The Creative Penn

Writing, self-publishing, book marketing, making a living with your writing

New Book Out Now. The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook For Surviving The Writer’s Journey

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Today is an exciting and also terrifying day, because this is my most honest book to date. It contains excerpts from my journals which hopefully will help you understand that you're not alone.

Being a writer is not just about typing. It’s also about surviving the roller-coaster of the creative journey.

Successful Author Mindset Cover 3D JPEGSelf-doubt, fear of failure, the need for validation, perfectionism, writer’s block, comparisonitis, overwhelm, and much more.

When you’re going through these things, it can feel like you’re alone. But actually, they are part of the creative process, and every author goes through them too.

This book collects the mindset issues that writers experience, that I have been through myself over the last nine years, and that perhaps you will experience at different times on the creative journey.

Each small chapter tackles a possible issue and then offers an antidote, so that you can dip in and out over time. It includes excerpts from my own personal journals as well as quotes from well-known writers. I hope it helps you on the road to becoming a successful author.

workbook innerAvailable in ebook, print and audiobook formats

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The print book is also available as a Workbook version, with space to write your answers to the questions within the book.

Click here to buy the Companion Workbook on Amazon.

Try an audio sample or buy the audiobook & ebook bundle


 

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Mindset Aspects of Creativity and Writing

  • Self-doubt and imposter syndrome
  • Need for validation
  • Fear of failure
  • Fear of rejection and criticism
  • Your inner critic
  • Fear of judgment
  • Perfectionism
  • Writer's block and procrastination
  • “I'm not creative. I don't have any ideas”
  • “My writing isn't original”
  • “Why write? There are too many books in the world already”
  • “I don't have the time or self-discipline to write”
  • “I'm not finding writing much fun. It's hard work.”
  • “I keep starting things and not finishing them”
  • Dealing with friends, family and writer's groups
  • “How do I find my voice?”
  • Comparisonitis or “Everyone is better than me”

Part 2: Mindset Aspects after Publishing

  • Anti-climax and creative dissatisfaction
  • What is your definition of success?
  • What happens when you tell people that you're an author?
  • “I'm overwhelmed”
  • Dealing with fans, authenticity and drawing the line
  • Haters gonna hate
  • Ambition, fame and fortune
  • Giving up

Part 3: Tips for Success on the Author Journey

  • Know thyself
  • Understand and hone your creative process
  • Develop professional habits
  • Manage professional relationships
  • Take control of your writing career
  • Find your community
  • Keep learning
  • Schedule rest and take time off
  • Think long term. Create a body of work

Available in ebook, print and audiobook formats

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Try an audio sample or buy the audiobook & ebook bundle


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I'd love to know what you think of the book and what you think the biggest mindset issues for authors are. Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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Motivation For Creative People With Mark McGuinness

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 58:50 — 47.2MB)

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We all want to write, but sometimes it's hard to find the motivation. In this interview, Mark McGuinness explores what motivates us as creatives and what can keep us going for the long term.

motivation for creative peopleIn the intro, I mention my own writing updates and why it's important to cut through all the noise and focus on what really matters to you.

This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets kobo writing lifethrough the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.

Mark McGuinnessMark McGuinness is a poet, non-fiction author, creative coach, and professional speaker. His latest book is Motivation for Creative People: How to stay creative while gaining money, fame and reputation.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher, watch the video here or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

  • On Mark's definition of motivation, the four kinds of motivation he believes work together and striking a balance between these. He also mentions his cover designer Irene Hoffman.
  • How Resistance interferes with motivation.
  • Using ego and social motivation to our advantage.
  • motivation for creative peopleSelf-awareness and using our bodies to provide clues about how we're treating ourselves as we aspire to more.
  • Thinking differently about the areas of writing business that we resist in order to find motivation for doing them.
  • Our individual hierarchy of values and how that reveals what is important to us.
  • How this awareness of values can support writing fiction when we think about the values that our characters hold, and how our values can decide whether we publish traditionally or independently.
  • How Mark chooses the next topic to write about, including asking for feedback from his readers.
  • How Shakespeare may have combined literary ambition with entrepreneurship.
  • Mark's ideas about rules vs. principles.
  • The most common issue Mark sees when he coaches creatives who want to achieve more.

You can find Mark at LateralAction.com and his poetry at MarkMcGuinness.com. You can find Motivation for Creative People here on Amazon.

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Creativity, Productivity, Fear And Writing. An Interview With Joanna Penn

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 53:37 — 43.0MB)

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Today I'm interviewed by Sarah Painter from WorriedWriter.com about definition of success, creativity, productivity and facing fear as a writer.

Creativity and writing interview with JoannaIn the intro I mention that I am away in Paris as this goes out, as well as an update on Risen Gods and how I am using 99Designs to get a custom map done for the front of the book.

99designs-logo-750x200pxThe corporate sponsorship for this show pays for hosting and transcription. This podcast episode is sponsored by 99 Designs, where you can get all kinds of designs for your author business including book covers, merchandising, branding and business cards, illustrations and artwork and much more. You can get a Powerpack upgrade which gives your project more chance of getting noticed by going to: 99Designs.com/joanna

worriedwriterHere's the notes for today's interview. You can find the original show here on WorriedWriter.com. The full transcript is further below.

In the interview, we discuss:

  • On Joanna's fiction titles and her origins as a writer.
  • Why it's important for every writer to decide what their own definition of success is.
  • The shift from writing non-fiction to fiction and the classes and practices that helped Joanna do that.
  • Why writing more and finishing projects helps us to be better writers.
  • On the possibilities in the global market and why writers should exploit rights they own in those global areas.
  • On continually collecting ideas for the creative pipeline and the tools that support that.
  • The struggles that Joanna and other successful authors encounter, including self-doubt, and the ways to cope with that.
  • Why writers need to realize that our friends and family are not necessarily our readers or our market.
  • Why this era is a renaissance for creative people.

You can find Sarah and more episodes of the podcast at WorriedWriter.com

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Productivity And Working Smarter, Confidence For Writers And Breaking The Rules With Chandler Bolt

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 59:26 — 47.8MB)

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I love meeting people who challenge me by what they accomplish and how they work.

Chandler Bolt has inspired me with his focused and ‘work smarter' approach and today I interview him about how he does it. Here come the productivity tips!

productivityIn the intro, I talk about the launch of Deviance and the Desecration promotional approach, plus how Amazon's Follow button now seems to work (see the pic here). I also mention the free video series on 11 ways to make money as an indie author and thank you for all your wonderful comments. Over 2000 people have now watched the video and I'm super happy that it's going down so well 🙂

99designs-logo-750x200pxThis podcast episode is sponsored by 99 Designs, where you can get all kinds of designs for your author business including book covers, merchandising, branding and business cards, illustrations and artwork and much more. You can get a Powerpack upgrade which gives your project more chance of getting noticed by going to: 99Designs.com/joanna

chandlerboltChandler Bolt is the author of 5 non-fiction books and is one of the entrepreneurs behind the Self-Publishing School training program and the recent Self Publishing Summit, which was fantastic.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher, watch the video on YouTube or read the notes and links below.

  • Working smarter, not harder at writing and the value in keeping things simple.
  • Chandler's three-step process for writing a book and why getting the first draft finished matters so much.
  • On timed writing, tracking time, using Parkinson's Law to gather momentum, and the tools Chandler uses to support his timed writing.
  • On confidence, fear and working hard despite a perceived lack of validation. Also the best ways to develop confidence, including the willingness to fail.
  • SPSLaunchAdThe beginnings of an entrepreneurial approach to life, the value of starting, no matter what that looks like, and the importance of not comparing your success with anyone elses. And how putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves can strip away the pleasure of being entrepreneurial.
  • On falling into the business of self-publishing, the reduction in barriers to making art and the legacy that is left by being creative.
  • The value of learning from those who are just two steps ahead.
  • The key learnings from the self-publishing success summit, including the concept of having a system behind a book at the ‘backend', the importance of pre-sales, and the message of discipline and consistency, even when validation is not offered.
  • Ambition and the underlying values behind it of growth, learning and contribution.
  • On the future of publishing and the prediction that the balance of power is shifting to the artists' hands.

You can find Chandler's free book and video series at Self Publishing School.

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The Roller Coaster Of Being A Writer. Do You Ever Feel This Way?

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roller coaster of writingI hate writing. It's so hard to force myself to sit and type words that are a load of crap anyway.

I love writing. Some days I can get into a flow state and the words come effortlessly onto the page, and they're actually pretty good! I love creating something from just my brain. It's the best life in the world.

My mind is completely empty. I will never have another idea.

Trust emergence. Something will come out of the milieu of this crazy, buzzing world.

Write to live: I need to write something that will sell so I can pay the bills.

Live to write. I'm happy to make money with a day job so I can write the best book I can write, without fear of earning income.

I spend all my time alone, and I think I'm going a little crazy with only my weird mind for company.

I can't get away from the incessant email and social media chatter. I just need some alone time.

I love connecting with my readers and fans. I love reading reviews and getting emails from people who enjoy my books.

I'm afraid of criticism. I hate the one star reviews. They make me want to give up every day. Sometimes I wonder if it would be best if no one even read my work, because then no one would attack me.

I want to win a literary prize and be featured in literary magazines for my beautiful use of language. I don't care about commercial success.

I want to sell millions of books and be read by millions of people. I want the income that reflects that level of commercial success.

I just want to write and not have to worry about all the technical aspects of publishing and marketing.

It's so much easier to write blog posts, do podcasts and hang out on social media, than it is to just write.

I want an agent and a publisher so that I will feel validated as a writer.

Number of books sold and money in my bank account, as well as happy readers, are all the validation I need as a writer.

I want to see my book for sale in the local bookstore so that my family and friends will understand what the hell I do all day.

I want to sell ebooks in 150 countries worldwide because in that way I will reach far more people than my local bookstore ever can.

I will not self censorI want a movie deal and a seven figure advance and global adoration and JK Rowling-like success.

I just want to sit in my writing hut and be quiet and stay away from the crowds, and think and write, and be happy.

I want people to like me and accept me and think I'm a nice person.

I will not self-censor. I will write my dark truth.

I pretty much go through this every day. How about you?

Please do leave a comment below if you understand, or please share what else you feel.

Top image: Flickr Creative Commons roller coaster by Eric Lynch

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