Bridge Of Writing (Domination #2) - DeYtH Banger (e book reader android .txt) 📗

this? Because we writers tend to focus on the wrong thing.

 

 

 

Most people who want to write a book start with goals, and that’s not how it works. If you want to write a book some day, you need to start writing today. In other words, don’t set out to write a book. Set out to become a regular writer.

 

 

"If you want to write a book some day, you need to start writing today."

 

That’s the secret. It’s not the goals that make us writers. It’s the habits. Anyone can say they want to write. It’s another thing to actually be a writer. What’s the difference? Habits. An amateur talks about the work. A pro does the work.

I’ve written before about this, so I won’t belabor the point here, but you need to focus more on the process than the results. This is especially true when you’re getting started as a writer. Goals are good, but habits are better.

Don’t misunderstand me. I want you to achieve your goals and get the results you desire. But what gets you there is the process. How you do this matters a lot.

So what does that mean for you, the aspiring author who said this year was going to be different, this time you were actually going to finish a book? There are three things you need.

1. Routines: When and where you write

Routines are what make a writer a writer. A routine is the way you approach your work, and every successful writer has one. A routine includes when and where you write. It should be consistent and replicable so you can focus on the writing itself instead of finding a time and a place to write.

No two routines are alike. You have to find what works for you. Is it writing 10 minutes a day, like Shaunta Grimes does? Or 500 words a day as I do? Do you write best in the morning or at night? Find something that works for you and do it over and over again.

 

 

"Don’t set out to write a book. Set out to become a regular writer."

 

 

To begin establishing a routine, ask yourself these two questions:

Where will you write every day? When will you write every day?

Imagine what it looks like for you to be sitting down, doing your writing. Where are you? What time is it? How do you feel? Then, do everything you can to actually create that scene on a daily basis.

2. Systems: How you get the writing done

In addition to routines, you need a system. A system is simply the way that you do the writing. Do you use MS Word, your phone, or some other tool — maybe a notebook? Do you light a candle? Drink a cup of coffee? This is all your system.

Again, every writer has a unique system; but the essentials of any good system is that it’s simple and effective.

I write in a distraction-free tool called Bear and follow a system I developed called The 3-Bucket System to break my writing time into ideas, drafts, and edits.

3. Deadlines: What it takes to finish on time

The only thing that really gets the writing done is a deadline. A deadline includes a word count and an actual date when the writing will be due.

With a blog, that maybe once a day, or once a week. If weekly, it should be on the same day of the week at the same time. Make it something your readers can expect of you. If it’s a book, it needs to be delivered on time to the audience or publisher.

 

"The only thing that really gets the writing done is a deadline."

 

Think about your next writing project. What is the scope of it? How long will it be? Whose it for? When will you know that you’re done?

Set a deadline, or series of deadlines for various drafts if it’s a more in-depth piece. Then decide on a word count, or at least a range, and get to writing.

If you don’t define the end ahead of time, you’ll never reach it.

Going deeper with writing routines, systems, and deadlines

This is what it takes to become a regular writer, and eventually an author. Consistent routines, simple systems, and regular deadlines. These are the tools you need to do your job.

And before you know it, you will have developed a regular writing habit that can then be applied to larger writing projects, like actually finishing a book.

If you’d like more help with this, I’d love to invite you to a masterclass where I’m teaching how to use routines, systems, and deadlines to get your writing done — and then how to turn that into a book.

Come with questions, and I’ll do everything I can to help you get unstuck and start writing more. It’s totally free, but you have to register to get access to the training.

 

 

 

7 Things You Must Give Up to Become a Successful Writer

 

Can you hear that?

Pop.

It’s the sound of me bursting your bubble.

I started a blog to help other writers because I know it’s possible to succeed.

Encouragement helps, but sometimes a cold splash of truth is what it takes to get people in motion.

I’m going to tell you the truth today. Are you ready? Brace yourself.

You’re Full of Crap

I get emails from aspiring writers from time to time. I’m more than happy to give out tips and see how I can help, but there are certain types of emails I get that automatically indicate the person on the other end is never going to succeed.

They read something like this:

Dear Ayodeji,

I want to become a writer and publish my own books, but I have no fans. Also, I’m having trouble figuring out what I want to write about. Oh, and I also don’t have any time to write with my current situation.

Can you help me become a successful writer?

I can tell this person will never succeed. Their excuses are woven into the message and I can tell they haven’t given writing a sincere shot before trying to “pick my brain.”

This is the way of the world. Most people are full of crap. They’re all talk.

They say they want to lose weight, but they won’t give up the cookies and chips.

They say they want to start a business, but pile up excuses one after another.

You say you want to become a great writer, publish books, and have your own fans, but you aren’t willing to make any sacrifices.

If you’re not willing to give anything up, how do you expect to be blessed with the opportunity to put words on a page for a living?

Do you have to lock yourself in a room for hours a day and hustle til your eyes bleed to succeed? No. But you do have to be willing to give something up.

Here’s a list of things you need to give up to become a successful writer.

Your Sense of Entitlement

Question: Why should anyone want to read your writing, visit your website, or buy your book?

Are you a diligent writer? Are you making an effort to connect with people who’d be interested in your writing?

No?

Let me guess, you think people should read your writing because you wrote it. That’s a horrible answer.

You don’t buy an iPhone because you like Steve Jobs. You buy it because it’s a great product.

If you’re trying to make a living with your writing, your words are — by definition — a product. You have to create your best work and get it in front of the right eyeballs. It all starts with a personal responsibility.

Nobody owes you their attention. I put this point first because it’s the most pervasive problem aspiring writers have. I’ve seen it countless times — an aspiring writer putting in a relatively low amount of work then whining about their lack of success.

Less whining. More writing.

Your Romanticism

Writing is artistic. You think of writing as a craft. You want to pen beautiful words and become the next Kafka.

Good luck with that.

The romantic writer is the type who uses a ton of flowery language, thinks their book is going to get picked up by Harper Collins and laments the lack of literary quality in today’s writing.

There is such a thing as a technically gifted yet boring and unsuccessful writer. Writing pretty words doesn’t make you a good writer. Moving peoplemakes you a good writer. Entertaining, educating, and inspiring people makes you a good writer.

The problem with the overly literary type is they often don’t pay attention to the person on the other end of the page. They love the idea of being a writer but aren’t practical when it comes to the writing itself.

Your life might not be interesting enough to make a great memoir, especially if nobody knows who you are.

Maybe other people aren’t as interested in the war of 1812 as you are. Maybe you should write about something else.

Writing to meet a market need doesn’t make you a hack, it makes you a person who actually earns from their writing.

In 2017, art and business aren’t mutually exclusive. They’ve bled into one another and the line is blurred. A little pragmatism will give you an opportunity to succeed as a writer.

So, please, discard your rose colored glasses.

Your Fear of Marketing

If any of the sentences below describe you, you have no right to complain about your writing career:

You don’t have your own blog You’ve never guest posted or put your work on another platform You haven’t connected with one other person in your space with an email

Another pervasive mindset among aspiring writers is the “build it and they will come” mentality.

Let’s say right now your writing isn’t getting much attention. I have a question for you: How in the hell are people supposed to find it? Dumb luck? Extrasensory perception?

The recipe for success as a writer is simple — find people who want to read your type of writing and get your writing in front of them. This means finding websites who already have a built-in audience and publishing your work there. This means connecting with influential people online who can help promote your work.

Fear of marketing can also conflate with a sense of entitlement.

I get it. You just want to write. You think good writing should be enough on its own. It’s not.

Marketing isn’t a dirty word. It’s a prerequisite for success.

Your Time

What if you knew everything would work out? How much time would you devote to building your writing career if it was guaranteed?

A year, five, ten?

Building a writing career takes time. I read a post by blogging expert Jon Morrow that said you need to dedicate four to six years of your life to building a six-figure blog.

One of my favorite writers, James Altucher, says you need five years of experience before you make wealth in your field.

If you’ve been at it for less than 24 months, relax. You’re not supposed to be mega successful yet. You have to put in the work.

You have to wrap your head around the idea that it’s not going to happen right now, but it will happen eventually. Writing isn’t a linear practice. It’s exponential.

Let me explain.

You don’t improve your writing skills at an equal rate. When you write consistently, your skills will grow exponentially. The key is to make it past the initial