How to Know When to Quit Writing

Suzanne Transformational Words

How do you know when it’s time to give up and quit writing?  Well, there are four times it’s right to make that decision.

 

You have nothing new to say

You wrote and published a book.  Maybe its inspiration was a period of devastation in your life.  Perhaps you revealed your secret to money management or crock-pot wizardry.  You’re happy to have served your readers, to have made their lives easier.

 

Or you woke in a fever one midnight and with half-closed eyes, writing by the light of the digital clock, you jotted down the highlights of a multi-dimensional dream.  And just for fun, you decided to turn your dream into a book.

 

Now, family and friends are asking when you’re going to write something new.  But you’re perfectly happy with what you’ve accomplished.  You’re not remotely interested in spending any more of your life on something that was fun the first time you did it but would be a drag to recreate.  There’s so much living that you haven’t experienced.  And none of it is between the pages of another book.

 

Writing only one book is okay.  If it covered everything you wanted to express, you’re done.  Don’t let family or the public push you into something you won’t enjoy.  Believe me, neither you or your fans will be happy with the results.

 

You’ve lost touch with the world around you

If you’re attached to your laptop through an umbilical cord, it’s time to revisit the real world.

 

Without going new places, meeting new people, your writing veers into staleness.  There’s nothing fresh in your stories.  All your characters share the same life perspective.  Your readers all say, “Ho hum.” 

 

Make it a point to meet friends somewhere you’ve never been before.  Take a weekend trip to research a location for a scene in your story.  Try new foods, swim new oceans, speak new languages.  Get in touch with the world, and your readers will stay in touch with you.

 

You’ve reached the point of exhaustion, and you’re phoning it in

The joy spark is still there.  You can’t wait to get to the keyboard each morning.  But you’ve been going too long, too fast, and too late.  Your energy needle is two pegs below Empty.

 

It doesn’t matter how much you love what you do.  How many fans are clamoring for your next book.  Or even which wicked smart author is speaking at the next convention.  You can’t run on empty and serve yourself or others.

 

If you don’t give yourself some “Me” time, you’ll burn out like a waterlogged incense stick.

 

Build opportunities to recuperate and rejuvenate right into your schedule.  Take at least one hour each day for something that lets your mind rest.  That may be a TV show, listening to your favorite music, or as simple as mindfully eating dinner.  Every time you reach a milestone in your manuscript, reward yourself with one day that’s all about you.  The week after launching your newest book, reserve a room in a quiet bed and breakfast and do nothing but sleep, eat, and find your center.  Once you’re mellow, you’ll be amazed at the speed at which your brain operates when you’re ready to work once more.

 

You want to crush your laptop beneath an M1A2 Abrams Tank—repeatedly

When you wake in the morning, drag the pillow over your head, and can’t bear the thought of sitting at the keyboard for even one minute, maybe you honestly don’t want to write.

 

If you’re not writing for the sheer joy of watching something come to life beneath your fingertips, you’re struggling needlessly.

 

That’s not to say that every day of writing is going to be all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns.  Not even!  But there should always be a glimpse of satisfaction in creating worlds with words, even if it’s hidden deep beneath family worries and job stresses.

 

If you find yourself resenting every writing assignment, hating every moment you spend working on a story, it’s time to take a hard look at your dreams.

 

Have your life goals changed?  If you no longer (or never did) find soul satisfaction in writing for yourself or your readers, there’s no law that you can’t make changes to your life.  No matter your age.  No matter your circumstances.

 

Don’t continue down the fork of the road labeled “Writer” if you’d rather be a rodeo bull rider or a surgeon.  Toss your pens and notebooks into a drawer and race down the path labeled “Possibilities.”  There’s no way to tell how another dream fits until you try it out.  You may be surprised to find yourself back at the fork to “Writer.”  Happier, and with new experiences to fold into your writing.  Or you may forge new trails on a new career that fulfills you every day.

 

No one but you can decide if writing is right for you.  And no one but you can turn that decision into a successful career.  But you’ll do your best work, enjoy it longer, and serve yourself and your fans best if you learn when to quit writing—for a while or for good.

 

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have one spot open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

A Writer’s Mindset

Suzanne Transformational Words

One of my favorite business mentors, Christine Kane, recently wrote an article about mindset.  She used her life as an example of moving from a fixed to a growth mindset and explained the difference that made between being stuck in expectations and creating success in two businesses that fire her passion.

And that made me think about the writer’s mindset.  Not that of someone who writes only as long as everyone oohs and ahhs over their words.  Not the one employed by the person who lets their first rejection slip drive them from life as a writer.

I’m talking about the writer who sits down day after day and writes.  The one who learns something from each rejection.  Who listens to honest critiques and rewrites until no one can find anything that needs to change.

That’s the writer who keeps writing while his first book sits at two million and something on Amazon’s list because he believes once readers discover his talent they’ll buy that book and any others he writes.

It’s also the mindset of the writer who studies the craft of writing even after she reaches bestseller status.  The one who looks for ways to improve with each book.  The writer who wants to deliver true value to her fans.

The mindset those writers employ is one of growth.  They’re always searching for a new approach to storytelling, polishing their craft, and growing in passion for the career they love.

Without the growth mindset as a writer, you might just as well keep Xeroxing copies of the first story you ever wrote.  Because you’ll be writing the same thing again and again.

We’re heading into a new year soon.  One in which we can choose a new attitude to shape new writing.  Why not decide to grow, and to set your mind to be the best writer possible?  And why wait to create that intention?  Every day is a new chance to choose a growth mindset for success.

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have one spot open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

A Book A Day Keeps Boredom Away

Suzanne Transformational Words

Yesterday was National Read A Book Day. This auspicious event has been around for about sixteen years.

 

If you ask me, every day should be Read A Book Day. Like the advice about apples and doctors, I suggest that books combined with enquiring minds are the perfect antidote to boredom and supremely conducive to personal growth.

 

Even better, there’s now evidence that people who read books live longer.

 

Start with one book. Then another and another. Before you know it, you’ll need to read something new every day. And that’s all good. You wouldn’t want humankind to become extinct, would you?

 

I’m doing my share of daily reading. How about you?

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year. Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

Sometimes You Have to Start Fresh

Suzanne Transformational Words

Welcome to the fresh new look of Transformational Editor! Once again, I’m dedicating these pages to every writer who needs a hand to lead them through the writing wilderness, to every person who dreams of seeing a book with their name on the cover.

Welcome to new look - png

I hope you find the information on this website and in my blog posts inspiring and, most of all, helpful.

 

Sometimes when writing, we find we have to throw away the work we’ve already done to approach the story from a new perspective. The new design of this website is the result of me taking that approach to the years of learning that I share with you.

 

Visit a while and explore the new layout of Transformational Editor. For those who don’t know what they can expect from an editor, I’ve provided details about my editing and coaching packages under the Services and FAQ tabs. Resources for Writers is in its infant stage as there are so many other writers and tips I plan to add to that page. These are tools and services I use every day.

 

For beginners, you’ll find enough information at Transformational Editor to get started on your path to publication. And for those of you who have reached that status one or more times, I hope you find inspiration to continue learning and growing in your writing success.

 

If you’re one of my Blog readers, you’ll now find that page in the tabs along the top of the site.

 

For everyone who offered glowing testimonials for my People Are Talking page, you know that I appreciate you and enjoy working with you.

 

And you can browse through the list of my books. Do check out my latest collaboration effort, the Zombie Guide to English Grammar * and have some fun with the rules. (Concept and word list by Derek Murphy, artwork by Donovan Scherer, story by me.)

 

I’m polishing my PDF and newsletter offer to make it even more valuable. If you sign up now, I’ll send a copy to you as soon as it’s done. Just email me with “I want in” on the subject line, and I’ll make sure you get the file and add you to the newsletter list.

 

Take a look around and let me know what you think about my new look and format. I hope I’ve created a website that’s easy to navigate while offering tons of help to writers at every level.

 

Any questions? Email me and I’ll get back to you. Thanks for visiting again. Y’all come back, you hear?

* Affiliate link

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year. Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

Is Your Writing Stuck? Read S’More

Suzanne Write

Okay, I couldn’t resist.  I just heard the Girl Scouts are coming out with a new cookie flavor.  Let’s hear it for S’Mores!

Now back to our regularly scheduled message.

Seriously, has the summer heat and humidity smothered your creativity?  Do you gaze out the window longing to be on the lake or the ball field or hiking in the mountains when you’re supposed to be writing?

Is your writing stuck in Park?

Let’s call it what it is.  Your muse is on summer vacation.  (That’s right.  We never, ever say “writer’s block.”  Why?  Because it doesn’t exist.  You’ll start writing again when you let go and loosen up.)

What’s your go-to remedy to spark a pile of inspired pages?  Have you considered reading some more good books?

In or out of your genre, it doesn’t matter.  Diving into a fresh flow of word energy fills your tank.  Sink into a steamy romance.  Leave the lights on all night while you cower over the latest best-selling horror.  Prop a how-to open on your workbench and create something with your hands instead of your brain.

In no time you’ll find your mind drifting into enticing new ideas and concepts for your work.  Don’t leap back into work too soon.  Allow yourself enough time to savor the magic of words, to become excited about holding your finished book once again.

Fruit punch in glasses

Then sit down, take a refreshing sip of something tall and cold, and begin again.

See you at your book launch!

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

How Do Your Characters Handle Adversity?

Suzanne Transformational Words

A while back, I wrote a post about using the lemons life hands you in your writing.  Maybe it’s time to expand on that idea.

The past two weeks, I’ve been helping my sister after she underwent major surgery.  As we discovered what she could and could not do, how she felt after normal daily activities, and how her friends and co-workers react to her new reality, it’s been a learning journey for both of us.

A couple of days after I arrived at her home, she began feeling a bit better each day, allowing me time to think about how we write health and lifestyle problems into our character’s lives.

From the relative who always has a horror story worse than my sister’s to the co-worker who went through the same surgery a few years ago and shared what to expect at every stage of treatment and recovery, there are endless opportunities to learn human behavior in my sister’s situation.

If you’ve ever been through a life-changing health crisis, you’ve probably assessed the reactions and levels of support you encountered.

Watch how one person pushes fear to a tiny corner of their mind to take control in every way they can.  Another may do hours of research and work with their doctors, while someone else may leave every decision in the hands of the “experts.” 

Does an invalid turn into someone you don’t recognize?  Is she sweeter and more understanding of others?  Or does her illness make her bitter and angry?

Family members may over-compensate by trying to do everything for their loved one.  Others pretend to ignore what’s going on, deciding if they don’t acknowledge the seriousness of the situation it won’t exist.

Do they step in and take care of daily tasks the patient can no longer handle?  Do friends and family show up and just listen without offering unsolicited advice or judging the patient’s health-care decisions?  Or do they avoid her because they have no idea how to react or talk to someone going through a major health crisis?

Next time you write an accident or ill health for your characters, think about how that character reacts to his diagnosis.  Does he fall apart and wait for the worst to happen?  Or straighten his back and take control to the extent possible?

How does her method of coping change her personality or habits?  Does a life-changing diagnosis force your character to analyze her life and change her career, her goals, or her dreams?  Will your character’s illness or disaster lead her to find her true voice?  And once she does, how do friends and relatives react?

As I mentioned in that past post, life presents unlimited chances to flesh out characters as your understanding of humanity deepens.  Take advantage of this new knowledge to enrich your stories.  Your readers will recognize echoes of their lives in the characters you develop and will fall in love with them.

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

Writer “A” or Writer “B”: Which Are You?

Suzanne Transformational Editing

Over the years I’ve edited books and coached writers, I’ve discovered most writers fall into one of two categories.

As soon as I begin interacting with a writer, I get a good idea which type he is, and an indication of how much I’m going to enjoy working with him.

 

Writer “A” Doesn’t:

  • Ask for advice he isn’t willing to consider.
  • Create a months-long stream of “I just have a quick question” emails in an attempt to finagle free coaching while writing his novel.
  • Wait until two weeks before his advertised launch to hire an editor, and expect an overnight turnaround.

 

Writer “A” Does:

  • Understand the importance of presenting his reader with the best book possible.
  • Value the work of the editor and is happy to pay the requested fee.
  • Consider editorial suggestions and changes as ways to improve weak spots in his writing.
  • Value the editor’s time.
  • Thank everyone who in any way helps make his book a reality.

 

It’s a delight to work with Writer “A.”  His editor looks forward to the opportunity to work on future books. 

The polar opposite is Writer “B” who causes his editor to lose sleep, pull out her hair, and burn out like a meteor in the earth’s atmosphere.

 

Writer “B” Doesn’t:

  • Research or listen to the opinions of experienced authors and other professionals in the field of writing.
  • Do any work or even study what he needs to do to find an agent, a publisher, or to self-publish his book.
  • Want to do any of the business side of building a writing career.
  • Thank anyone for anything. He did this all on his own.

 

Writer “B” Does:

  • Think hiring a professional editor is pointless. After all, he studied Literature and English in college.  He would never pay for something as trivial as editing.  And readers don’t care how a book is written when it’s as brilliant as his.
  • Ask his eight-eight-year-old ex-high school English teacher to edit his 800-page dystopian/science fiction/vampire/zombie novel (yes, all in one story). In her spare time.  For free.
  • Ask around to find someone who’s used a professional editor and begin emailing that editor. Under the pretext of making a decision to hire her, he asks her to “just read through my 2,500-page manuscript and tell me what you think.”  This request grows into an avalanche of daily “just a quick” questions to “help him make up his mind.”
  • Demand discounted rates from everyone who helps prepare his book for publication. Because he could “just do all this stuff himself, except he’s too busy.”
  • Ask for free advice about his writing. He then rejects every suggestion on how to improve his plot, character development, world-building, basic writing skills, and any indication that the reader or editor was less than impressed by his stellar insights and intellect.
  • Defend every critique with the assertion that the reader just “didn’t get” what he was saying. Making it the fault of the reader if she doesn’t enjoy the book, doesn’t understand some part of the plot, or is less than enthralled by every word, rather than the writer’s for poor writing.
  • Think his work is so perfect changing even one word or adding a comma would ruin his masterpiece.
  • Think “everyone” is his ideal reader.
  • Complain tirelessly when no one buys his novel.

 

One of those writers will reach publication and enjoy at least some measure of success with his work.

 

One of these writers will be fired by the editor he grudgingly hires after his book stagnates on the shelves for a year.

 

Which writer do you want to be?

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.

When Everything’s Working, Including You

Suzanne Transformational Words

Last week sailed right by me without a tickler to write a new post.  I didn’t realize I’d missed my schedule until yesterday.

That’s what happens when you hit those rare moments when everything’s flowing, and you’re groovin’ on the vibes of inspiration.  The hours flash past.  Your mind is hyper-focused on what’s in front of you.  And you hate to take a break for fear the ideas will dry up.

The day I was supposed to post a new article, I was wrapping up the edit/rewrite of a series of web pages for a client, finishing an e-book edit for another, and mulling over whether I should enter the Words With JAM First-Page Competition 2016.  (I decided to make four entries.  When I sent in four first-pages in 2013, one of mine was short-listed.  Wish me luck this year.)

This month’s work also included the judging the final round of the New Voices Young Writers contest.  In the first round, I had 42 senior-level non-fiction entries to read, rate, and write short comments for the authors.  Luckily, I only had to rate six junior-level entries for the final round.  This labor of love is right up my alley, as I know when children fall in love with reading and writing at an early age, they become lifelong readers.  And some of them go on to become successful writers.  I’m looking forward to seeing the winning entries in the New Voices Anthology.

It was an incredibly busy month, but very satisfying in the amount and variety of work I accomplished.  I’m not always blessed to be in the flow as I was for nearly thirty days.

What does your writing life look like when everything comes together, and you just take off with your ideas?  Is that the norm for you, or is it a place you fall into on occasion?  Share with us in the comments and maybe we’ll all be inspired to reach those zen moments more often.

In the meantime, I’ll get back to an every other week update schedule.  Hope to see you in two weeks.

 

If you’d like to work with me this year, I have a few spots open through the end of the year.  Email me at Suzanne@TransformationalEditor.com and let’s start a conversation about how I may help you attain your writing dreams.