The Relaxed Writer

One Good Reason to Go For That Bigger, Better Writing Assignment (plus, a new free teleclass)

A few announcements for you today:

• Learn More About Overwhelm and Freelancing:  Today Linda Formichelli published "Are You an Overwhelmed Freelancer?  Marla Beck Tells You How to Beat the Overwhelm and Kick Butt" today, an interview with me over at her excellent blog for writers, The Renegade Writer. Read about the power of a "two-day marketing push" and please stop by and say hello!

• Get Help Staying Accountable to Your Own Writing Projects:  I've created a brand-new teleclass for writers who have trouble following through with their own writing plans.  Sound familiar?  Click here or scroll down to learn more and sign up for the free call and a copy of the MP3 recording.

• Get Motivated to Go for What You Really Want:  And now, a not-so-obvious benefit to going for that bigger, better writing assignment.  Read on for more.

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One Very Good Reason to Go for That Bigger, Better Writing Assignment

You know this already: that well-crafted and thoroughly researched pitch, lovely seedling that it is, may not land you the first "bigger, better" writing assignment you're going for. 

But even if your pitch is rejected, keep watchful for the many healthy offshoots that often spring up as a result of you taking decisive action and bravely sending out that pitch:

• Your research may yield a thicket of intriguing new story ideas. 
• You may learn something new about the craft of writing successful queries, saving yourself time and wasted effort in the future.
• Your contact with the publication may spark a potentially fruitful relationship with the editor in the future.
• Re-slanted or reworked, your pitch may likely find a more suitable home in another bigger-'n-better writing market.

There are many good reasons to go for a bigger, better writing assignment.  The ones I've mentioned above I call "meta-results" - potentially positive, career-building outcomes sparked by the decisive actions you take today.

The trick to "meta-results" is to consciously look for them. 

Don't let yourself get so focused on the answer an assigning editor gives you that you miss all the good things you’re learning and doing as a writer.  Savor these positive movements in your writing career.

Widen Your View

Train yourself to widen your view and see more than just the ("Yes!") outcome you're expecting. 

Do so and you'll see that regardless of the potential financial and professional gains, the process of going for a bigger, better writing assignment becomes valuable in and of itself.

Get busy and start going for your writing dreams.  If you pay close-enough attention, you'll be able to do the happy dance whether your pitch is accepted this time...or not.

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Join Me for A Free Teleclass

"Get It Done: 3 Keys to Following Through with Your Most Important Writing Plans"

Thursday, November 17th at 11am PT (2pm ET)

call in via Skype, telephone or listen online with your computer

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(Please note:  when you register for this class, you will also recieve a complimentary subscription to my monthly ezine, The Relaxed Writer.  Can't make it Thursday?  Register anyways for a free MP3 recording of the teleclass.

FreshStart '09 - Your Year in Review

Professional athletes improve their skills by reviewing game footage with their coaches.  It's easy to emulate this technique and conduct a simple "performance review" of your year.  Grab a pen and let's get started!

Your Year in Review

1.  We're always making choices, whether we do so consciously or not.  Consider, for a moment, the state of your health, writing practice and relationships.  What choices did you make this year to get the results you're getting? 

2.  Pull out your calendar or PDA and look at December "at-a-glance."  In 2-3 sentences, record a few brief notes describing notable activities/events.  Next, describe (to your best recollection) your feeling state during the month.  (Optimistic?  Fearful?  Overwhelmed?)  Keep it brief:  your goal is simply to describe.  Resist the urge to judge, explain or justify yourself.

3.  Repeat step 2 for each calendar month, working backwards through the year.  If this becomes too overwhelming, break the year into quarters and review it 3 months at a time instead.

4.  Take 3-5 minutes and quickly list everything you can think of to be grateful for.  When we're focused on improving or enhancing our lives (such as with new year's goals and resolutions), it's easy to become disempowered and focused on what's not right in the moment.  Reconnecting with what all that we do have is energizing, empowering and healing.

5.   Close out your review by breathing in deeply and blessing the year.  Ok...so what exactly do I mean by "bless the year?"  In whatever way makes most sense for you, find a way to close out the events and energies of 2008.  Perhaps you'll want to go for a run, write a statement of self-forgiveness, or say a short prayer.  You may want to simply tuck these pages in a notebook or file them away.  (Or burn 'em.)  Whatever you decide, take a moment to "close out" the year in a resonant way.

I hope you found this exercise fun and useful.  Enjoy your day today, and Happy New Year, everyone!

Bookending: Using Twitter to Beat Procrastination and Boost Your Writing

Nothing motivates Frank more than a blank page or screen to get around to washing the dishes, sorting the mail and returning calls.  After all that work, he often feels he needs a snack, or perhaps a cup of tea, before he can finally settle down to write. 

Sound familiar?

For some writers, this type of "preparatory procrastination" can be a useful transition to help them shift from outward "doing" to sitting down to write.  For many others, though, procrastination leads them far, far away from the page or screen.

Bookending

Before I became a life coach, I learned a powerful technique to help me get going and stay working when I wanted to write.  My clients now boost their productivity with bookending, and you can, too.

What It Is:

"Bookending" is the simple process of alerting a supportive friend when you begin and when you stop working on a project.  This technique provides us with:

• structure
• a witness to our process
• support

How it works:

Before:  Before I'd sit down to write, I'd make a quick phone call:  "Hi, it's Marla.  I'm working on my piece now...I think I'll be at it for an hour.  I'll call you when I'm through." 

During:  During the work session, even if I was only able to leave a message for my friend, I worked with more focus.  "Gotta' report back after I'm done, and I don't wanna' let him down!" 

After:  When I closed the laptop, I'd give a quick call back:  "Hey...me again.  Finished for today and have goals outlined for tomorrow.  Thanks for being there."

Simple, huh?  If you're bookending with a life coach, you have the support and knowledge that he or she is tracking your progress, holding you accountable and heavily invested in your success.  Bookending with peers builds community and camaraderie. In all forms, bookending works.

Bookending with Twitter

Today's technology enables us to bookend by phone, text message, email or online chat.  Posting to Twitter.com offers writers immediate community and support using microblogging:  --posting short status updates in 140 characters or less. 

Here's a sample thread of bookending posts using Twitter:

@ MarlaBeck  Bookending:  Sitting down to draft blog post.  Plan to work for an hour.

@ MarlaBeck  Going well...getting up for a quick break.  Will check in again b4 resuming writing.

@ MarlaBeck  I'm back.  Writing.

@ MarlaBeck Bookending:  Done!  A solid first draft...will revise tomorrow.  Tks, everyone!

Creating bookending posts ("tweets") on Twitter enables you to update your personal community members--people who are interested enough in you and your updates to click a link to become your "followers"--immediately.  They track your progress and support your work.  Can you see the benefits of using Twitter to communicate with a broad and supportive community, on demand?  

Bookending using Twitter provides one other advantage.  Twitter archives your "tweets," creating a tangible archive of your bookending statements.  Reviewing a list of your bookends over time provides you with a powerful record of your progress towards your writing goals.

Try This

>>Visit www.twitter.com to create a user account.  (Feel free to look me up:  @MarlaBeck)
>>Bookend a writing session with a friend via phone this week. 
>>Once you've begun to create community online, try bookending a work session using Twitter. 

How do you write when you bookend (vs. not)?  What bookending method are you drawn to?    Stop back by and leave a comment with your thoughts and ideas.