52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner
by Mariëlle S. Smith
GENRE: Non-fiction, Self-help, Creativity
BLURB:
‘A
brilliant, supportive, challenging workbook, highly recommend.’
Jamie Sands
You,
too, can become the writer you’ve always wanted to be!
The
52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner:
•
makes
you plan, track, reflect on, and improve your progress and goals for
an entire year long;
•
invites
you to dig deep through thought-provoking prompts and exercises;
and
•
helps
you unravel the truth about why you aren’t where you want to
be.
Two
years after publishing the first volume of 52 Weeks of Writing,
writing coach and writer Mariëlle S. Smith brings you the updated
third volume. Similar in style but reflecting the tweaks made to her
coaching practice during the pandemic, 52 Weeks of Writing Vol. III
is even better equipped to help you get out of your own way and on to
the path towards success.
Ready
to start living your writing dream? Order your copy now.
Purchase Links:
All purchase links can be found on M.S. Wordsmith
Excerpt:
Each writing prompt is optional. If, for whatever reason, it does not speak to you, let it be. Who knows? It might make more sense to do the prompt later in the process.
Most writers are introverts and dread the visibility that comes with success. This might not be you, but to some of us this fear is what stops us from finishing our work. Because what if people read it and want to talk to us about it? What if we're forced to leave the privacy of our desks and go out into the world, into the spotlight, with nowhere to hide?
If this resonates with you, know you're not alone. Grab your journal or open a new document on your computer and set your timer to ten minutes. Now list all the good that could come with success.
If this is a fear you recognise all too well, keep this list close once you've finished it.
Guest Post:
Share advice and lessons learned from writing, completing, publishing, and marketing your work
You have to find your own way of doing things, by learning how others are doing theirs
There are thousands of books out there on how to write your book, how to publish it, and how to market it. There are thousands of courses too, and webinars, and Facebook groups filled with writers more than willing to tell you what does and doesn’t work.
Which is great! Because none of these steps – writing your book and then finishing it, getting it published, and then figuring out how to sell it – are easy. Quite the contrary. So it’s wonderful that we have so many resources at our disposal.
There is, however, a reason we have so many resources to choose from, and that’s because there as many ways to writing, and to publishing and marketing, as there are writers. If there had been a one-size-fits-all recipe for being a writer, we wouldn’t have so many different books and courses on how to do it.
This doesn’t mean we should ignore this vast library of resources and figure out our own best practices from scratch. There’s a reason seasoned writers share their knowledge and experiences with the rest of us: their way of doing things has brought them success and it might very well inspire us when we read about them.
Some of these writers are highly aware that, just because certain things worked for them, it doesn’t mean they’ll work for others. They understand that each of us has to find our own way. Others do present whatever they’ve learned about writing as universally applicable, and that’s when we, as readers of their work, have to remind ourselves that these writers, too, are talking about their way, not everyone’s way. Because there is no ‘everyone’s way’.
That’s the main lesson I’ve learned since I started to take my writing seriously. Other writers are there to learn from, but only insofar as they help us find our own way. If it resonates, we can, and should, follow their advice, we can test their habits for ourselves, we can try out new things, no matter how long we’ve been writing for. We can be entirely eclectic and pick up only those pieces of advice that make sense to us and feel right in that particular moment. Whatever else they’re saying about writing, we can leave it. It might not be for us, or it might not be for us right now.
If this is hard for you and you find yourself wanting to follow some writer’s advice merely because it sounds really good, and not because it resonates with you, here are some critical questions you can ask about this resource before making any decisions:
What is it about this piece of advice that makes me want to follow it? What does the author promise me about following this piece of advice? Is this a realistic promise?
Who is the author? From which social and economic position is this author speaking? Do I have that same social and economic position?
What genre(s) does the author talk about? Do I write in the same genre(s)?
How long have they been writing for? How many books have they published since the start of their career? Do I have the same level of experience?
Does the author acknowledge that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach or is that exactly what they’re trying to sell?
Once you’ve answered these questions, it should be easier to step away from the advice you’ve been given and assess whether it’s the right kind of advice for you and where you are in your writing career. If no, let it go. If yes, test it, try it, and add it to your way of doing things, to your approach to writing.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer's retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.
Contact Links:
4 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Sounds great.
Sounds like a very helpful book.
Thank you for hosting and for your great prompt! I had such fun writing this post.
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