The Truth About Being A Pro Writer

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I almost didn’t write this post today. ‘Cause I didn’t feel like it. I had no idea what to write. I didn’t want to be sitting here in front of my computer staring at a blank page.

So I procrastinated. I made breakfast and took a shower. Two things I rarely do until I’ve already finished my writing for the day.

Then I played with the dog, hoping that an idea would hit me and I’d be off and writing. Nope.

Then I read through a few posts from the most inspiring people I follow. Still, nothing.

Then I sat here, again, in front of a blank page, still not knowing what to write. And nothing came.

Until I realized, sometimes, that’s just how it is.

Sometimes, you don’t have anything to say. Sometimes you’re not inspired. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing or don’t want to do it.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up. Because it’s in the showing up that the words finally come.

Maybe not right away. Maybe not when you want them to. Maybe not even during the time you’ve specifically set aside to do your writing.

But if you just show up and keep showing up, they will come. It’s inevitable. At some point, words just come through.

Because that’s how it works.

Showing up is the prerequisite for inspiration. Showing up over and over and over again.

And if you show up and it doesn’t come out right away, that doesn’t mean you call it a day. It might mean you need to do something else for a little while or you need to read something inspiring or take a walk around the block.

But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.

That’s a problem a lot of writers have. They get started on something–a blog, a short story, a novel–and then when they get stuck, they just stop showing up. They start making a million excuses for why they can’t write right now or are too busy or don’t have any ideas or aren’t inspired.

And then they buy into those excuses, call them “reasons” and live their life avoiding the one thing they truly want to be doing.

I admit, it’s not at all easy to have discipline and force yourself to sit your ass in a chair and do the writing. It’s hard. And some days it’s really, really, REALLY hard.

But a pro writer just keeps showing up.

That’s one of the biggest differences between a pro writer and a wannabe. A pro knows that showing up is the most important thing. A pro will show up, even when they’re not inspired. Even when they don’t feel like it. Even when they have nothing to say and all the words they’re writing are coming out like garbage.

A wannabe writer will let lack of inspiration or not feeling like it stop them. A pro never will.

If you wanna be a pro writer and eventually a pro author, the first thing you must commit to is showing up every single day. Sitting at your computer in front of a blank page with a blinking cursor and just getting down to work.

Over and over and over again.

Many days will be great. Sometimes the words will flow. Sometimes you’ll be so inspired the words literally shoot out of you like you’re having target practice.

Bullseye.

Other days will SUCK. Sometimes the words will be so stuck it’s like you have to pull them out one-by-one, a little at a time, and blood really will appear on your forehead.

Sometimes they won’t come out at all and you’ll stare at a blank screen before taking a break and then coming back for more.

But you always have to come back for more.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. Have you heard that I’m PAYING YOU to join my upcoming Writing Habits Revamp workshop? That’s right! Because writing habits are the FOUNDATION of creating success, I want as many writers as possible in on this thing.

So I’m giving you $394 worth of Bonuses when you join us. Doors close on Sunday June 11 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

>> Details and sign up here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/landing/writinghabitrevamp

Figure Out Where You Are Disciplined And Use That In Your Writing Life

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When it comes to being successful as a writer and author, it all really comes down to three things:

1. Habits
2. Discipline
3. Consistency

That’s the secret. That’s what every successful writer and author out there has mastered. They’ve made writing a daily habit, they’ve become disciplined about it and they’ve done it consistently enough to have made major progress.

Success is really simple when you break it all down. And while each author’s success will have been achieved through different actions and activities, the core of their success always comes down to habits, discipline and consistency.

The problem is most writers aren’t very habitual or consistent and they often lack discpline for doing what really matters and what will really move them forward on their projects. Maybe you can relate?

I used to relate to that. Back years ago, I had zero discpline or habit when it came to my writing. And don’t even get me started on being consistent. Back then, the only consistency I had was my inconsistency.

But then I started to think about the things that I do have habit, discpline and consistency around. ‘Cause the truth is, we all have habits, discpline and consistency with some stuff.

Just not always the thing we want to have it around.

For example, when I was younger, I used to get tons and tons of cavities. I’m talking 5-7 every time I went to the dentist. And what came with those cavities were painful trips to get them filled. (So NOT fun!!)

I brushed my teeth every day, twice a day. It was a habit my mom instilled in me from a young age. But I still got cavities.

When I asked my dentist why, he said I needed to start flossing every night before bed, and if I did, that would reduce the number of cavities I was getting.

I didn’t listen. I had already built a habit around brushing my teeth twice a day, every day, and I thought that should be enough. But it wasn’t.

When I was 22 years old, I went to a dentist appointment and was told I had 8 cavities–all in teeth that I’d already had filled before. The dentist was adament that I get them taken care of right away, before they became root canals or worse.

So I went and saw a specialized dentist who was recommended to me. When I saw that dentist, her recommendation was two-fold: she said I needed to have inlays done, where they basically hollow out the inside of your tooth and then create a custom-made filling to replace what they removed; and I had to start flossing every night.

The process cost around $7,000 and it took three visits to the dentist–two to drill and hollow out the teeth and then take the impressions to send to the lab that would create the fillings, and then one to actually put the inlays in when they were ready.

I probably don’t even have to tell you how painful the hollowing out process was. Let’s just say I needed to have 7 shots of novicaine on one side of my mouth and I still felt everything, because some of the cavities were so deep they touched the nerve of my tooth. And on top of that, I had the worst headache of my life the next day after the novicaine wore off. At one point, I actually thought my head was going to explode.

It was by far one of the most torturous things I’ve ever been through. After it was all over, I made a decision: from that day forward, I would brush and floss my teeth every single night, no matter what. Even if I was tired. Even if I didn’t feel like it.

And I did.

There hasn’t been a single day since then that I haven’t brushed and flossed my teeth before going to bed. Even on the nights when I’ve fallen asleep on the couch, slept there for half the night and then woke up at 4 a.m. and wanted to go sleep in my bed. I still forced myself to brush and floss my teeth before I was allowed to go to bed.

I created this habit almost immediately and became super disciplined about it, so I’d never have to go through anything like that or get another cavity filled ever again. (And I haven’t since!!)

But you don’t have to wait until the thing you’ve avoiding gets so painful that you’re basically forced into changing.

What I discovered is the discipline I now had with flossing my teeth could be used for anything you want to turn into a habit. Including your writing.

All I had to do was figure out what I’d done to make it happen. And here’s what I came to:

1. Decide

After that painful (and expensive) inlay experience, I made the decision that never again would I let a day go by without flossing my teeth. If flossing my teeth was the one thing that would stop me from getting cavities, I was going to do it and do it daily.

2. Commit

Once the decision was made, I committed to it. Fully. I was all-in on it.

3. Trigger

I created a trigger to help me make it easier. I went out and bought floss and I put it with my toothpaste so I would see it every time I brushed my teeth. This made it much easier for me to actually follow through because I had a reminder every time.

4. Why

In the beginning, when it wasn’t a habit to floss my teeth every night yet, I had to remind myself of why I was doing this and why I wanted to create this habit. The why of what you’re doing is so important because it will keep you motivated and will help you push through when things get tough or when you “don’t feel like it.”

5. Keep On Going

When I first started flossing every night, it was definitely a challenge because I wasn’t used to it and I hadn’t been doing it long enough to see the full benefits from it yet. When you’re not seeing the results or benefits right away, it’s often hard to keep going. But that’s what you have to do.

If you fall off track for a day or two, don’t make a big deal about it, just get back to it as soon as you can. The biggest problem with creating habits and being disciplined is that often when you fall off track you make it mean something it doesn’t mean. You’ll say it’s because you can’t do it or you’re not good enough or whatever.

But it has nothing to do with that. It’s just not a habit yet. And once it is, you’ll do it so automatically you won’t have to even think about it. So get back to it as soon as you can and then keep going.

Follow these five steps and you can make a habit and create discipline around pretty much anything, whether that’s flossing your teeth or doing your writing.

So often we’re afraid to make something a habit or to be disciplined because we think that it will take away our freedom. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Discipline creates freedom, because once something is automatic, your mind is freed up from having to think about it or worry about it getting done. And since you’ve made it a habit, it always gets done, even in the midst of life chaos or being busy.

Want to totally change your life and step into the identity of the writer and author you’ve always dreamed of being? It starts with creating habits, discipline and consistency around doing what matters and doing it daily.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. Is it time for you to create habits and discipline in your writing life? Then be sure to join us for the Writing Habit Revamp workshop: 21-days of discipline, habit-building, support and accountability to get your butt in a chair and words on the page.

>> Details and sign up here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/writinghabitrevamp

Commit To Doing At Least The Bare Minimum Every Day

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For the last three weeks I’ve been prepping and preparing for my move to Texas. Cleaning things out. Clearing out stuff for donation. Selling things. Whatever needed to get done.

Which has meant that a lot of what I’d usually be doing in my days and weeks wasn’t getting done or was being pushed off for the time being. This is a sacrifice that sometimes has to get made when you have bigger things going on.

But that doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to completely fall off on everything.

That would be a huge mistake. And it’s the mistake that a lot of writers make that derails them. Because it’s hard to get back on track once you fall off.

So many fall off and don’t get back on.

Yes, sometimes life gets in the way and interrupts your best-laid plans. It’s gonna happen. Unless you’re committed enough to keep going no matter what.

And I am.

The thing that helps me keep moving forward and making progress is to have a daily bare minimum. My daily bare minimum are the tasks that–even on my most insane and busy of days–still must get done.

For me, that list includes:

> Walking my dog
> Journaling and mindset practice
> Writing a blog post (or at the very least, posting something thought-provoking and engaging on my Facebook page)
> Checking in with clients/students
> Promotion and sales activities (at least one activity)

My daily list of things I do is a lot longer than this, but on days when life gets in the way, I’m totally happy if I’ve done at least my bare minimum stuff.

That bare minimum stuff will still help me make progress on my writing goals. Which is why I’m writing this post right now when I should be finishing up what needs to be done before we get on the road to Texas Wednesday morning.

I could’ve made the move an excuse and not written this post–it would have been totally relevant and legit. Most writers would have and no one would give them a hard time about it either. Making a cross-country move is stressful! It’s a lot of work! It requires a lot of energy and focus! So it’s totally fine not to do your writing.

But I’m not most writers and I’m committed to doing what needs to be done. Even when it’s not convenient.

So, what’s your daily bare minimum? What can you commit to doing every day, bare minimum, that will still move you forward and make you progress on your writing goals?

You probably don’t want to do the bare minumum EVERY DAY. The bare minimum is for days when life gets in the way or when you really are legit way too busy to do everything you need to do or you’re intentionally choosing to take it easy that day.

You want to be committed to doing whatever you need to do every day, which usually means a whole lot more than the bare minimum. But if all you can do is the bare minimum, you will still make progress and move forward.

That’s what matters.

And if you’re just starting out or need to build some habit and consistency into your writing life, then committing to doing your bare minimum every day will get you on track to eventually being able to take on more.

This week, I’ll definitely be doing my bare minimum stuff, but once I get to Texas and get a bit settled in, watch out! There’s a whole lot of awesomeness coming in June.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. Are you ready to take the idea in your head and turn it into a fully-developed story plan? You can get access to my upcoming 4-week Plan Your Damn Novel workshop for FREE when you join the Bestselling Author Mastermind, my mentorship group for multi-passionate writers and authors who want to create the habits, mindset, craft expertise, follow-through and consistency of a bestselling author.

Doors close on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

>> Details and sign up here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/mastermind

Want Your Life To Flow And Be Easy? Then Stop Putting Off Your Soul Work

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(Side note: literally as I typed the headline of this post, the word count on my WriteRoom app said 67777… for me, seeing 777 is a nudge from the Universe saying YES!!)

I discovered something a while back: when I do my fiction writing–my soul work–every day, my life just flows and everything becomes easy. I no longer have to struggle, for anything.

Money flows, opportunities pop up, new clients hire me, and magic unfolds. Good vibes and confidence are the norm.

But on the days when I DON’T do my soul work, and especially when I’ve not done my soul work for several days in a row, things start to break down. I don’t feel like myself anymore. I question everything. I consider quitting. I doubt. I fear. I worry. I procrastinate. I resist.

I get stuck. Sometimes for days.

And the funny part is, I could make all of that go away if I just DO my soul work.

It really is that simple.

When you’re putting off or pushing away or “one daying” the soul work that you know you’re meant to be doing (aka: your WRITING!!), life doesn’t work.

Because your soul work, the whole reason you came here to this world, isn’t being let out. And it’s dying.

Worse off, you’re the one killing it.

Every day that story idea sits in your head instead of being down on paper and out in the world, your soul gets crushed a little more. Eventually, if you continue to do nothing about it, it will be completely crushed and nothing will be left except the dust of what might have been.

Isn’t it time to let it out?

Isn’t it time to make your soul work a daily priority?

Isn’t it time to DO SOMETHING with all those ideas and inspired actions?

I get it–making a change is hard. Habits and ways of being are so ingrained it’s like trying to break apart two magnets. Tough, but not impossible.

The best way to jump in and make a change is to SET A DATE and then PREPARE for it as best you possibly can–mentally, emotionally and physically. Work your way up to it, that way you actually stick with it instead of sabotage it.

The other thing to know about making a change and creating new habits is there will most likely be a relapse period. Even several. But if you keep going, you will eventually beat that old pattern and old habit and you’ll have created a new one to take its place.

And the best habit you can ever create–for yourself and your life–is making your soul work a daily priority.

Even for fifteen minutes. Even for five.

It’s not about the amount of time you spend on it, it’s about just doing it. And doing it daily.

When you do, you’ll soon find that your life just begins to flow and be easy. You’ll be happier and more productive and motivated. Because you’ll finally be doing what really matters to you.

Putting off your soul work is a recipe for a chaotic life that never seems to work right.

You can’t ignore or put your soul work on the backburner. Not if you want a life of ease and flow.

Ease and flow comes from making your soul work the most important thing you do in your day.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

P.S. If writing stories is your soul work, mark June 5 on your calendar because you don’t want to miss this… Plan Your Damn Novel: a 4-week story planning and development workshop to take the idea in your head and turn it into a full-blown story plan with structure and a scene-by-scene roadmap you can use to write your first draft.

We’ll be working through all the pieces of creating your story, including Concept, Premise, character arc, subplots, structure, scene and sequel, and more.

And–best of all–you can get access to this workshop as a BONUS for joining the Bestselling Author Mastermind, my high-level mentorship group for multi-passionate writers who want to create the habits, mindset, craft expertise, follow-through and consistency of a pro author.

>> Details and sign up here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/mastermind

Trust Is A Key Ingredient For Manifesting Your Writing Dreams (And Dream Life)

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The other night I rented an old romantic comedy on Amazon and decided to make some popcorn to go with it. I put a pot on the stove, dropped in a couple big scoops of coconut oil and then put the lid on to get the oil hot.

I let the oil heat for a few minutes and then I put the kernels in. Immediately they began heating up. The oil was bubbling, the kernels were turning a roasted color. Any minute now I’d have popcorn.

But then the kernels didn’t pop as fast as I thought they should.

I kept shaking the pot, hoping to stir the kernels around and get them hot enough to pop. But still nothing.

Nothing.

The kernels just kept on cooking, the oil getting hotter and hotter by the second.

Still, nothing.

Then I got annoyed and started yelling at the kernels. What the hell is wrong with you? Why aren’t you popping? You should be hot enough! The oil is bubbling like crazy. What the fuck?!

Still, nothing.

Then I shook the pot again. Stirring the kernels around while simultaneously telling them they should already be popping.

Still, nothing.

And then I realized–holy shit! This is a metaphor for LIFE!!

Often in life we have a dream or a goal and we declare it and start taking action and move in that direction. And yet nothing is happening. Or at least, it’s not happening at the speed WE think that it should.

So you say it’s not working and then you start to look for what’s wrong and what you should fix. And all the while your life kernels–your dreams, your goals, your desires–are heating up and getting ready to pop… but you get impatient and remove your energy from taking action and instead get caught in self-doubt and fear and procrastination and Resistance and worrying about whether you’re good enough.

But here’s the thing I know to be true about popcorn–and life–when the oil gets hot enough, the kernel gets hot enough, and when the kernel gets hot enough, it pops.

It has to. There’s no way around it. A corn kernel at a specific internal temperature will turn into popcorn. This is inevitable.

The same is true in life and in living your dreams.

If you know what you want and you commit to it and consistently take action and do the work and keep going and don’t let yourself be stopped by anyone or anything, you WILL get there. It’s inevitable.

But getting from where you are now–a kernel–to where you want to be–the popped corn–there has to be a level of trust there. You have to trust that if you go all in and show up fully and do the work that you will eventually get there.

You will. It’s inevitable.

Except the timing will never be what you think it will. When it happens and how it happens are totally out of your hands. The when and the how are up to the Universe.

Your job is the what and the why. Your job is to take baby-step actions, whatever ones you can come up with, in the direction you want to go. And as you do, trusting that what you want will eventually be yours.

And when you fully trust in the timing of your life and stop trying to rush things, what you want will happen a hell of a lot faster.

Right now it’s not happening as fast as you want because you’re constantly looking around for results and saying that it’s not working. You’re actually pushing it further off when you do that.

Because what you pay attention to and put your focus on will expand.

Keep focusing on it’s not working or it’s not happening fast enough and that’s what will keep expanding. Or place your focus on what you want and why you want it and on taking whatever actions you can from where you are and don’t worry about whether or not it’s happening fast enough.

As my mentor says, head down and do the fucking work.

As I stood there–FINALLY–watching the kernels turn into popcorn, I realized it was time to trust in the speed and timing of my life. Because it’s already perfect and divine.

We always think we should be further along than we are. This is part of being human and especially being humans who dream big and are driven to achieve.

But things take time. And you really wouldn’t want things to go any faster or you won’t be ready to handle it and you’ll go into self-sabotage mode.

It’s true.

You think it would be badass to just wake up tomorrow and be on The NY Times bestseller list. But for most writers, it wouldn’t be. Because they haven’t journeyed far enough yet to be ready for that kind of success.

If it happened overnight–the instant fame, the hundreds of emails and phone calls and guest appearances and traveling and whatever else comes with it–it would scare the shit out of you. And you wouldn’t be able to handle it.

It would make you run and hide. It would cause you to blow past your inner comfort zone and you’d sabotage it. It would be the end of who you are right now.

The Universe doesn’t want that for you.

So that’s why life is gradual. That’s why things take time to unfold. That’s why you see it in your head and feel it in your heart way before you see it in your physical reality.

Because you need time to get used to it. You need time to process each level before you get to the next one. You need time to work through all the things you need to learn and discover to be able to handle what’s next.

So when it does inevitably happen, you’re ready. You’re present. You’re able to accept it and receive it and hold on to it.

When the kernels finally pop, you’re ready for them.

And while it was heating up and doing its thing, you had time to gather a bowl and figure out what seasonings to put on it and make the spice mix. You’re prepared for its inevitable manifestation.

You do that with popcorn and you can also do it with life.

Figure out what you want. Commit to it. Then pretend it has already happened and ask yourself what you’d be doing and thinking and being. And then do, think and be that stuff RIGHT NOW.

No worrying about how long it will take. No second-guessing yourself or your actions. Just do the work and trust in the inevitable arrival of everything you dream of.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. Doors to the Bestselling Author Mastermind are opening later this week!! And with it a story planning workshop that you don’t want to miss.

Get on my email list so you’re the first to know when the doors open–and you’ll also get a free copy of my eBook, From ‘Eh’ to ‘Awesome!’ The 9 Questions to Turn Your Idea Into An Actual Story: www.jenniferblanchard.net/awesome

Want To Live Your Dream Life Now Instead of “One Day”? Here’s How

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Something I’m constantly thinking about is the idea that all possibilities exist at the same time, and it’s the choice we make to either believe in what’s possible and be open to it or to place limitations on what’s possible and not be open to it, that makes it happen (or not).

And if all possibilities exist at the same time, why not choose the one you really want?

Rather than settle for some lame-ass version of what you really want. Rather than tell yourself you can’t have it or you’re not worthy of it or good enough. Rather than keeping yourself in a holding pattern that just repeats over and over again.

Instead, you can just choose. You can choose that you’ll live your dream life–to whatever extent you can–right now, today.

And then you go and do it.

It really is that simple. But not always that easy.

Which is where the “making space” exercise comes into play.

I’ve been doing this exercise on and off over the last year and every time I do it, I get closer and closer to living more of what I want my dream life to be like.

Here’s how to do the exercise…

1. Grab a journal and a pen

I highly recommend you do this by hand, if possible. If not, open a file on your computer

2. Make a list or do some freestyle writing on what you need to make space for in your life every day

This is when you’re going to write down not only the things you need to do every day, but also the things you want to be doing that you’re not right now AND anything you know you’d be doing if you were already living your ideal dream life.

Here’s my list:

> Daily mindset practice (+ Your Hidden Mind)
> Write Daily Think Different
> Work on fiction
> Work on nonfiction
> Create content (paid and free)
> Wealth creation
> Sales activity
> Book #s
> Dream Life Or Bust livestream
> Student/client feedback and work
> Check in on Facebook groups
> Empire building time
> Inbox 0
> Reading
> Watch a movie
> Personal growth
> Fitness
> Cook/eat healthy
> Drink 64oz of water
> Joe and Weiland time
> Quiet/think/dream/vision/plan time
> Nap

This is a combination of things I’m already doing most days as well as things I want to be doing every day and things I know I would be doing as the dream-life version of me. These are the things I need to be focused on in my daily life.

And your list is what you need to be doing and focusing on every day.

This is the hard part. It’s easy to make a list of what you’d like to be doing, but it’s another to live it. Which is where the just go do it thing comes in.

Because if you want to live the life of your dreams, where you have space for all the things that matter to you, then you have to be willing to spend your time on doing the things you want to be doing, and let go of all the other stuff that doesn’t matter. Yes, this can even mean things like watching TV or social time, if that matters less to you then other stuff on your list.

Priorities. That’s what it comes down to.

And it’s time to start prioritizing your dream life.

No one can create it for you. No one’s gonna hand it to you on a silver platter. You have to create the dream life for yourself.

And it starts with simply figuring out what you want to be doing and then committing to making space for it. Daily. Every day. From here on out.

I can already feel the push-back coming… but what if I don’t have time? What if I have to work a day job? What if [insert excuse or reason]?

I know, I get it, I get it. You’re busy and you have to work 40+ hours a week and you have a family to take care of and a house to clean and.. but what about you? Remember you?

You, the only person who has been with you since day one and will be with you until the day you’re no longer here. You, who deserves to live the life you dream of living.

You, the only person who can make your dream life a reality.

So it’s time to start making space for what really matters to you.

Besides, if you’re not already prioritizing yourself and the things you dream of doing, you’re no good to anyone else anyhow. Fill yourself up first before you worry about everyone else.

3. Set a time limit for each activity or item on your list (where possible)

Some of the items on my daily list are timed, others I just do until I’m finished. Here’s my list again with the times:

> Daily mindset practice (+ Your Hidden Mind)
> Write Daily Think Different
> Work on fiction (30 mins)
> Work on nonfiction (30 mins)
> Create content (30 mins)
> Wealth creation (30 mins)
> Sales activity (30 mins)
> Book #s
> Dream Life Or Bust livestream
> Student/client feedback and work (30-60 mins)
> Check in on Facebook groups (15-20 mins)
> Empire building time (60-90 mins)
> Inbox 0
> Reading (30 mins)
> Watch a movie
> Personal growth (1 training)
> Fitness (20 mins)
> Cook/eat healthy
> Drink 64oz of water
> Joe and Weiland time
> Quiet/think/dream/vision/plan time
> Nap (when needed)

I have this list as a sticky note on my desktop so I can see it all day long. As I complete things, I delete them off the list for the day. And then at night, I reset the entire list for the next day.

These are the things I want to spend my day doing and want to invest my time and energy into. And doing so every day moves me closer and closer to living my dream life.

So, what’s on your list? Share in the comments.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. Eight days into the Writer’s Confidence Boost workshop and already participants are having MASSIVE shifts in their thinking and their ways of being. It’s AMAZING!!! I knew this workshop would be powerful, but I didn’t expect this level of transformation so quickly. It’s blowing my mind!! Which is why I’ve decided to re-open the doors to the workshop and let you join us for only $7 AND you’ll get access to the Day 1 audio training immediately upon signing up so you can jump in and get started.

Hurry–the price goes up to $97 at Midnight EDT on Wednesday May 24.

>> Grab the Writer’s Confidence Boost here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/confidenceboost

A Tribute To One Of The Greatest Writers And Voices The World Has Ever Seen

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I was extremely saddened to wake up in the middle of the night and find out that Chris Cornell, one of the greatest writers and vocalists of our time, had died. Grunge rock lost another legend.

Cornell and I go way back… back to middle school when I was spinning his music in my CD player. Using his voice, his words, for comfort and joy through what would be one of the hardest phases of my entire life (middle and high school). Superunknown was the first CD I ever bought.

He had arguably one of the most unique and recognizable voices in music. I will miss him beyond words. And since I have no words… I thought I’d share his words instead.

Here’s a look back at some of my favorite Chris Cornell songs, starting with my favorite song of all-time…

BLACK HOLE SUN (SOUNDGARDEN)

Listen here:

PRETTY NOOSE (SOUNDGARDEN)

Listen here:

HUNGER STRIKE (TEMPLE OF THE DOG)

Listen here:

I AM THE HIGHWAY (AUDIOSLAVE)

Listen here:

SUNSHOWER (CHRIS CORNELL SOLO)

Listen here:

BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD (SOUNDGARDEN)

Listen here:

Chris–wherever you are, thank you. Thank you for sharing your light. Thank you for sharing your words. Thank you for sharing your voice.

Grunge rock would not have been the same without you and your musical magic.

#RIPChrisCornell #RIP

The Four Things Your Protagonist Needs In Your Story

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I’ve been re-reading Screenplay by Syd Field lately as I gear up to write my first screenplay (I’m currently in the early developmental stages of it). Now that I know craft as well as I do, I love to read badass books on craft, because it really refines and clarifies and expands my current understanding of how stories work and how to write them.

Creating characters–and especially your Protagonist–is one of the big reasons why I love writing stories. I have a deep desire to understand the human mind and the human condition, and why people do and think the way they do.

And a story is nothing if not a study of the human condition.

But this is where a lot of fiction writers fall off track. Because while a story is about a character, that’s not the whole story. There’s so much more to it than that.

If you don’t know this or haven’t implemented it properly in your story, what you’ll end up with is an episodic narrative that gives the day-to-day account of a character’s life. Almost like a journal.

The reason it’s episodic narrative as opposed to an actual story is because there’s no definitive end point. You could just keep going, writing forever about what happens in the character’s life.

But that doens’t make it a story (OR a series of stories).

What makes it a story is that it has a character who wants something, another character who opposes what the other one wants, and a journey ensues toward a resolution.

And that’s just the starting point.

Your character needs to be three-dimensional, so they feel like a real person and are believable as a real person. Otherwise your reader won’t be able to empathize for them.

Without reader empathy your story is dead in the water.

As I’ve been reading Screenplay, I’ve loved gaining further clarity on creating a character–in this case, a Protagonist–and how to really bring them to life.

There are four essentials to creating a three-dimensional character and making them compelling and someone readers can empathize with.

1. Goal–this is what your Protagonist wants in the story. It’s the whole enchilada. This is the reason we’re even reading the story or watching the movie to begin with.

The main character has a goal and we want to watch and cheer them on as they go up against an Antagonist to achieve the goal (or have another goal introduced by the Antagonist, which then causes the character to have to overcome that before being able to achieve the initial goal).

2. Point of View–this is the internal landscape of the character. It’s what they believe about the world and themselves and their backstory. This is where you really have to go deep on what makes the person tick. And beliefs are the core of what makes up a person.

It’s true that what you believe you become, and the same thing works in fiction. So what beliefs does your Protatonist have and how has this shaped the way he sees the world and himself?

This is also where the character’s inner demon will come into play.

3. Attitude--this is the external aspects of your character. It’s how he presents himself to the world and the opinions that he holds. It’s his mannerism and way of being.

This is where you’ll figure out how your character acts or would act when presented with certain scenarios and situations.

4. Transformation–this is the overall change the Protagonist makes in the story. It’s when they’ve finally overcome their inner demon(s) and defeated the Antagonist.

This is the other thing a reader comes to a story for. To watch a character go through hell and come out victorious or at least changed for the better.

What transformation does your character make in your story? And how does that transformation stem from dealing with and overcoming the inner demon and Antagonist?

Creating compelling, interesting, engaging and empathetic characters is what will bring your story to life on the page. But you can’t just write a day-to-day account of their lives or even a specific time in their lives.

You have to write about a character with a specific need or goal they must achieve and the journey that ensues toward a resolution when another character steps into the story and tries to stop them from achieving the goal, or creates an entirely new goal for them to have to acheive before they can achieve the original one.

Do that and you’ll have yourself a story that’s actually worth reading.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. I’m currently accepting new email story coaching private clients. Spaces are very limited. If you want to work privately with me to plan and develop the idea in your head into a fully fleshed out story plan that you can use to write your first draft–or you want to rework a story you wrote that’s not quite working yet–send me a PM right now and I’ll send you more info about how you can work with me.

People Will Leave Reviews…If They Actually Make It To The End Of Your Book

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A few months ago, I started seeing a ton of reviews popping up on my books on Amazon. Reviews from total strangers.

And I wasn’t even asking for the reviews. They were just showing up.

Then I discovered that Amazon added a new feature to Kindle where, after you finish reading a book, it pops up a message and asks you to leave a review. (I also recently started adding a “note from the author” at the end of my books, asking people to leave a review if they enjoyed the book.)

But here’s the thing about getting more reviews. Something really, really key that a lot of writers forget about.

People will only leave reviews if they actually make it to the end of your book.

No one leaves a review on a book they started and never finished. No one leaves a review on a book that didn’t keep their attention or that didn’t make them walk away feeling like they enjoyed their experience.

And they’ll only see the message from Amazon, asking them to leave a review, if they get that far.

This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself as an author: is my book engaging enough that the person reading it will read all the way to the end AND have liked what they read so much they will take the extra few minutes to leave a review?

If you’re not getting enough reviews right now–or any–there’s a good chance it’s because no one is making it to the end of your books.

I’m not saying this to make you feel bad. But I am saying it to wake you up to the fact that you may need to take a serious look at what you’re putting out there and whether or not it’s actually any good.

Some things to consider:

Did you hire a good content editor who actually knew what they were doing? Did you listen to the feedback and suggestions from said content editor? Or did you just take it upon yourself to think that you know what you’re doing and you don’t need to listen to the editor?

Or maybe you didn’t hire a content editor at all, and instead assumed your book was good enough because you’ve read hundreds of novels so obviously you can write a novel? (Not true, by the way.)

Did you find Beta Readers–who aren’t friends with or related to you–to check the book out before you published it? Does the book have an actual plot and story structure? Or is it an episodic narrative of a character’s day-to-day life?

Did you give the reader something to sink their teeth into? Was the book actionable? Did it give them information they could take away and use right now in their own lives?

Does the book actually have an ending that’s satisfying to the reader? Or does the ending come as a total disappointment or not even actually feel like an ending because nothing really gets resolved?

All of these are errors I see writers and authors making. And it’s a big part of the reason why no one reads, finishes or leaves reviews on their books.

Harsh? Maybe. But I’m hoping it’s also a reality check for what it really takes to write a book that gets reviews. And not bad reviews, but 4- and 5-star reviews. Rave reviews. Reviews that say the person loved the book so much they couldn’t put it down or it totally changed their life and way of thinking and being.

What it all comes down to is knowing the craft of what you’re writing and doing due dil to bring the best possible story or nonfiction book to your readers. It means stepping into the identity of the pro writer you want to be and treating your book with the same care and professionalism that you’d get with a traditional publisher.

Because when you self-publish, you are the publisher. And readers will still hold your book to the same standards that they hold books that come from traditional publishers.

A reader may not know the difference between a traditionally published book and a self-published book, but if you don’t do a great job with your book, they will be able to tell that something is off. Because stories require certain principles and criteria.

And readers have read enough books to know when a story (or nonfiction book) doesn’t work.

You’ll never fool your readers into enjoying your book if it doesn’t fit the principles and criteria of storytelling. For people who read a lot of books, even if they can’t tell you what’s wrong with the story, they will still have an innate sense of whether it’s good or not.

And even your beautiful prose will do nothing for you if your story isn’t compelling, engaging and cohesive. Beautiful prose is important, but it’s not the most important thing.

That’s why books without beautiful prose will still hit the bestseller lists and gain a huge readership and get turned into movies. Because it’s about the story more than it is about how beautiful the prose is.

Many people think Stephenie Meyer is a horrible writer. And I agree that her writing style is pretty basic. But her storytelling ability is so great readers can see right past the simple words and even cliche ways of describing stuff.

None of that matters when the story is awesome. When the story is awesome the beautiful prose is just icing on the cake.

But beautiful prose will never save a story that doesn’t work.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. I have 3 spots available right now for private story coaching. If you’re ready to take the idea in your head and turn it into a fully developed story plan with structure and a scene-by-scene roadmap that you can use to write your first draft… and not just any first draft, but a first draft that’s a revision and edit away from being publishable, send me a PM (private message) right now and let’s get this show on the road.

When You Master Craft, It Opens Up A Whole New Level Of Confidence and Belief In Yourself

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I wrote my first novel back in 2008. I was SO proud of myself the day I wrote “the end” on my first draft. And I fought hard to get that draft finished–I actually wrote the final chapter in the dark, by candle light, during Hurricaine Ike, on a laptop with a dying battery.

I was that committed to finishing.

After I finished I popped the bottle of champagne I bought for that very occasion. I was beyond excited. I finally did something I’d been wanting to do for most of my life… write a novel.

But little did I know, that was just the very early beginning stages of my fiction writing career. Because while I did have a first draft, what I didn’t have was a novel.

Instead I had an episodic narrative of a character’s day-to-day life. And that is not a novel. It’s barely even a story.

Because a novel–and a story–are very specific things. They have criteria and principles. If you don’t follow them, you’re not technically writing a novel (or a story).

In 2009, after months of trying to revise the first draft of my novel and getting nowhere, I finally accepted that I didn’t know what I was doing. Despite having read thousands of novels over the years and taking dozens of fiction writing classes and reading dozens of books on writing.

Because having read a ton of novels isn’t enough. Taking a few classes or reading a bunch of writing how-to books isn’t enough. Writing a compelling, cohesive, engaging story takes more than that.

Thankfully, not long after I accepted that I didn’t know what I was doing, I came across a blog post that totally changed my life. It was a blog post about story structure, written by best selling novelist and author, Larry Brooks.

I remember sitting on my couch, reading the article and feeling like the entire world had just opened up to me. I felt like I’d found the holy grail of storytelling.

Structure.

As I sat there reading the article over and over and over again, taking it all in, I finally got why nothing I’d written prior to that moment ever worked. I finally understood the core of craft.

Structure.

All stories must have structure. All stories must have plot points that fit specific criteria and fall at specific places in the story.

That day in 2009 was the first time I’d ever heard of story structure, and I’d taken evey class and read every book I could get my hands on. No one talked about structure, or at least, they didn’t talk about it in a way that actually made sense to me.

Larry’s article on structure filled in all the gaps that were left by the books and the classes I’d taken all those years. And I knew my writing life would never, ever be the same again.

I spent the next five years studying craft–and especially structure–like my life depended on it. I watched 2-3 movies every single day, breaking down the story and paying attention to the execution of the plot points. I devoured every blog post and eBook Larry Brooks had available at that point (and every post and book since as well).

I made it my mission to not only master the craft of storytelling for myself, but also to teach it to other writers, so I could save them the years of stuggle and stress I went through trying to write a story that worked.

Eight years after I found that article by Larry on story structure, I have mastered the craft of storytelling (although I’d argue no one ever really masters it because there’s always a new layer or level of understanding you can get to). And now, as I gear up to write my first screenplay, I’m feeling insanely confident in my ability to do a good job.

BUT even with all the studying and practice I’ve had these last eight years, I’m still re-reading Screenplay by Syd Field and I’m still watching 2-3 movies a night and studying the structure and scene execution, and I’m still looking up screenplays online and reading them.

Because even though I know craft and I know structure and I can pretty much do that shit in my sleep now, I also know that I can always learn more and do better.

I’ve committed to being a lifelong student of story. And I’m not dumb enough to think that just because I’ve watched thousands of movies in my life means I can just sit down and write a screenplay (nope!!).

All of this practice and studying and implementing on my own stories has made me feel amazing about my ability to tell a kick-ass story. I may not be the world’s greatest prose writer, but I’m a damn good storyteller.

I believe in my stories and I have confidence that I can turn any idea in my head into a compelling, engaging story that my ideal readers (or viewers) will love.

And that confidence and belief in myself came from being willing to do what others aren’t.

Most people won’t spend years of their lives studying story. Most won’t watch 2-3 movies a night and break down the structure. Most won’t put off the writing for months on end until they’ve got a solid story plan.

But I will.

So now as I move into a whole new arena (screenwriting), I still feel damn good about my ability to tell a great story. I know there’s still a lot for me to learn and I’m open to learning all of it.

And I fully believe in my stories and in myself as a storyteller. That came as a byproduct of my willingness to dive in and master craft.

Want to amp up your confidence and belief in yourself as a storyteller? Stop telling yourself that just because you’ve read a bunch of novels means you can write one.

Master craft. Study story like your life depends on it. And commit to being a life-long student of story.

It’s the only way.

Dream life or bust,

 

 

#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent

P.S. I’m opening a few spots this week to work privately with me on planning and developing your story idea into a cohesive, engaging story roadmap that you can use to write your first draft. Private coaching isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve been wanting to work with me on your story, stay tuned…