If you’ve ever experienced any sort of writer’s block I’m sure you can agree it is a painful state of mind that’s often difficult to overcome. Where does writer’s block stem from anyway? Yale University psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios followed a group of diverse, “blocked” writers and concluded that there are four main causes of writer’s block: Excessive self-criticism Fear or comparison to other writers Lack of external motivation (e.g. praise and recognition) Lack of internal motivation You probably began your writing journey with feelings of determination and eagerness; getting past writer’s block is about digging deep and bringing…
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As you may have experienced by now, once you start writing a book (or go back to finish one) you will come across self-doubt, indecision, and many more obstacles. Realizing this ahead of time and planning for those hurdles will help warrant you won’t quit on your writing project when they surface. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help keep you on track to finish that book. 1. Hold yourself accountable. If you want to finish this book you have to start by holding yourself accountable. Know that the finishing of writing a book falls on nobody but yourself.…
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Open Critique Groups Open writing critique groups are open to everyone who wishes to join with no restrictions in regards to age, writing genre, writing experience, group participation, meeting attendance, group size, or anything else in that matter. There are also typically little to no rules beyond common courtesy. PROS Flexibility: Attendance to meetings–whether virtual or in-person– isn’t mandatory. There’s also no pressure in sharing or participating which many writers that are new to critique groups will appreciate. Diversity: You’ll receive and observe feedback from a large variety of perspectives and writing styles. Networking: If your goal is to expand…
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Your hard work of writing your manuscript and self-publishing has all led to this moment: releasing your book. Now, it’s time to plan a book signing event. It takes a lot of thought and effort to make a book signing event a success. To lighten the load, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you make the most out of it. 1. Research a venue. Look for a practical location for the number of guests you expect will attend as well as for the atmosphere you wish to create. Some authors like the intimacy that local coffee shops can…