by Grael Norton (used by permission)
Feeling stuck?
Take a few minutes to switch gears in your brain by repeating one or more of these powerful affirmations for writers.
1. What I write today doesn’t have to be good but I do need to be good and write. Perfectionism is the biggest inhibitor for writers. It makes the blank page win every time. Slay that dragon by setting the timer and start writing.
2. I will write every day until my book is completed. The quote by Thomas Edison, “Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration,” is worth applying to your writing project.
3. Every minute that I spend writing is making me a better writer. Rome was not built in a day, but it was built. Concentrate on writing every day. Write and rewrite. You will get better.
4. Consistency in writing every day is more important than spasmodic writing marathons. As any accomplished musician will tell you, fifteen minutes of practice a day, every day, will improve your playing more than two hours of practice once a week. Slow and steady builds writing muscles and improves writing technique.
5. I will not let my negative feelings today affect my writing today. If you let your feelings dictate when and how much you write, you’re not in control. Your feelings are. Feelings are affected by outside circumstances such as lack of sleep, too much sugar, a negative comment, almost anything, and everything.
6. The reality is, if I continue to write, I am a writer. This is a play on the quote “The reality is, if you plant corn, corn will come up.” Think about this one. If you plant writing seeds every day, you will produce an abundant harvest.
Grael Norton is Acquisitions Manager at Wheatmark, a company that helps authors with every step of the writing and publishing process.
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