Okay, you prepared (Stage One). You explored your options (Stage Two). You got started (Stage Three). Now you’re ready for Stage Four of “The Five Stages of Success”, where you survive and thrive. Start-Up Speeds You might have had a very fast start. That would be the writer who published the first thing he submitted, […]
Kristi Holl
Stage Three: Start-Up
If you’ve done the previous stages of exploration and preparation in “The Five Stages of Success,” then you’re probably eager to begin “Stage Three: Start-Up.” Time to get the show on the road! You have your writing dream, you’ve made the decision, and you’ve taken some steps to turn that dream into reality. I found […]
Stage Two: Preparation
In the “Five Stages of Success,” once you know where you’re headed (“Stage One: Exploration”), then you’re ready for “Stage Two: Preparation.” Getting Ready for the Journey This stage comes with a warning. Many people try to either bypass this stage altogether or rush through it. It’s understandable. We’re excited about our goals, and we […]
Stage One: Exploration
If success is a journey, where are you along this continuum? As we go through the five stages of success–and learn to celebrate each stage–you’ll see each milestone for what it is: a huge victory. Getting Started As I mentioned in “The Five Stages of Success,” my first step along the way was taking the […]
Today's Slush Pile
The slush pile of old, where my first book was discovered, was an actual tall stack of unsolicited manuscripts. They were read by lower level publishing staff called “first readers.” We thought at the time that the slush pile was huge–hundreds of manuscripts piled up. Today slush piles have gone electronic–and backed-up inboxes may hold many, many […]
Attention!
I am re-reading my Simple.ology notebook. Yesterday I was reading the “Law of Focused Attention.” Here are some quotes that stood out to me: The things we really want in life sometimes require a lot more attention than we are willing to give. Throughout our lives, most of our attention is focused on things other […]
Writing to Heal
How essential is writing to your basic well-being? Does not writing distress you? I’ve been thinking about these questions this week as I’ve journaled and worked through the book Writing For Emotional Balance: A Guided Journal To Help You Manage Overwhelming Emotions. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but I was astounded at the relief (and […]
Writers: Sitting Fit Anytime
One of my health goals is to stop taking so much aspirin and other painkillers. It causes more problems than it helps. This has been an ongoing goal for years, and recently I found something amazingly simple that is really helping! The Painful Side of Writing When I started writing, I don’t recall ever reading […]
Fillers and Drainers
I heard a sermon awhile back about life being filled with “fillers” and “drainers.” The pastor was talking about people, of course. Fillers are people who know how to encourage you and build you up. Drainers are in your life because they need encouragement and help; however, they don’t have time for you if you […]
Blessings or Brutality?
I took a break today from doing final revisions on a novel and picked up a little writing book called Some Writers Deserve to Starve! (31 Brutal Truths About the Publishing Industry) by Elaura Niles. I don’t find the chapters very brutal–just honest. And I agree with nearly all of them. If you’ve been writing […]