without breaking your heart or losing your mind · resistance is your compass resistance exists for...

Without Breaking Your Heart or Losing Your Mind

Please participate! I love good discussion.

Feel free to ask questions in the

comments.

We’ll also have Q&A at the end.

One day, I woke up and thought:

OMG, I’ve got it!

I know the secret formula for being a writer.

Step 1: Jump Through Hoop

Step 2: *Magic*

Step 3: Become Writer

Myths

You’re a writer if you’re published.   Many people ascribe the Field of Dreams approach to

writing and publishing: “If you write it, they will buy it.”

  But we can’t wait for someone else to say we’re writers. We have to own it ourselves.

Take-home message: Even successful authors"struggle with impostor syndrome.!

Myth #1

Myth #2 You’re a writer if you get a degree.

  The sky does not part and beams of light do not shine down on graduation day, anointing you “writer.”

  This myth also assumes that what you learn in school is all you need to be a writer…

  …Or that learning can’t happen in any other context.

Take-home message: You don’t need a degree"to be a “real writer.” You already are one.!

Myth #3 You’re a writer if you write a lot and read a lot.   Just because Stephen King said so, doesn’t make it true.

  Writing and reading can be good for you.

  It can also make you spin your wheels. A lot.

Take-home message: The key is focus and direction."The only “best practice” is what works best for you.!

Remember:

There are two sides to writing,"your mind and your heart.!

To feed your writing mind you need one thing…

Iteration

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Samuel Beckett

Failing Better is VITAL = choose a variable to track.

= collect information or data.

= set a tripwire or deadline.

= evaluate or analyze your results.

= learn and decide what’s next.

V!

I!

T!

A!

L

The Iteration

Cycle

V is for Variable

Choose a variable.!

  Make sure it is concrete and easy to measure.

  In writing, time or word count often works best.

Pro Tip: When a goal starts to feel easy, add 10% to it, to give it that extra bit of challenge.!

I is for Information Gather information.!

  Practice working toward your goal.

  Collect data and see what happens.

  Don’t judge, just observe.

Pro Tip: It usually takes at least 10 data points to see a pattern.!

T is for Tripwire Set a tripwire.!

  Practice does not necessarily make perfect, but it does make things permanent.

  Set a deadline for how long you will practice before you evaluate and make adjustments.

Pro Tip: It takes between 2-3 weeks to create a new habit. Set your tripwire before then.!

A is for Analysis Analyze your results.!

  Are you getting productive or destructive results?

  Is your practice helping or hindering your writing?

  Don’t make value judgments. Instead ask:"What’s working? What can I improve?

Pro Tip: Beware of getting too bogged down here. Focus on the overall picture.!

L is for Learning Learn and decide what’s next.!

  If it’s working, keep it up.

  If it’s not working, pivot.

  Pivot can mean small adjustments, or going “back to the drawing board.”

Pro Tip: Adjust one variable at a time so you can see cause-and-effect.!

It all comes down to adopting a

meta mindset and being objective in your process.

But what about the heart stuff? !

Mindfulness

Mindfulness Manifesto   Honor your reality.   Resistance is your compass.   Don’t compound failure with guilt.   Don’t panic. Just ask “How?”   “The Wall” does not exist.

Honor Your Reality   Life is part of your reality.   Writing is also part of your reality.

You need to make room for both.

  This is not an excuse to be lazy.   Be honest with yourself. You’ll know

the difference.

Resistance Is Your Compass   Resistance exists for a reason.   It is a powerful tool, like a compass.

Resistance usually stems from fear.   It flags topics or projects that are “dangerous”

or important, ones that have meaning.   When you feel resistance, pause and dig deep.

Figure out where this resistance is coming from.

Failure vs. Guilt   In mindfulness terms it’s like Pain vs. Suffering.   Suffering (i.e. guilt) is counterproductive.   Pain is objective. Suffering is subjective and only

compounds the pain.

In other words...   Feeling guilty when you fail to meet a goal will

not make words magically appear on the page.

Angst Jar   Honor the angst/guilt.

  Then channel it by putting it in the jar.

  Redirect your thoughts (sometimes multiple times each day).

Don’t ignore the angst; but you need to get it out of your way.

Ask “How?”   Panic is suffering, and it’s counterproductive.

Turn panic-driven thoughts into questions.

Don’t say: “I can’t…,” Say: “How can I…?”

  This may seem like semantics, but there’s a subtle—and important—difference.   A statement implies there is no answer. A

question suggests that the answer is there, you just haven’t found it yet.

Which brings me to…

“The Wall”

What about goal-setting?

Productivity vs. Creativity

Writers straddle both camps.

  Structured

  Concrete Action Steps

  Logical and Strategic

  Corporate

  Left Brain

  Freeform

  Broad Vision

  Creative and Intuitive

  Artistic

  Right Brain

Climbing the Mountain   Step 1: Start with a big vision.

  Step 2: Determine your focused objective based on your big vision.

  Step 3: Reverse-engineer a series of action steps to help you reach your focused objective.

How It Works

  What’s your big vision or big project?

  What’s the concrete, focused objective?

  Work backwards and fill out the steps.

But here’s the best part"about climbing the mountain:

You don’t have to go it alone.

DIY MFA 101 has Reopened!

The DIY MFA Approach:!  Gives you extensive options and a smorgasbord of

tools so you can choose what works for you.   Empowers you to build a sustainable writing life,

with a supportive community behind you.   Grows with you, with continued access so you can

revisit materials and continue iterating.

  Online modules unlock each week, in various formats to fit your learning style.

  3 group discussion calls and private Facebook group so you can ask questions and build community.

  Continued access after course is over.

It boils down to this formula:!

How Does It Work?

  Module 1: Orientation   Module 2: Character!  Module 3: Story!  Module 4: Narration!  Module 5: Scenes!

  Module 6: Reading   Module 7: Expertise!

  Module 8: Colleagues   Module 9: Platform!  Module 10: Publishing!

  10 weeks.   Online classroom   Continued access   3 Payments of $199"

(or pay in full and save!)

DIYMFA101.com!

DIY MFA 101

Before DIY MFA 101, I barely managed to write. Now I fit in writing sessions three times a week, sometimes every day. I think that’s what I liked best about the class. It got me into the habit of prioritizing my writing and helped me develop a writing habit that has continued now that the course is done. 

This course is packed with great information and comes with access to a great teacher in Gabriela, not to mention a wonderful community with the Word Nerds. They all believe in you and cheer you on. The course is well worth the investment of your money and time. 

Sara Farmer

Before joining the course, I would often abandon stories halfway, due to lack or structure or understanding of character motivation.

Since taking the course, the additional time I’ve been spending on character development have helped me to redirect the action when my characters feel lost. 

Nikita Sura Sheth

Plus, a limited-time Bonus! The opportunity to participate in a

First-Page Critique Call and get feedback from me

when you register by"11:59pm ET on Friday, October 5!

As a panster, I found the structure that DIYMFA provided extremely helpful.  It did not create strict confines or stifle my process, instead it allowed me to dive deeper into character development and plot.  

Gabriela methodically goes through each module and gives worksheets so you can implement the strategies to hone your craft, refine your eye and build a community. Every time I revisit a module, I go a little deeper and refine my process. 

I’m so grateful to have DIYMFA as a resource. Gabriela always goes above and beyond in inspiring and supporting her word nerds. 

Dina Isola

Before joining the course I felt isolated, too old. Now I am part of a community of writers of all ages, from around the world, at every level in their writing career. If you have never taken an on-line course, this is a great one to start with. The pace of the releases will keep you on track. The energy of the videos is inspiring. This was not my first on-line writing course, but it was one of the best I have participated in.  Since finishing the course, I have completed my first draft of a short novel and I am about to start my first round of revisions.

Brenda Rech

Sign up at: DIYMFA101.com