appreciate about where you are in your journey, even if you don’t have an audience.
#5: Skeptical Doubt: This is self-doubt. If you doubt yourself, then nothing is possible until you set those doubts aside. The scary part about self-doubt is that it’s the last hindrance that Master Shi Heng Yi talks about, the last one before you reach the mountaintop.
To put this into context: so many writers are closer than they think to the next level of your writing career. They just have to the have the courage to keep going. The closer they get to the summit, the louder the “skeptical doubt” (self doubt) gets.
FACING THE HINDRANCES
Whenever you face a hindrance in your life, Master Shi Heng Yi recommends a four-step process he calls “letting it R.A.I.N.”
Step 1: Recognize the hindrance. Figure out how you are feeling in response to it, and where those feelings are coming from.
Step 2: Accept the situation. Hindrances never go away completely; understanding their nature and accepting it is key to defeating them.
Step 3: Investigate. Ask how you got yourself to this point. What will you do about it, and how can you avoid this next time?
Step 4: Non-Identity. As a writer on Medium writing about Master Shi Heng Yi writes, “be involved in life but not entangled.” If you believe in Hindu philosophy, it’s the same as “being attached and unattached at the same time.” Separate yourself from your body and set your emotions aside. Then keep going.
I could explain more about Master Shi Heng Yi’s philosophy, but you should check it out. I find it amazing how non-writing philosophers and spiritual guides offer advice that is applicable to writing.
Master Shi Heng Yi’s talk offers the answer to every writing problem that exists, if you’re willing to listen.
The big one is dullness/heaviness. Just because you’re locked in a cage doesn’t mean you can’t get out. No one can hold you. Remember that the door is always unlocked.
