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I’d like to share with you five ways that have successfully helped me to write and publish two books using the framework of The 5 States of Success.
The State of Insight – creates CLARITY.
I have always been a fan of people that can deliver brilliant insights. The reader is hugely engaged when we can create clarity and share insights in non-fiction and it is essential in fiction that an author keeps clarity around the characters and plot in their work. A very practical way that I do this is to use a mind map for the book and then mind map each chapter. This combined with an impartial editor is essential to fill in the blanks and overcome your blind spots in clarity.
The State of Connection – creates EMPATHY.
For your work to be successful you must connect with a need that the reader has. Be that curiosity, a need to be entertained, surprised, enlightened, motivated or so on. You must know what sort of reaction you want from your reader. This allows you to connect with them and if you can create empathy then the reader feels like they are in one-to–one dialogue with you. It’s also an essential skill to develop with your support team of proof-readers, editors and PR people. They need to believe in you.
The State of Certainty – creates CONVICTION.
Writing is a lonely business. It is a path that requires huge self-belief and certainty that you will succeed. A hint of self-doubt and the potential publisher and supporter will run. Write with conviction. The conviction that comes from your gut that says; ‘you can do it!’. Turn the volume down on the doubting voice in your mind and trust your gut. It will never let you down. When you speak and write with conviction you give your work strength and your voice and style come through your writing.
The State of Vitality – creates ACTION.
Your vitality, health and well-being is evident in your writing. I can almost tell how I was feeling when I read a piece I wrote a few weeks later. When energized my work will be up-tempo and passionate and the opposite when not. Writing requires you to be physically static so I believe that every 30mins as a minimum you need to get up and move around. I often will get myself into a physical state (body position) that reflects what I want to write about. If I want to write something motivational I might jump up and down and shout a few times to get me adrenaline going. Yes I know, it’s a bit mad! but try it – it works for every method actor so why not writers too? Finally eat and sleep well, your brain needs this to be alert and agile.
The State of Spirit – creates PURPOSE.
This is the reason that people write books. A burning passion to share a story, a need to communicate an experience, a feeling that your work can make the world better, a purpose to what you do. Your spirit is the ‘X’ factor in your work. It’s why nobody else can ever write the way you do. It is your uniqueness. Celebrate this uniqueness – you do not need to write like anybody else. Just be yourself and write with a clear purpose allowing your brilliance and words to transform your world and the world of those around you.
I have had as many lows as highs on this road. While the lows are hard they are your greatest teachers and as long as you ‘change up’ you will look back at them with a smile. The highs are great and keep you going, they fuel you onto bigger and better things. So go for it, enjoy your writing and the adventure will keep getting better.
“If you loved Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits, then you will enjoy Brendan Foley’s 5 States!” – Alasdair Verschoyle, Reviewer www.irishbooksdirect.ie
You can find Brendan on Twitter @foleybrendan
Top image: Flickr CC Stuck in customs
View Comments (13)
You left out the State of Panic: when a project is due and the deadline is looming, the mind kicks into adrenaline-charged overdrive and suddenly all feats are possible. I once wrote 20,000 words in 14 hours in a single very long work day in this state.
Oh Tim, good one! agreed!
How about State of Exhaustion as well ?? :)
Yes! very good Tim I'll have to include it in my next book! BTW your story demonstrates the State of Vitality in creating the ACTION to deliver on time. (although your Vitality may have needed a bit of a pick up after that!!!) :-)
I find conviction to be the toughest of these states to achieve. I think all of us writers struggle with this. Who am I to think I can interest people in what I think or create? What makes me so special? At some point I need to swallow hard, force this critic to go away, and proceed. However, I'm always left wondering if I could have done it better.
Hi JP,
Conviction is all about listening to your gut rather than the head. The 'doubter' is located in the head but not in the gut. When you release your fears and really listen to your gut you are centered and confident and therefore can flow and write well. The feeling of 'I could have done that better' will always be there, because yes you could have done it better. The amazing thing about your potential is that you will never reach it. Even when you think you have done something 100% you can always find a way to improve. If we didn't have the never ending opportunity to better ourselves life would be boring! In this way it truly is about the journey and not the end result.
Brendan
Hi JP - my way round this is to write what I am interested in anyway - so even if nobody else likes it, at least I enjoyed the journey :)
Also, I think it's good to feel you could have done it better because
a) if you're always a perfectionist, nothing gets 'shipped' (Seth Godin language for getting it done)
b) you can improve next time
I was PETRIFIED to re-read Pentecost - I was so worried it would be bad. It's actually fine - but I know I will write better next time :)
In all seriousness, I think there's also a State of Flow that creates Effortlessness. We also call it being in the Zone. I'm a nonfiction ghostwriter, and I write 6-7 books a year. That wouldn't be possible if I couldn't let myself fall into that Ted Williams-esque zone where the ball looks two feet wide and the words flow furiously, like I'm just channeling them. I think most writers have moment like that. It's a marvelous sensation that I wish would come more often.
Hi Tim,
The state of flow is great when it happens. What I find is that if I can get the 5 States going well then the state of flow kicks in. But if I'm lacking vitality or clarity or empathy or purpose or conviction I'm blocking myself. For me it's all about getting out of your own way to let the flow happen!
Brendan
I have felt this flow state rarely for fiction writing - although I definitely get it with blogging. I would like to ramp up to write much faster. I'm looking at meditation now, a way to get into flow perhaps?
What great tips! It's refreshing to get insight on the psychological angle of writing.
Tim, I agree with your Effortlessness addition to the list. From the opposite perspective, I recognize it as avoiding hitting my head against a wall; something I felt I was doing with my own book, trying to force the story elements to work when they obviously weren't. When I took a deep breath and listened to the quiet from within, the answers came to me and I stopped fighting and simply listened.
Thanks Andrea - I need to be still and listen more as well. I have to learn (in this lifetime) that busy doesn't mean productive.
Hi Andrea,
For centuries it has been observed that the best artists often go into a 'state' when creating great works. I think you've hit the nail on the head with listening to the quite inner voice or sometimes what is call the 'true voice' or 'heart voice'. You are also talking about the Yin approach to writing where you draw the story to you with passivity while Tim is describing the Yang approach to writing where you are actively channeling or chasing the work. To make it clearer Yin writing is like fishing with bait; you let the fish come to to you. Yang writing is like fishing using a lure or spinner that you actively work to catch the fish. Both work well and can be used to suit your mood on any given day.
Brendan