The Key to Creating Next-Level Writing Habits

I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but I love goals and learning to take small steps toward consistent new habits. After all, small steps lead to big results, right? At least that's what they say.

What better time to start learning than a fresh new year? 

Writing habits can prove a little tricky, though! In our busy lives, time for creative work often feels like a luxury or some unattainable “perfect world” situation. Writing gets pushed aside for other more pressing concerns because we feel like there’s always tomorrow. 

Hopefully there are many tomorrows in which to write or be the coveted “writer” you’ve always dreamed of being, but having a solid writing habit will make your life better today. 

Why Writing Habits Matter

The bottom line for writing habits is: your dreams matter. 

What you want to do and who you want to be is important! It might seem to get lost in the humdrum of daily life as a spouse/caregiver/hardworking employee - and whatever the other roles are in your life - but your creativity is a part of who you are. Because you know this part of you, it’s worth creating a writing habit. 

There are 3 main ways writing habits benefit you in everyday life:

1. Create Consistency Like other aspects of your life, developing a habit will create consistency for your writing and creativity. This means showing up to your writing regularly, even when it might not feel “inspired.” What happens when there’s consistency? Growth! Progress! Pride in your hard work! All the good things you want for your writing. 

2. Facilitate Progress So you want to publish a book? Start a writing business? Simply enjoy your life more? Developing a writing habit can help you do all of these things. When you show up, there’s no way to not see progress. (i.e. no more moping on Facebook for an hour every night about the fact that you “should have been” writing because you’ve done it already!)

3. Boost Confidence There’s nothing in the world quite like finishing a particularly exciting scene or storyline. It’s one of those things writers crave: to see their words on the page and know they did it! Creating a writing habit and showing up to your writing regularly will give you confidence in your skills and abilities, even if it starts out by the sheer fact that you’re practicing them on a daily/weekly basis. Long-term, your confidence about being able to start and complete new projects will grow. You’ll know you can do it because you have done it - and because you’re a badass unstoppable dream-getter. 

What is a Writing Habit? 

So, writing habits sound awesome, right? You’re kind of a big deal, and the stories you have to share with the world are, too. 

But what exactly is a writing habit? After all, many of us are incredibly busy. Does a writing habit mean we have to write every day? 

A writing habit is simply a routine you create for your writing. A way to establish a practice that helps you write. You don’t necessarily have to write every day - I don’t write creatively every day - but you should write frequently. 

Writing habits and routines include aspects like:

• Environment - where you sit, what’s around you, smells, sounds, temperature of the room, etc.

• Physical self - how you prepare your body to write, sitting, laying, clothing you’re wearing, etc.

• Headspace - how you prepare your mind and emotions to write, music, open-mindedness, excitement, etc. 

The great thing is that your writing habit is unique to you! While it’s helpful to read about other writers’ habits and maybe even try them out, there’s no set in stone way that you have to build your habit so that it works. You know you best, which means you can design a habit that helps you better than anyone else could.

8 Simple Steps to Creating Next-Level Writing Habits

1. Have a writing session. Before you make any changes to what you do now, you need to figure out what exactly you do. Take some time to have a writing session in the way you know works best for you right now. For instance, when I have a writing session for my novel, I go into my office (with no dogs in tow) and I light a little tea light on my desk. I open up my Google doc and read through a couple of scenes to get into the flow of the story before I try to write anything new. Sometimes I lightly edit the scenes I read, or fix typos, but my main focus is to feel the characters and live with them for a little while so I can create more of their world.

2. Analyze what made your writing session successful. When you’ve done your session (I hope it’s awesome!), you need to figure out what worked. What made you feel good? What made you get excited to write? What really got your creative juices flowing? 

   1. Consider Environment: the physical space around you, the sounds, the smells, the lighting, your posture, distractions you felt, feelings in your body, your clothes - anything that you notice that affected your writing session from a physical perspective

   2. Consider Mindset: what were your initial thoughts, why did the distractions come up, any stresses, any excitement, your mental space, your emotional space, your feeling when session was complete - anything you notice that affected your writing session from a mindset perspective

   3. Consider What Went Wrong: Sometimes writing sessions just don’t go as planned. If this happened to you, think about what went wrong using the same points as what went right, that way you can mitigate them when you write again

3. Set a small writing goal. Once you’ve thoroughly analyzed your last writing session, set a small goal for the next session. Don’t set any goals that are outlandish, like that you want to write the next 50 pages (unless that’s how much you already do in a typical writing session). Think about things like: “I want to finish this chapter” or “I want to rewrite the ending of this scene so it’s more convincing.” Remember, small progress is progress. The more small goals you set and achieve, the better you’ll feel about your bigger goals.  I like to set my small goals about finishing particular sections of my novel - sometimes that’s 2 pages, and sometimes it’s 10. I rarely write more than one section at a time. 

4. Schedule time to write. Once you’ve got your goal, set a time to work on it! I would encourage you to pick a time within the next week.

5. Have another writing session. Remember when you analyzed your last session? Take as many of those pieces as you can and recreate the session. If your session didn’t go as planned last time, consider what went wrong and do your best to change or eliminate those things from this session. 

6. Compare the two sessions. Now that you’ve done two writing sessions, one “normal” and one with a small writing goal, consider: 

   1. What’s the same? 

   2. What’s different? 

   3. What could make the next session even better?

7. Schedule another time to write. This is the “habit” part of your new writing habit - showing up regularly!

8. Follow through on your schedule and reflect each time. Don’t let your writing sessions become the thing you keep putting off. Remember, your creativity and writing dreams are important! You don’t push other important stuff off from week to week, do you? When you show up and reflect on what’s working, and what’s not, you’ll be able to consistently plan effective writing sessions for yourself and create a next-level writing habit that’s tailored to you. 

Next Steps

So that’s it! There’s nothing overtly complicated about creating a writing habit that works for you. 

What you need to do now is:

1. Do those first writing sessions & reflect. Don’t skip the reflection! That’s key to being able to create your new habit.

2. Show up to your new habit. Be intentional about making time to write, even if it's at the crack of dawn before everyone’s awake or at night when everyone’s asleep.

3. Get help and accountability. If you need help figuring out what might work for you, or you just want some accountability (because we know that’s helpful!) click here to read how I work with writers just like you! I love love love helping writers get set up with new habits, and I know we can work together to find what works best for you. 
   

I challenge you to do a writing session within the next 7 days and stick to it. 

Have you developed a writing habit before? How did it go? Do you have specific steps that help you write? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

How to Know When to Walk Away from a Writing Idea

As writers, we know that ideas come and go, and are never predictable. Whenever a good idea comes along, we have to latch onto it so it doesn’t escape us! However, sometimes, even after a lot of time and hard work, we may need to make the decision to walk away from a writing idea. The real question is: how do we decide if we need to walk away?

Why People Don’t Want to Walk Away

When we’ve spent hours upon hours working on a project or a writing idea, it can be hard to walk away from it, even if we know it’s the right thing to do. 

Here are some excuses we may be using to justify continuing a project that’s run its course:

I’ve been working on it a long time

When you have a lot of time invested in any project, writing related or not, it's easy to feel as if it was time wasted if you decide to walk away. It’s important to know that any time spent on writing is never wasted time. In every moment spent writing, you are improving your skills and learning new techniques.

I’ve already written so much

Awesome! Now you have material you can either repurpose, or rewrite for another idea! When working on a writing idea, we always have the option of pulling from our previous projects. If you’re letting this hold you back from moving on, don’t worry! This writing is not wasted material: we can always come back to it or use it for writing ideas in the future. 

I love it but I can’t figure out how to make it a priority

We can enjoy something and sometimes do it, but not make it a priority. If you have too much on your plate, you can take a break from whatever isn’t the most important. For example, I have a new puppy, so she is my main priority right now, and writing has to come second. 

If I don’t have time to write for a day, or a week, I don’t beat myself up about it. I know I can always go back to my writing. It’s okay if you can’t make something a priority. When it’s something we love, we can make small amounts of time for it with the realization that we need to focus on our most important tasks first. 

Won’t I be a “failure” if I switch topics?

There is a lot of fear of failure as a writer. We have to worry about people criticizing our writing, rejecting our submissions, or our work just falling flat. Fear of failure doesn’t have to keep us from moving on to bigger and better ideas. Switching topics just means you have enough self-awareness to know when a project isn’t working out any more.

I’m not a  “real writer” if I can’t finish an idea

If you write, you’re a real writer. Don’t let anyone else define that for you, and don’t let your perceived failures dictate it either. Real writers write. If you decide halfway through a project that your idea isn’t as good as you once thought, or you just don’t have the same passion for it as before, it’s better for you and your readers to walk away from that idea. 

How to Know When it’s Better to Walk Away

The hard part of all of this is how to know when it’s time to walk away. Sometimes it may be an obvious decision, other times not so much. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to walk away from an idea forever. We can always go back to an idea later, or reuse some or all of what we’ve already written. 

Here are 3 ways to know when we need to walk away or take a break: 

1. You’re no longer interested in or passionate about your idea

   If you’ve lost interest in an idea, or lost your passion for it, it may be time to walk away. It might still be a great idea, but maybe it would be better suited to someone else. If we no longer feel the same passion we did when we started, it’s going to be hard to finish the project. It will also show in our writing if we are trying to force interest in our ideas just to finish them.

2. The idea is not serving you/helping you grow & get better

   Writing is a lot of work and usually takes a lot of time. If an idea isn’t doing anything for you, or helping you grow in some way, it may be time to walk away. It’s important that our writing has a purpose, whether that’s to better ourselves, or to help better others. It’s important to keep sight of our “why.” 

   Once a writing idea loses its usefulness, it’s hard to justify continuing work on it. People pick up a book or read an article with the idea that they are going to get something out of it. Make sure to keep that in mind. Whatever we’re trying to convey in our writing reflects our vision and communicates our message. 

3. The idea feels like work

   If you’re no longer having fun with a writing idea, it may be time to walk away. If it feels like work, it’s going to be that much harder for us to finish because all we’ll be able to think about is how much we’d rather be doing something else. Take a break or find a new idea that brings you joy.

Next Steps

There are many different reasons we may have for walking away from a writing idea, and some may be more pressing than others. In any case, it’s important to remember, whether you see it through or walk away, you are or can still be, an accomplished writer! Don’t let self-doubt and fear hold you back from new ideas, or from walking away from an unfinished project. 

1. Review what you have. Take a look at what you have for your writing idea so far. Do you still have passion for or interest in the idea? Does it have a purpose or goal? Is it still enjoyable?

2. Decide whether it’s worth continuing the idea. If you said “no” to any of the above questions, then it may be time to walk away or take a break. 

3. Get help working on your idea or starting a new one. Sometimes all we need is another set of eyes to help us decide whether it’s time to walk away from an idea. Click here to read more about working with Rachel & Holly.

My challenge to you is to have the courage to walk away from a writing idea that isn’t benefiting you. 

Do you think you need to reevaluate a writing idea? Have you had to walk away from a project? If so, what helped you make the decision to walk away? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find us on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

How to Check Your Unrealistic Expectations at the Door

We’ve all been there: you set a New Year’s Resolution or a goal throughout the year, only to get to November and December and realize that you have failed to live up to your own expectations. 

When we don’t live up to our own high standards, we feel bad. Like, unmotivated and questioning whether to keep writing bad. 

Have you ever felt this way? 

I know I have. 

Why do Writers Have Unrealistic Expectations? 

Writers are a special kind of people. I won’t claim that there’s only one way to be a writer, because I hate generalizations - they’re always untrue. 

Even when there are elements of fact, putting a whole group of people together like that takes the human uniqueness out of the equation, which is actually one of the most important parts of writing and being a writer. 

What I will claim is that most writers have a similar mentality when they set unrealistic expectations. 

They want to meet the expectations.

Writers set standards to help themselves grow and develop their craft. They want to be better, so they set their expectations high thinking they will be able to easily learn and be better. I’m all about growth mindset, but putting the pressure of unrealistic expectations on yourself will actually hinder your ability to grow as much as you want. 

Writers set standards to help themselves grow and develop their craft.

For example, who DOESN’T want to write a novel and have it be perfect on the first draft? How cool would that be? Just because we want it, doesn’t mean it’s realistic, though. 

They think they can meet the expectations.

Because we are on a journey to be better, and many writers are excellent learners, it stands to reason that we might think we can meet the unrealistic expectations. It’s one of those things we might find ourselves saying, “Oh, well I’m different than so-and-so who couldn’t do that” when in reality, we’re really not that different from so-and-so. 

Realistically, if you haven’t developed a regular writing routine, are you going to be able to write the next Great American Novel in the next 90 days? Probably not. You might be able to have a draft of a novel in that time, but it’s unlikely to become a canonical classic this year, if it even does within your lifetime.

They underestimate the amount of work involved in writing.

I have a lot of conversations about this when I’m teaching because many people are somehow under the impression that writing is easy and effortless. That some kind of divine inspiration makes the blank page suddenly transform into a perfectly edited book-length manuscript that publishers are clamoring for. 

If this is you, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s not really how writing or publishing works. Sure, there are definitely writers who are inspired. I can vouch for this personally, as the premise of my book is based around one scene that I dreamed, alongside many of my own experiences. When I hear specific kinds of music, I do get inspired to write. 

Writing is hard work and it takes a lot of effort to produce something good!

Writing isn’t easy OR effortless, though. Writing is hard work and it takes a lot of effort to produce something good! I think the main reason writers fail to live up to their expectations is because they underestimate the amount of work it takes to not just write a draft, but also then edit and refine the ideas.

They’ve seen other writers do it, so they assume they can, too.

After underestimating the amount of work, writers also tend to compare their own progress to others when setting goals - especially if they know other writers who are producing a lot of material.  

There are prolific writers who seem to produce a book every 3-6 months. To be frank, I don’t read many writers who do this simply because I can’t keep up and most of the genres don’t interest me much. I will say that certain genres are more formulaic than others, so it may be easier to fill that kind of quota. For instance, mysteries and romances typically follow a pretty standard set of plot sequences.

This isn’t to undercut the amount of work in the least! But if you already know the genre you want to work on has to meet X, Y, & Z landmark scenes, then you can work on filling in the rest perhaps more quickly than developing a whole new world with multiple races of creatures with all different languages and customs.

Just because someone else is cranking out novels doesn’t mean that’s a realistic or even good expectation to have for yourself. Only you know how much you can do, and for many of us, it takes longer and we do less than we thought. On the bright side, many times when you’ve taken a long time to work on a piece, it’s very satisfying to see it completed!

They see writers on social media and feel the need to compete.

In a digital world where we have access to almost infinite information, resources, and connections to other people, it makes sense that we might fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others.

When we see what others are doing, we tend to raise our expectations, almost to compete with the writers we’re connected with online (even though most of us probably wouldn’t admit that).

Writers, in particular, tend to have a problem with this in the media and on social media. There are numerous ads claiming to have you writing a best-selling eBook in 30 days - heck, I’ve seen it promised in 14 days! There are even these weird little statements in commercials - I saw one the other day that was showing a string of excuses for not going out with friends because of acne & one of those was that she was “writing a book.” Um, what? 

Not to mention, there are many writers who produce a lot of work and therefore it always seems like they’re working on something shiny and new.

When we see what others are doing, we tend to raise our expectations, almost to compete with the writers we’re connected with online (even though most of us probably wouldn’t admit that). When we don’t live up to our newly raised standards, we feel like we’ve failed. 

How to Check Your Unrealistic Expectations at the Door (So You Can Actually Get on with Writing)

I’ll be the first to tell you that you should have high standards for yourself. I know I do, and I expect the people I work with to have them also. 

That being said, I don’t advocate for impossible standards. I’ve heard before that having higher expectations than you can reach helps you “strive for more” but honestly, in my experience, it really just makes you feel bad. And when you feel bad you don’t write, which is the opposite of what you want for your writing.

So here are some things that will help you check your unrealistic expectations at the door and get some real writing done.

1. Turn off all your media - I mean all of it. You have to stop comparing yourself to others. You also need to stop scrolling through social media and actually start typing or writing on the page. Do yourself a favor and log off of ALL socials and just be with your writing for a little while.

2. Assess your writing & progress honestly (but not critically). The only way you can really grow and be better is by being honest about where you are right now. You don’t have to share it, but you do have to acknowledge it so you can move forward. This doesn’t mean you need to say, “Oh, I suck at having a writing routine” - but perhaps acknowledging, “I need to work on developing a stronger writing routine.” You’ll be amazed how positive & honest self-talk improves your writing life. 

3. Set 1-2 smaller goals you know you can achieve according to how YOU write. Since you’re not on social media, and you’ve had an honest reflection of your writing, you can now set small achievable goals to help boost your writing confidence and get you moving forward. For example, in my own creative writing practices, I set a goal to write one section of my book a week. I know I wouldn’t keep up with it daily, but I find that usually one section a week is manageable.

4. Set a loftier goal to work on long-term. As you start to set and reach smaller goals, you’ll also need to set a bigger goal to work on long-term. This could be about when you’ll complete your manuscript or when you’ll have editing done. Whatever it is that would be a big next step for you that you don’t think you’d achieve in the next week or two. As an example, this year I set a goal to finish the rough draft of my book by the end of the year. It was a big goal, but one that I knew that I could work on with smaller steps.

5. Look at all of your goals each and every day. Repetition is your friend. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but looking at those goals written down every single day will greatly improve your mindset and ability to achieve those expectations you set for yourself. You can also write them down daily as affirmations. I do both. I have affirmations that I write down in my morning pages and a positive note for myself that I read every night before bed. It’s changed everything for me!

6. Take steps to make progress on your goals. The main way to meet your expectations is by taking action. Start with baby steps and use your small goals to help you move forward. Remember, progress is progress, even if it’s small! Keep taking those steps forward toward your goals every chance you can.

7. When you reach your goals, even the small ones, give yourself a reward. Then set a new goal to replace it. I know I love a good reward, and I’ll bet you do, too! When you work hard and reach those smaller goals, give yourself a little reward for your efforts. Things like a trip to Target (I love the dollar section) or a new book from your favorite author are perfect to keep you motivated and on track. When you’ve celebrated, set yourself another goal and move forward again!

Next Steps

There are a lot of reasons writers have unrealistic expectations for themselves, whether it’s because of comparisons with others or just plain old excitement. These unrealistic expectations can be a real nuisance for progress, though! 

It’s time to tackle your unrealistic expectations and get on with your writing. Here’s what you can start with:

1. Turn off your news, socials, and get off Google. Just be alone with your music and your paper. 

2. Take an honest look at your writing. If you don’t have any writing yet, consider your process and why you haven’t started writing yet. Be honest, but not critical. Your inner critic doesn’t need a say in this conversation.

3. Set your goals. Think about what you could do this week and this month. What’s realistic for you? You can even use this free worksheet to help you!

4. Work on those goals & start seeing progress! Do the work, even if it’s just a little at a time. A half hour here, a late-night writing session there - whatever works into your writing process. Make time and effort and you’ll start to see progress. 

5. Get help being accountable (or setting goals if you’re stuck or overwhelmed!) If you need help setting goals or being accountable, let’s chat. I work with writers all the time on goal-setting and helping them stay on track. Read more about it here.
   

My challenge to you is to look your unrealistic writing expectation in the face today and tell it you’ve had enough and that you’re ready to write. 

Have you faced unrealistic expectations before? Overcome writing fears about not living up to expectations? Or maybe have some other inspirational tips for writers who need a little positive boost? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

7 Reasons Introverts Make Awesome Writers

All writers are different, and we all have varying methods for preparing, planning (or not planning), and executing our writing. Writing can be an escape for some, therapy for others, or just plain fun!

As a writer myself, and after connecting with many other writers, I’ve learned it’s quite common for writers to be more introverted.  Being an introvert can be a great asset for a writer! There are many different qualities of being introverted that are helpful if you want to be a writer. This helps make introverts awesome writers!

So, you may be wondering, what exactly is an introvert?

Introvert

Introverts are people who much of the time, prefer to be left alone. Social gatherings or interactions can be very draining for an introvert. They are quieter, reserved, and prefer observing over engaging. If you don’t quite fit into this category, you may find yourself leaning more towards the extrovert or ambivert categories. 

Extrovert

An extrovert is considered the opposite of an introvert. They thrive in more social settings and don’t need a lot of alone time. They’re friends with a lot of people and love chatting. They’re more outgoing overall and tend to be bigger risk-takers. 

Ambivert

Ambivert is a personality type for the outliers. There are varying degrees to each trait, and the labels themselves are not a one size fits all kind of deal. 

An ambivert would be someone who finds themselves somewhere in the middle of an introvert and an extrovert. They exhibit traits of both categories.

An ambivert would be someone who finds themselves somewhere in the middle of an introvert and an extrovert. They exhibit traits of both categories. An ambivert may relate to being outgoing and talkative, but still be in need of alone time to recharge. Or, they are quiet and reserved but need socialization to recharge rather than isolation. 

7 Reasons Introverts Make Awesome Writers

We all don’t have to be introverts to be writers, but it can certainly help. 

For instance, I would label myself as an introvert and identify with many of the following reasons why introverts make awesome writers! Most times, in large groups or at get togethers, I tend to sneak away for some alone time to recharge.

It can be very overwhelming for me to spend long periods of time in crowds. Writing is my happy place because I am able to be alone, while pouring myself into the pages. People often mistake me as shy, when in reality, I enjoy sitting back and watching my surroundings rather than engaging with them. 

Which brings me to the 7 reasons that introverts make awesome writers:

1) Observant of Surroundings

As introverts, we’re not as likely to engage with others, and so probably spend more time observing our surroundings. This can fuel imagination. Being observant of not just what is happening around you, but of architecture, nature, and an overall setting, can give you ideas for your writing. 

Many authors draw inspiration for their scenes from places they have been or certain buildings that they found to be interesting or noteworthy. Spending time in nature also lends to scene building in the same way. If you are describing a certain area of a forest or a beach, it will be easier to make it believable and tangible for your readers if you are describing somewhere you have actually experienced.

You’ll know the feel of the wind against your face, the branches scraping your skin, the smell of pine, etc. All of these observations that you have collected will only strengthen your writing and entice your readers. 

2) Observant of Interactions

Because introverts tend to be very observant of their surroundings, they also tend to be more aware of other people’s interactions. Watching people interact is not only entertaining, but it can also lend aid to your writing abilities. Some writers have a difficult time with dialogue - making it believable or realistic. 

Watching the people around us: the way they speak, gesture, move, interact, etc. gives great insight into how our characters might interact.

Watching the people around us: the way they speak, gesture, move, interact, etc. gives great insight into how our characters might interact. We have to think about the setting we’re creating for our characters and how that will change their dialect or body language. If you’re writing a story that takes place in medieval Europe, they wouldn’t be interacting as we see people do now. However, if you’re writing a story that takes place in modern day, or close to it, using what we see in everyday life will be extremely useful. 

Even if you are writing that old-timey novel, watching people’s emotional responses can still be very helpful. Facial expressions are something that stays pretty consistent over time, not necessarily changing with each era. Anger will lead to reddening faces, wrinkled brows, clenched fists, etc. Joy will lead to grins, laughter, glowing, etc. 

3) Dedicates Significant Energy to Being Thoughtful

As introverts, we tend to find ourselves with a lot of time for thinking. This is useful for processing those observations we made all day. We may spend time ruminating on events that occurred, or things that were said, and though that’s not always helpful, it can be when you’re a writer.

If you find yourself thinking, if I’d only said… or if I’d just done this... then writing can help you flesh out those thoughts! Use those instances to fuel new stories. How would it have played out differently if you’d said something else? How would your characters have handled the situation? 

Any experience you have can be used to your advantage when writing. Being thoughtful helps you to rewrite your experiences and create stories from them. 

Dedicating energy to our thoughts also helps keep our imagination alive. If we’re constantly thinking of new ideas, eventually we will come up with one that would make a great story or book. Not all of our ideas are equal - some don’t make sense, and that’s okay! You can start writing a story and discover it isn’t really turning out how you thought or wanted, and start over, or go back and fix it. Being a thoughtful person means never running out of ideas; the well is never empty. 

4) Spend Time on Self-Reflection

Being introverts, we most likely spend a lot of time alone, or if not alone, simply keeping to ourselves. This gives a lot of time for self-reflection. Looking inward can present us with many opportunities to enhance our writing. 

Looking inward can present us with many opportunities to enhance our writing. 

Since you spend more time thinking about your own character and why you do the things you do, it will help develop motivations for story characters. Reflecting on what makes you upset, sad, happy, excited, etc. will help you recreate those emotions in your stories and your characters.

5) Are More Reticent

Being more reticent means that we aren’t as willing to reveal our thoughts and feelings. We are more likely to keep things to ourselves, and a great way to let out all this built up energy is to write! Keeping things to yourself is not always a bad thing. You’ll have a lot more to offer to your own stories and writings. Divulging your thoughts and feelings into your writing will make it that much more potent and often more relatable. 

Being a writer doesn’t always mean writing stories, books, poetry, etc. It can also be journal writing. Pouring yourself onto the page of a journal can be very cathartic. Then, you can always go back to those entries and find inspiration from them.

6) Are More Empathic

Introverts tend to be more empathic. This means that we can more easily understand and share the feelings of other people. Being able to pick up on subtle changes more easily than non-empaths can be very helpful in identifying emotions that another person is experiencing. We can transfer these skills into our writing and make the interactions between our characters that much deeper and more meaningful. Seeing the subtle cues and being able to describe them helps readers really put themselves into a piece/story/book.

Being able to pick up on subtle changes more easily than non-empaths can be very helpful in identifying emotions that another person is experiencing.

Being an empath also helps to make sure that we’re writing in a sensitive way. We’re good at ensuring people won’t be offended by our writing. We can understand why people are upset about certain topics, or which topics are touchier, and adjust our writing accordingly. There’s no way to ensure that we’re never going to offend anyone, but being able to empathize more deeply than others, it’s easier to know what will be better received.

7) Like & Need Alone Time

A major part of being a writer is spending a lot of time alone. We need space and limited distractions to be able to sit down and write. As introverts who enjoy alone time, this is a great combination for us! We can go to our writing area, be alone, and recharge while doing what we love.

We won’t always have the luxury of being alone when we’re writing, though. Sometimes a partner, child, or pet will be around and that’s okay! We don’t have to be alone to write. However, it makes a big difference in the amount we’re able to get done.

If you’re someone who doesn’t do well spending a lot of time alone, writing may come harder for you. Even if you like being alone, you don’t want to isolate in your writing corner too long. That’s why introverts can make awesome writers. They already like being alone, so spending that alone time writing just makes sense.

Next Steps

There are many reasons introverts make awesome writers. But what do you do with that information? 

1. First and foremost, find out what type of personality you have! Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? Take a personality quiz and find out!

   The most common test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument which determines which of sixteen personality categories you fall into. Eight of them are based more firmly in the extrovert category, while the other eight are considered forms of an introvert. If you want to find out more about that, check out The Myers & Briggs Foundation website here! 

   There is also a test called the Enneagram Types test that places you in one of nine categories. It is similar to the Myers Briggs test, but it divides people into Heart Types, Head Types, and Body Types. You can take that test here. 

2. Think about what recharges you and makes you feel good. If you’re an introvert, that may be spending some time alone, watching a movie, or doing an at home spa day. If you’re an extrovert, it may be spending a day with friends, going out to dinner, or participating in a sport/gym class. Whatever it is, make sure you make the time to recharge often. We’re at our best when we take care of ourselves and it shows in our work and writing.

3. Think about how your passion and personality shapes your writing. Does your passion shine through your writing? The more passionate you are about it, the more your readers will sense it. Your personality may come out through your characters, whether you create them in your image, or opposite of yourself. 

4. Work with a fellow introvert to start or progress on your writing project! Reach out and find someone you can work with. Social media is a great place to do this. You can find someone with similar goals and ideas, then you can help to hold each other accountable for those goals. You can also work with Rachel - read more about how here.

My challenge to you is to take one of the personality tests! Find out what type you are and focus on how it directly influences your writing.

Are you an introvert who loves spending time alone writing? An extrovert who loves having people around in order to feel at your best? Either way, how are you planning to recharge this week? Making sure that you recharge yourself helps to ensure that you continue to be an awesome writer. I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

11 Unexpected Time Management Hacks for Writers

Most of us feel busy. Because of the popular messaging to keep “grinding” and “side hustling,” it can be hard as a writer to find time to spend on actually doing what we love. Not just writing for business or work or a client, but writing creatively on our books, poetry, essays - whatever it is that we write because we love it. 

While it’s hard to make time for our own creative writing, it can be even harder to enjoy that time when we know that there are other responsibilities looming. 

How can one really enjoy being in the throes of a first kiss or daring escape from a pirate ship if we’re worried about the pile of dishes in the sink? Or the emails that need a response today.

“As writers, we should treat our writing as a task to be completed. Not in a checklist way, but in a way that makes it important enough to schedule time for. ”

It’s all about time management. I’m very pro-taking breaks, but that can feel counterproductive when the work seems to overwhelm us. As writers, we should treat our writing as a task to be completed. Not in a checklist way, but in a way that makes it important enough to schedule time for. It’s a worthy investment of your time, so it should get some of that valuable space on your calendar and in your day! 

Why is Time Management Important? 

Time management is one of those things that people always talk about, and yet, many people still struggle. I know there are days where I stare at my calendar and my to do list and say “What was I thinking? Why the heck would I schedule ALL of that on one day?” 

Can you relate?

I’m definitely not here to lecture you about how you manage your time. If there’s one thing I’ve learned playing so many different roles throughout my life it’s that we all handle things uniquely. What’s right for me may not be right for you, and what works for you may not work for me. 

I am here, however, as an advocate of managing your time intentionally. Time management is so important! Here’s why:

• Sanity - If you don’t plan for the things you like, want, and need alongside work, you will be unhappy, and there’s a good possibility that you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to keep up with the “to-do” items, let alone trying to make progress on your beloved writing project. 

• Productivity - Being in a constant “grinding” state of mind is not the way to be the most productive. While it is necessary sometimes, burnout is real and it is terrible for productivity. When you manage your time, you can do more with less time - you might even find that you can create “free time” - isn’t that the dream!

• Work Life Balance - The ever-sought, ever-failed idea of work life balance can be tricky. You aren’t going to get there overnight, but with some time management, it is possible for most of us. Also, taking a break is critical! Your life outside of your work is important and the balance in your life should reflect that.

11 Unexpected Hacks to Manage Time as a Writer

So how do we get this golden unicorn of work life balance? We use time management, and we manage the crap out of it!

I won’t say it’s easy, because it’s not.

I’m also not going to say that every single thing you do should be managed and calendared, because for many of us that’s more stressful than having a long list to begin with. 

“Managing your time as a writer doesn’t have to be complicated. ”

Managing your time as a writer doesn’t have to be complicated. Nothing I’m suggesting is a “never before seen” strategy. All of these hacks, though (however unexpected they might be) are things that WORK. T

I use them, I suggest them to my clients, my writer friends use them - sharing is caring, right? These strategies are meant not just to help you complete “all the things,” but help you be productive with the time you spend on your writing. I wanted to share hacks to show you that even if you are scheduled to the max, there are ways to write and enjoy it. 

1. Time Your Writing - On your mark, get set, write! For 30 minutes. Or maybe 60 minutes. Setting a timer can help you get in the mindset of productivity and focus for your writing.

   If you can clear more time than 60 minutes of uninterrupted time and you think you can focus that long, go for it! If, however, you find yourself consistently booked out with other obligations, start with 30 minutes at least once a week. 

   Why it works: Knowing that you have a whole half an hour or hour to just be with your words can be invaluable, especially when you have a lot of work and/or home responsibilities. You’re taking time for yourself and what you love, which is equally as important as other aspects of “adulting.”

2. Use the Pomodoro Method - If you haven’t heard about the Pomodoro Technique, it’s pretty great. The idea is that you set a timer for 25 minutes and work on one task for those 25 minutes without interruption. When the timer is up, you take a quick break and then set the timer for another 25 minutes. After 4 “pomodoros” you take a longer break to refresh your brain. This is another, more involved form of timing your writing. 

   Why it works: Similar to timing your writing in a more unstructured way, the Pomodoro technique was specifically designed to maximize productivity and take advantage of how the brain works and how long it can focus. Although you don’t have to stick to the 25 minutes strictly, you might be surprised by how much you can get done in 25 minutes! I use a similar technique using the Forest App (it’s free in the Google Play Store & the Apple Store!).

3. Take Breaks Often - This might sound counterproductive because you want to focus, but taking frequent breaks helps our brain rest and feel rejuvenated. Taking short breaks of 5-10 minutes at least once an hour when we’re focusing on our writing can help us physically and restore creative stamina. 

   Why it works: While it’s tempting to sit for hours and hours and just type away on our stories, we really do need to give our brain time to recover from all that hard work it’s doing. After all, when we write, we’re creating a world for our readers. If that’s not hard work, I don’t know what is!

4. Take Regular Walks & Stretch Breaks - When we’re taking breaks, it’s important to move and stretch. Whether this means taking a lap around the block, getting a drink, or stretching out on the floor for a few minutes, your body (particularly your back & neck) needs to move around in order to avoid getting stiff and sore. 

   Why it works: Moving around and taking in new scenery after you’ve been thoroughly entrenched in your writing can help your brain stay sharp and catch small details you might miss if you’re staring at the screen for too long. 

5. Do Something Unrelated - When we’re focusing really intently on something, we get absorbed into it and therefore it can create a kind of tunnel vision. When we’re taking our breaks (and making sure to stretch our bodies out), doing something completely unrelated to your writing project at hand can be just the thing to snap you out of your word trance. 

   Why it works: Changing gears for just a moment can help our brain remember that it’s powerful. It isn’t limited to your mundane daily responsibilities, but it also isn’t just for creating this one world you’re writing about. It’s a pretty big player in all areas of your life, even if it feels like mush after a writing session.

6. Meditate - I’ve found very few things that work as quickly to calm a racing or single-track mind than meditating. Doing mindful breathing and purposefully clearing your mind can work wonders for our creativity and writing.

   Why it works: When we write, our brains are cranking away. If you, like many writers, find that your character writes the story for you (that happens for me), sometimes we can come out of a writing session feeling disoriented for a little while. To combat this, I regularly do short 3-10 minute meditations to clear all the junk out of my mind. I use the Insight Timer and Stop Panic and Anxiety apps (both free in the app store). 

7. Take a Nap - Taking a nap for 15 minutes can do a world of good for your creative soul, and your weary body. Don’t succumb to the urge to spend the whole afternoon or evening in bed, but doing a short meditation and then a short nap can skyrocket creativity and productivity.

   Why it works: When you sleep, your body relaxes. It releases stress and anxiety, which is always helpful when productivity is involved. How many times have you been so worried or overwhelmed that you literally sat there trying desperately to figure out how to do all the things? Shutting your eyes and taking a few minutes of quiet is an extremely effective way to overcome overwhelm. 

8. Read a Book - It might seem unconventional to read other people’s words as a way to manage time, but reading is critical for writers. It’s a necessary part of growing and honing your craft. Plus, when you read other people’s words you get new ideas, or engage with familiar ideas in new ways. 

   Why it works: Planning time to read, even if it’s just when you’re in the bathroom for 10 minutes or 15 minutes right before you go to bed is helpful! Most writers like to read, and even if you don’t, you should (exposure to other writing is important), so hopefully adding an element of reading in your time management is a pleasant task.

9. Clean Something - If you, like many of us these days, find yourself at home most of the time, it’s easy to get distracted from your writing by the mess around you. Maybe it’s all the shoes sitting around your living room. Or if you’re in the office, seeing multiple stacks of paper all over your desk that you can’t just pitch in the trash can. So clean something! Take a few minutes and choose one thing to clean. 

   Why it works: Being surrounded by an overstimulating and overwhelming environment is a huge distraction for your creativity. Cleaning one thing around you can help you feel “productive” and also pull you out of your own mind long enough to figure out where you want to go next with your writing. 

10. Work Away from Home Sometimes - Our home means a lot to us. It’s where we have memories, pets, loved ones, or even just our comfiest ratty PJs. As much as we love home, we need to get away sometimes. I try to work away from home at least once or twice a week, but even if you have a goal of once every two weeks or once a month that’s a good start!

    Why it works: Being away from home shifts our perspective, allows us to see new surroundings, and really focus on what we’re doing. 

11. Travel somewhere - Much like working away from home, traveling can help us feel inspired and refreshed, especially in light of the many restrictions we’ve had this year. It doesn’t have to be far - even a day trip works - but going somewhere new can be an excellent way to rejuvenate and increase productivity and creativity.

    Why it works: You’re out of your element, out of your comfort zone, and there are different considerations for travel than when you’re sitting at home huddled at your computer desk with your 4th cup of coffee. It refreshes your mind, and allows you to see new things that could influence your writing in ways you hadn’t thought about. 

Next Steps

For writers, managing time can be hard because sometimes our creativity takes a backseat to other things that seem more important. 

“It’s not always about putting as many things on your calendar as you can. ”

But, you can plan in ways that help you write better (& enjoy it) and be more efficient. It’s not always about putting as many things on your calendar as you can. Sometimes it’s about working from a new coffee shop down the road for the afternoon, or mindfully meditating for 10 minutes to clear your mind during a hectic day. Time management isn’t easy, but it doesn’t always have to be so complicated, either. 

So what do you do with this information?

1. Figure out what you have to do & make a list: List out what you have to do either on paper or digitally - wherever you will actually look at. It might seem overwhelming, and sometimes it is, but list it out anyway. Include your writing on the list.

   NOTE: I like to plan my week on Monday mornings. I make the list for the whole week and then I list out what day I will do what task on, including my writing. 

2. Choose one of the strategies and try it this week: Look through the strategies again and choose one to help you manage your time differently starting THIS WEEK.

3. Get an accountability partner: If you want someone to help keep you on track, or just check in with on a regular basis, find an accountability partner. If you aren’t sure of who would do this with you, or you just want some help from someone who uses these strategies on a regular basis, I can be that person. Click here to read more about how I work 1:1 with writers like you to strategize, set goals, and be an accountability partner for their writing projects. 

My challenge to you is to choose a strategy and try it as soon as you can fit it in.

Are you a writer who manages their time really well? What strategies work for you? Have you tried one of these strategies? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

Why I Started my Business

NOTE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

There’s one question I’ve been asked about my business more than any other recently: 

What’s your “why”? Why do you do what you do? 

While I typically always have a short response (because social media, right?), I realized that I’ve never actually told the whole story about how & why I started my business, Capturing Your Confidence. 

So this week I wanted to get a little more personal because I think the “why” of what we do is so important - maybe even more important than the end goal sometimes. 

If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would be a business owner, I would’ve probably laughed. And not a chuckle of knowing appreciation. I mean a hearty “that would never happen” laugh. I’d never thought of owning a business, and I had no background in business, marketing, or sales. I knew the basic principles because my grandma taught business when I was young, but it wasn’t something I pursued in school.

And yet, in April 2019, everything changed. I found this 5 day course about starting a blog (or, rather, it found me on Facebook), signed up, and convinced my husband that we should invest a little money for me to start a blog. 

I agonized for days over what I would call my blog. I wanted to be something witty and clever, and of course literary - assuming I could put it all together. I always intended to write about writing, and about teaching. In the early days, my main goal was to share my experiences of writing my novel, teaching, and sharing my love of writing with the world. 

“I really had to consider what I wanted the blog to feel like - what I wanted my ethos to be. Who I was going to be as a blogger and a web writing personality. ”

I’m thankful that all of the clever names I initially thought of were unavailable because it made me think outside the box. I really had to consider what I wanted the blog to feel like - what I wanted my ethos to be. Who I was going to be as a blogger and a web writing personality. 

It took a lot, but I finally settled on Capturing Your Confidence. I remember the moment I figured it out. I was driving home from somewhere, and it was a warm evening, so naturally the windows were down. I was thinking about confidence, and action words - yes, purposefully action words, especially ones that started with “C”. What can I say? I love alliteration. 

Do other people brainstorm verbs that start with specific letters? 

As my thinking evolved, I contemplated light in the darkness. What kinds of things could illuminate darkness without being overly bright like the sun? Brighter than the stars, but something tangible. Something you could capture and use to light the darkness. 

Fireflies.

Fireflies light up the darkness, and many of us grew up capturing fireflies in glass jars and watching them glow. A memory of delight at the end of a summer day. 

That was it - the moment I said it out loud I knew it was the perfect name for what I wanted to do: Capturing Your Confidence. 

Left: Original logo; Right: 2020 Redesign; Top: Current - New Website Redesign

If you’ve been around for awhile, you might remember that my first logo actually included a jar with fireflies inside. I’ve redesigned the logo since then, but you can still see the firefly inspiration in the logo today - next time you visit the blog or see an email from me, look at the logo. I’ve never stopped trying to help you catch the confidence fireflies in your life.

After I decided on the name, I continued to read everything I could find about blogging for money (and the insane amount of income some bloggers make). The more I became convinced that not only could I do it, I would do it. I was going to be one of those bloggers who makes $30K a month for blogging. 

So I learned. I blogged. I wrote and wrote... and wrote some more. And I got better. It’s funny - I have 2 degrees in writing, and I still look back at some of those first blogs and cringe a little. 

“I’ve never stopped trying to help you catch the confidence fireflies in your life.”

When I first started, I thought I would be able to make money quickly. I wanted to quit the day job I was bored at and be a blogger full time. Because I’d recently started writing my novel, I’d revived my childhood dream of being a writer when I “grew up” - this seemed like a perfect direction to go in. 

Alas, you don’t know what you don’t know! Starting a business is SO HARD. Like, really hard. 

When you’re doing it on your own while working a day job and a part time job on the side… well, let’s just say that things didn’t move along as planned. Not even close. There have definitely been times where it’s been incredibly frustrating to put in so much work and realize I still wasn’t going to make money that month. Or that I spent what felt like all my time on social media doing networking and still I got very little traffic to see the posts I poured my heart into. 

There were more than a few times I thought, “Why the hell am I still trying?”

For most people, continuous effort with seemingly no result IS frustrating and it’s probably totally reasonable to want to quit. I think this happens to everyone, no matter what kind of business they’re starting. There are always setbacks, things usually take much longer than expected, and cost way more money (sometimes that you don’t even really have to spend). Sometimes all you can do is sigh and go to bed knowing you’ll have to try again tomorrow. 

As I learned more about online business, though, I realized that maybe blogging as a main income source wasn’t necessarily what I wanted. I read about coaching & online courses, and as a teacher in the classroom, both of those ideas intrigued me. And of course, freelance writing kept appearing as an inviting option, too. So I signed up for what seemed like 1,000 email lists and once again everything shifted - and not just because I was getting 5 times as many sales emails. 

“My business changed when I realized that what I wanted to do was write. ”

My business changed when I realized that what I wanted to do was write. And I wanted to help other people write. I could do that with blogging, but the bits about covering events and doing paid social media posting like many bloggers and influencers do just weren’t as exciting as the idea of someone wanting me to write words for them. 

Nothing was quite as exciting as working with people 1:1 to build up their confidence the way I’d built up my own after the dreaded incident when I stopped writing for all those years. 

From the moment I started teaching, it’s broken my heart to hear students come to me and say or write “I’m just not that good at writing” or “I’ve never been good at writing.” It’s always been my primary goal as a teacher to build student confidence, and that trickled into the workplace, too. It’s sad to me when professionals who are very good communicators - really sharp & smart people - feel poorly about their writing. Especially when it’s not bad! 

So I decided that, rather than being a full time blogger, I was going to be a writer instead, and a writing coach. The day I decided, I knew it was the best decision I could make for my business. I’ve never looked back, and I’ve never had any doubts that this is 100% the path that I’m supposed to be on. I don’t think I’ve ever had a stronger gut instinct in my entire life, honestly. 

Have you ever had that feeling? Where you just know something is right? 

I’ll say this: it was a scary freaking decision.

The dialogue around freelance writing is evolving, but for people outside the online business industry, there’s still very much a feeling and assumption that writers barely scrape by and there’s not a lot of common knowledge about coaching - at least not in any of the circles I was in. So how the heck was I supposed to make money at this? Let alone enough to pay bills and do more than just survive?!

Here’s the thing: writing is a highly valuable & valued skill. Almost anyone can write, but it doesn’t mean they like it and it doesn’t mean it’s effective. I’m all about learning and teaching writing as a skill that can be developed. Totally there for it. BUT, that doesn’t mean that everyone is willing to put in the work it takes to be good at it.

I’ve never been averse to hard work (in fact, I kind of suck at taking breaks and often overwork myself - not an advocate for that either), so I knew if there was a way, I could figure it out. 

What I’ve realized the most throughout the whole journey is that your mindset will make or break you. You either believe you will succeed, and therefore act accordingly, or you let doubt crowd out the excitement and it holds you back from making bold new decisions that will allow you to grow. It doesn’t work both ways. Starting a business is a leap of faith. 

“You either believe you will succeed, and therefore act accordingly, or you let doubt crowd out the excitement and it holds you back from making bold new decisions that will allow you to grow. It doesn’t work both ways.”

I’m happily at the point where I do, in fact, make money from writing, and from writing coaching. And the people who haven’t always been quite on board with my big dreams are coming right along behind me. People used to talk about my blog, myself included, now talk about my business. They may not understand exactly how it all works, but they know it’s working. 

As for my “why,” I probably could have just made it short and sweet at the beginning: 

I want people to be confident in their writing. I want to be the person who builds up other creatives and holds their hand while they climb the slippery slope of writing confidence. I want to be the person I needed when I stopped writing. I want to help professionals be confident in the workplace, maybe even confident enough to leave a crappy workplace and pursue their passion of writing, if that’s what they want. 

Most of all, I want to help people. Out of all the things I’ve wanted to “do” in my life, that’s been the one constant that’s never changed. I want to make a positive impact on the world and my business is the way that I can best do that. 

But saying those things on their own - that’s not me. I don’t feel like you get the whole picture if you don’t know about the journey I took to figure it out. 

In the hustle and bustle of daily lives, especially during the turmoil of a global pandemic, our reason for doing what we do becomes even more important. 

Knowing it. Feeling it. Living It. Believing it. 

It keeps us sane in times where we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. We know what small actions we can take, and we know that small actions can lead to big results. We know that if there’s even a little hope, as humans, we can use that to light our way through the dark. 

That’s what I’m doing here at Capturing Your Confidence - providing a little light & assistance so you can help yourself out of the darkness of doubt and start really living the creative life you want and crave. You’re unstoppable - I’m just here to help you see that for yourself. 

“You’re unstoppable - I’m just here to help you see that for yourself. ”

Want me to write awesome stuff for you? Check out more here.

Or maybe you want to be the confident writer you feel like…before you stare at the blank page for an hour. I can help, and I’d love to work with you! Read more here.

As always, if you have a question, want to read something you haven’t seen, or just want to chat, email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com or find me on social media.

4 Simple Steps to Stop Unnecessary Rewriting

You’ve written and edited a beautifully detailed scene, and because you know yourself, you’ve taken a few days off to get some critical distance. 

You come back and to your utter horror, you hate it. 

Every. Single. Detail. 

You scrap it and rewrite it, feeling assured that this time was definitely better! 

You come back the next day and groan. It’s just as bad as the first time! 

The crumpled drafts are piling up and you are so sick of looking at this dang scene! You throw something on the page haphazardly and slam your laptop shut with frustration. 

Does this sound familiar? 

For many writers, it’s hard to be completely satisfied with our words, even when they’re supposed to be “done” or close to done. We get into a cycle of rewriting on repeat until our brain feels like it’s going to explode. 

It’s not fun, is it? 

The good news is, you can teach yourself to stop rewriting so many times.

What do I Mean by Rewriting? 

Before we dig in to how to solve the rewriting issue, I wanted to clarify what I mean by rewriting because some people use it differently. 

What I mean when I say rewrite is one of two things: 

1. You’ve gotten rid of or decided not to use all of a piece of writing. For example, an entire 10-page scene from the draft of a book

2. You’ve kept the main idea of a piece of writing, but reconfigured how it actually reads. For example, a chapter about love started out as a nasty divorce but now reads as a first conversation about the possibility of ending a marriage.

Rewriting is a big deal because it takes a lot of time and effort - it’s not just sentence level editing. 

Why do we Rewrite? 

We don’t just rewrite because it’s fun, right? Because most of the time it’s really not that fun. 

In my experience, there are 3 main reason writers do serious rewriting:

1. Needs Improvement - Sometimes our writing just wasn’t that great the first time around. It - needs to be better, clearer, more descriptive - something just needs to be better.

   There are legitimate reasons to rewrite, like this one. Rewriting is part of the writing process, honestly, because we can’t possibly be great every first draft we do. The problem becomes when we obsess over being perfect, not when we’re actually working to make our writing better.

2. Not Satisfied with Words - The most common reason I hear for major rewriting is because a writer isn’t satisfied with what they’ve written for some reason or another.

   Many times it’s not even because the writing itself is bad or needs significant improvement. It’s because the words on the page don’t reflect exactly what the writer imagined, so instead of taking some distance and getting fresh eyes, they throw away their work and start over. 

3. Perfectionism - I talk a lot about being a recovering perfectionist, which is only relevant here because it comes up so much with rewriting. Everyone wants their words to be amazing! 

   No one is perfect, though. The idea that our words could truly be perfect if we just keep rewriting only serves to slow us down from the real progress we could be making with editing and adding new good material. 

If this sounds like something you do (I know I’ve struggled with this, especially before getting feedback!), here’s what you can do. 

4 Simple Steps to Stop Unnecessary Rewriting

1. Take a Breath - Before you put your hands on your keyboard (or on your printed manuscript), take a deep breath. Think about this exact moment in time and what you’re about to do. Consider why you want to rewrite (or rewrite again in many cases). 

2. Give Your Document One Last Look - Read through your words, even if you’ve decided you hate them. Look at what’s actually on the page and note what you don’t like about them. Really consider why you want to rewrite this section and how long that might take. Make notes about it, if that will help you process.

3. Close the Document or Put the Document in Your Drawer - Without erasing anything, or throwing anything in the trash can, put that bad boy away! If you’re prepared to completely erase your hard work and have your finger poised over the delete button, stop yourself right now and put it back where it came from.

4. Do NOT Open that Document or Drawer Until It’s Time to Work Again - When it’s time for your next writing session, and not a minute before, get that writing out and look at the notes you made. See if there’s anything you can add, or if there are things you can move around rather than rewriting the whole piece. 

Taking some time away from this writing, especially if you hate it, will help you make a calmer, more collected decision rather than an emotional spur of the moment choice you might regret later. 

Next Steps

I’m not saying there’s never a time to scrap pieces of writing - some of it can be bad. Like, embarrassing bad. But you can almost always improve something rather than spending your time continuing to start over and over again. It will probably be less frustrating that way, too!

The question is, what to do with this information? 

1. Admit to yourself that you may have a problem with rewriting. You don’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to, but in order to train yourself to stop, you need to acknowledge that you have an issue with rewriting too many times. 

2. Decide that your best is enough. This is key: YOUR BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH. That’s not to say you won’t need editing, because you probably will - everyone does; but your words that express your ideas are good enough the way you write them. You can always clarify and add to your heart’s content, but you need to decide for yourself that you and your effort are good enough to stop constantly rewriting. 

3. Decide to put the draft away for a while. This is probably the hardest part. You need critical distance away from your writing - it’s important to the writing process. When you’re excited or close to finishing a section, it can be really hard to put it down and walk away, especially if you feel like you could rewrite the piece quickly. Be brave and make the decision to put that draft away and take a break for a little bit. 

4. Get assistance with how to rewrite more effectively when you’re ready to go back to your project (or start a new one). One of the difficult parts about writing is that it’s largely solitary. We create these worlds from our mind but we do it alone! 

   If you’re stuck, or you just want a friendly face to help keep you accountable (and boost your confidence so you can kick rewriting’s butt), I can help. I work with writers on this all the time because it’s hard! Doing it alone can make it harder, so why not enlist help? Click here to read more about how we can work together and get you on the right track. 

My challenge to you is to take a long hard look at why you’re rewriting so much and decide to tackle it so you can move on with your project.

How do you handle rewriting? Are you stuck in the perpetually rewriting loop? Have you escaped the loop using another idea? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Totally Worth the Money

For many of us, this month marks 5 months since we’ve been at home due to the pandemic. Whether it’s because we were furloughed or laid off from our jobs, or simply working at home - it’s been a minute since things have been “normal” or the version of normal we had before COVID-19. 

During this time, there has been such a surge in online learning, not just for kiddos who had to switch to eLearning to finish out the year, but for adults, too! 

Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning.

Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning. I’ve seen a pretty awesome variety of online courses throughout the last few months, many of which are teaching skills people can use to get jobs or find freelance work online. 

But what I’ve been most interested in lately are online writing courses. I have a little bit of a bias because writing is my favorite thing, but writing is an incredibly marketable skill people can use during these abnormal times!

What Do You Mean by Online Writing Course?

There are lots of different types of writing courses. The ones we typically think of might happen in colleges or at the local community centers, which are both valuable options. 

But when I’m talking about an online writing course, I mean a writing course that is: 

Completely Remote

There aren’t any face-to-face components, meaning you don’t have to go somewhere specific to learn the material. There might be videos to watch, or even live teaching, but you can stay at home (or travel wherever you want) to complete the course.

Self-Paced or Specific Program

Some online writing courses give you full access to all the modules and information up front when you buy it. These are self-paced, meaning you can complete them all at your leisure. 

There are also online writing course programs that are a predetermined number of weeks, where you complete tasks and learn information incrementally more like a classroom experience.  Common lengths for these are usually between 8-12 weeks. 

A Course that Teaches You an Aspect of Writing

We couldn’t talk about an online writing course without stipulating that it’s actually about writing. There are so many options for you to learn online - things like marketing, sales, wellness, etc. - but when I say online writing course, I mean skills for writing like the writing process, editing, proofreading, copy editing, and the like. Things that you do writing for during the course. 

Why Take Online Writing Courses? 

If you’ve read my other posts or talked to me in person, you probably know that I always talk about how writing is a skill, not a talent. 

Do some people naturally like it better? Yes. 

Do some people seem to excel at it more easily than others? Also yes. 

That being said, almost everyone has the ability to learn a new skill, which means that almost everyone can learn to write. 

Not only is it a good personal skill in terms of communication, but it’s also a powerful professional skill that is highly sought after. Employers want good writers, at least the ones I’ve seen do.

But knowing that writing is a super valuable skill, why would someone choose to take an online writing course to learn it? 

Quick to Gain New Skills

An online writing course can be a quick way to gain a brand new skill, especially if you find yourself with free time. You likely won’t have to spend 3-6 months learning from an online course, unless it’s a more specialized program. If it’s a self-paced course, you could potentially cram it all into a small block of time and start practicing right away.

Grow & Hone Skills You Already Have

If you already know the basics of writing, you can take an online writing course to learn different types of writing and hone those skills you already know how to do. An example might be copy writing or editing. There are also creative writing courses available online.

Self-paced

Probably one of the top reasons people opt for online writing courses is the ability to be self-paced. Because everyone learns differently, some people need more time in certain areas than others. Sometimes people just want to take their time and not rush through. Whatever the case, many online writing courses have the great benefit of being self-paced. 

Flexible with Location

A lot of people like online writing courses because they don’t have to be in a specific place to learn. Sometimes you’ll hear this flexibility called “location independent” and right now there’s a huge number of people who would love to travel the world and be able to make money from anywhere. Learning writing skills online makes a whole lot of sense for this lifestyle. 

Cheaper Than a Degree

Last, but certainly not least, online writing courses are chapter than getting a degree in writing. That’s not to say that all writing courses online are cheap, because that’s definitely not the case! The fact is, you can learn a specific skill online and potentially make money from it faster and cheaper than getting a degree in writing. 

This isn’t to say I’m in any way against college or going to college for writing - I’m definitely not! I was an English major myself, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. I’m an English major advocate. That being said, if you just want to hone a specific skill, especially an online skill, online writing courses can be a great way to do so. 

4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Worth the Money

Online writing courses clearly have some pretty awesome benefits! 

There’s definitely no shortage of people making excellent money from writing online, and the number of people who do freelance writing is and has been on the rise for years. 

But is it really worth it to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take online writing courses? 

The short answer: Yes. 

Here’s why:

You Take Charge of Your Learning

When you’re in the online learning space, there’s not one “right” path, or even a path that every single person takes. 

Pretty much everyone will tell you their course will change your life - and there’s a good chance it might. 

But the fact is, unlike a more traditional learning path, you get to choose: 

• What skills to learn

• Where to learn those skills

• How much you’re willing to pay to learn those skills

• What’s valuable to you

You’re the one making the decisions, not an institution or a salesperson. Whether or not you find this scary (it definitely can be!), it’s the truth. Everything is a la carte. You can buy one thing from 5 people or, if you find someone who’s really helpful, 5 things from one person. Either way, you get to make that decision.

You Control the Time Frame

When you take online writing courses, you know ahead of time exactly what you’re getting. You have the option to purchase a course that’s self-paced so you can do it on your own time.

There are also plenty of options to join a program that walks through things step-by-step, if you think that will be helpful in keeping you accountable and moving forward. 

You’re free to choose whichever sounds more appealing to you. 

You Have the Opportunity to Network & Connect with a Community

In most online writing courses, you will get an invitation to join a community of like-minded individuals who are completing the program with you. It’s kind of like a class, but without the mandatory butt-in-seat time & forced group work. 

Being able to network and be a part of a writing community is incredibly valuable, though, because not only do you hear what other people are thinking about, struggling with, and winning at, but you can also get a little slice of that human connection with people who know what you’re working on. 

You Can Go Wherever You Want (as Long as You Have Internet)

Probably one of the best things about taking an online writing course is the ability to go anywhere and still have access to the same quality of learning - as long as you have the internet, of course. 

It’s an added bonus that you could even potentially stay at home in your own bed with your favorite grungy PJs and absolutely no one will know or care. Who doesn’t want that option to learn such a valuable skill?! 

Where to Take Online Writing Courses

By now you’re probably wondering where the heck to find these online writing courses because, hey, there are awesome perks and maybe you’re tired of being at home doing nothing. Or maybe you’ve been at home doing everything and you want to start spending some time on you!

Either way, there are some pretty great places to take online writing courses. These are just a few ideas because I have used them personally, but I would encourage you to look at all the options for any skill you want to learn! Have some fun, do some dreaming, and then decide. 

1. Masterclass -If you want to learn writing from some master writers, Masterclass is an awesome place to go! You can take classes from such writers as: Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Malcolm Gladwell. These writers are bonafide writing successes!

2. Udemy - You can find almost any skill with a huge variety of teachers on Udemy. They have anything from creative to technical to academic writing skills courses available. Just make sure that you look through the options and look at the teacher before choosing so you know you’re getting information from someone who really knows their stuff! 

3. From Me! - I won’t toot my own horn too much, but I’ve worked with a lot of students over the years. One of my main focuses, aside from the actual skills building part, is to increase student confidence. And I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve been focusing on building student confidence with my teaching since I started - I’ve always worked on it as a teacher. 

The program I’m offering starting in September is 8 weeks long, and I designed it to take writers from the very beginning (we start with brainstorming) through the writing process and come out at the end with a “good” first draft of a creative project. 

I couldn’t be more excited if I tried! If you want to read all about it, you can click here. It will take you to the program page and fill you in on all the juicy details. 

Next Steps

So there you have it! Online writing courses can be a great way to gain practical (and fun) new skills that will help you in your career, and probably at home, too! You’ll love the flexibility, the options, and the decisions you get to make about what you’re learning. It’s a good deal! There’s a reason there are so many choices. 

But what do you do with this information?

1. Decide What Writing Skills You Want to Work On You’ll probably want to choose one or two skills to start with before you try to look at classes to take, otherwise you might get overwhelmed by the variety. Thinking about what you want to do with your new skills will help.

2. Look for Classes You Could Take to Improve Your Skills If you’re not able to pinpoint which skills you want to learn, you can always take a look at what’s available, although I’ll warn you it’s a lot! Sometimes it’s fun to window shop before you decide on the must have, though, you know? 

3. Sign Up for a Class/Course! Once you’ve looked around, pick one and buy it! 

4. Get Help if You Need It - If all of this seems overwhelming to you, you’re definitely not alone. The first time I bought a course and invested in myself I was so scared! And honestly, the times after that, too. 

With creative work, especially, it can sometimes be harder to see the value of an investment. If this is you, let me help! I do offer an 8 week program, but I also offer 1:1 coaching for writers, too. 

If you send me an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com telling me a little about yourself and what you want to do, I’ll give you a complimentary 30 minute session to help you figure out what you want and you can decide what’s best. Sound good? 

My challenge to you is to think about what kinds of writing skills would be valuable to you right now and take an online writing course about it. 

Have you taken an online writing course before? Used one of the options I listed? Or found something awesome you think should be on the list? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com! 

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

4 Ways Accountability Makes Writing Goals Easier to Achieve

It’s the time again where many of us are thinking about the back to school season. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or student, school is on the mind. Even if you’re not any of these roles, you’ve probably seen the back to school section growing in the grocery and office supply stores - maybe getting some office supplies while they’re on sale. 

Who doesn’t want to stock up on penny notebooks?!

This year is different because everything is uncertain. Will teachers and students go back to face-to-face classes? Will there be more online learning opportunities and/or expectations? Will we have another outbreak of COVID-19 and have to be sent home again? No one really knows. 

This is a great time to talk about accountability because so many of us are already in the mindset of figuring out what we have to do and what we’re responsible for (even those of us with fur babies rather than human babies). 

Writing is frequently one of the things that makes it onto the “do it later” list.

As adults, we know we’re responsible - we’ll get our stuff done and move on. But many times we push off things we don’t feel we “need” to do or that “can wait” because they’re “just not that important” or other things have to take precedence. Writing is frequently one of the things that makes it onto the “do it later” list. 

Accountability

What is Accountability? 

Before we talk about why it’s so much easier to achieve your writing goals with accountability, I wanted to clarify what I mean so we’re on the same page. 

When I say accountability, I simply mean that we are treating it as a worthy investment of our time and making time to actually do it.

When I say accountability in reference to our writing, I simply mean that we are treating it as a worthy investment of our time and making time in our busy schedules to actually do it - to be accountable for making our own progress. 

A lot of times writers will keep themselves accountable by getting an accountability partner. Having someone else involved can apply a little pressure to actually do something about our writing instead of just letting it sit there like we might if there’s no one we’re “accountable” to. 

So while it’s always important to be accountable to ourselves, I will also talk a lot about the benefits of having an accountability partner. 

Accountability & writing goals

How Does Accountability Relate to Writing Goals? 

So what does all of this have to do with writing goals? 

There are several ways accountability can be good for our writing: 

Human Connection with Other Writers

While you can certainly make yourself accountable by regularly checking in with yourself, accountability also gives you a great opportunity to connect with other humans! Since writing is solitary most of the time, we can sometimes get wrapped up in our own little world. If you get an accountability partner, it’s a great way to talk about writing as a process, talk about your own project, and learn about other writers’ projects, too. 

Helps with Progress on SMART Goals

If you haven’t read my blog on SMART goals, you should because it’ll really help you clarify your own goals. Just as a quick review, though, SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. So when you start making accountability a priority in your writing, you’ll feel good about making progress, but you’ll also see it because you’ll be monitoring it regularly!

Makes You Actually Write

A big part of the reason writers get stuck is that we put off the actual writing. Even if we want to write, we find reasons to push it back “just a little” or even make an excuse NOT to do it. It’s kind of weird, actually.

A big part of the reason writers get stuck is that we put off the actual writing.

Weirdness aside, when you use accountability, whether to yourself or with a partner, you will actually write because at that point there’s more at stake than writing whenever you feel like it. And hey, writing because you feel like it is great! But it doesn’t always get the job done if that’s the only time you’re doing it.

Why Does Accountability Make Writing Goals Easier?

Are you starting to see why accountability is helpful to your writing? 

It can definitely be tricky, especially for those of us who feel constantly overloaded and overwhelmed by our To Do lists. 

BUT, these 4 reasons why accountability will make writing goals easier to achieve are hard to argue with.

(They really make you want to start being accountable!)

1. Lessens the pressure to be perfect

Who here struggles with that crazy idea we call perfectionism? Hi there, me too! The thing about perfectionism, besides the fact that it’s actually terrible, is that it keeps us from taking action. When we’re being accountable and making measurable progress on a regular basis, we tend to feel less pressured to be perfect because we know we just need to get it done. 

When we’re being accountable and making measurable progress on a regular basis, we tend to feel less pressured to be perfect

This is especially true if you have an accountability partner because you know you need to send it out, and you need to do it on time, so there’s no time for you to dilly-dally around with whether or not you used the right word in that one sentence in the middle of that one paragraph.

2. Forces action

If you know you’re waiting on someone to send you something, and you’re going to send something back, that compels you to take action, right? It’s the same way with accountability. You know you need to be accountable and just do the thing - if not for yourself than for your partner - so you simply do it. 

3. Built in feedback

When you’re being accountable with someone else, you can use that as a time to get feedback on an ongoing basis instead of just at the end after you’re done with everything. Getting feedback has numerous benefits, but in this context it can be super helpful because you can start implementing changes or playing with different ideas right now rather than when you’re all done with the draft. 

4. Consistent Progress

Accountability is great because it helps us make consistent progress. Not just once in a while progress, or explosive finish the whole thing in 30 days progress (unless that’s what you want to do), but instead week after week progress that’s a struggle for most of us. 

Accountability helps us make that progress we’ve been trying to get and struggled with on our own. 

The busier we get, the more writing seems to slip down the list of priorities. Accountability helps us make that progress we’ve been trying to get and struggled with on our own. 

Next Steps

Next Steps

If you’ve heard of or used accountability before, you’re probably familiar with how helpful it is! If you haven’t, I would highly recommend getting an accountability partner! You’ll find it lessens the need to be perfect, makes you take action, gets you some ongoing feedback, and allows you to make the consistent progress you want to make but have such a hard time with on your own. 

If you haven’t used accountability before, I would highly recommend getting an accountability partner!

But what do you do with this information going forward? There are several simple steps you can take. Notice I didn’t say “easy” - being accountable isn’t necessarily easy, but it IS worth it.

1. Decide what kind of accountability you need for your writing.

Do you need just a simple check-in with someone every week/two weeks/month to say “Hey, did you do this?” Or do you need someone to meet with every week and workshop new material? Or maybe something in between? Decide what you want from accountability before you try to find someone to work with. Remember, your situation is unique to you, so you know what would be most helpful - trust yourself. 

2. Find someone to be accountable with.

Whether you go with a trusted friend or a professional, make sure that whoever you want to work with will be a) honest and b) tell you what you need to hear, even if it’s not what you want to hear. This generally means try to find another writer. 

If you are interested in working with me, I offer 1:1 accountability sessions for just this reason. A lot of writers don’t have other writers in their life to do this with, at least not friends who they are close enough with to feel comfortable working with in this way. 

I’ve been a writer and writing teacher for years, and I’ve seen almost everything in writing. I’m always going to be honest, but I will always be kind about it. If this sounds like something you want to investigate more, click here to read more about some of the services I offer along with accountability. 

3. Ask them to help you

Once you’ve decided on someone you want to be accountability partners with, ask them if they would be willing! I’ve found that most people are willing to help if they can, but don't assume anything before you ask.

4. Be accountable!

Once you’ve found your person, get writing and be accountable! And, if you decide you don’t want to find an accountability partner, set up regular check-ins with yourself about your writing so that you can be accountable to yourself. 

My challenge to you is to find an accountability partner before your next writing session and ask if they’re willing to work with you. 

Have you had an accountability partner before? How did it go? Or have you used another version of accountability? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@captuingyourconfidence.com! 

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

3 Reasons SMART Goals Work for Writers

Now that it’s the second half of 2020, you might be thinking about your goals. I know I am! It feels like last time I blinked I was setting my ORIGINAL 2020 goals. 

Unbeknownst to all of us, this year has been a wild ride! 

We’ve had a pandemic, killer bees (for a hot minute), and the quick growth of a major social & civil movement.

While the whole world has been at home for 5 months, our priorities have shifted, to say the least.

While the whole world has been at home for 5 months, our priorities have shifted, to say the least. We’re living in a different world than we did at the beginning of this year, so it makes sense that we might need to adjust our goals now so we can finish out the year with some semblance of sanity.

At least that’s how I feel at this point.  

How do you feel? Are you ready to think about how to set achievable goals for the rest of this year? Heck, maybe even the rest of this month? 

SMART Goals definition

What is a SMART Goal?

Last time I talked about setting goals was way back in January when I told you I don’t set resolutions. Since we’ve had all of these changes, I’m sure glad I didn’t! 

But while I talked about how to set goals, I didn’t include the SMART system. I typically like to be a little more holistic with my goals, but under the present circumstances, the SMART goal is pretty dang appealing. 

Here are the elements of a SMART goal:

SMART Goal Element 1: Specific

Make your goals simple, specific, and clear. 

To help you be specific, remember the 5 “W”s (and an H) most of us learned in writing class all those years ago: 

Who needs to be involved to make the goal happen?

What do I need to achieve? 

When do I need to complete this goal? (More on this in the time-bound step.)

Where do I need to be to complete the goal? (i.e. Do I have to be in a specific place?)

Why is this goal important to me?

How will I complete the goal? Will I have to contend with limited resources?

SMART Goal Element 2: Measurable

Make sure your goals are measurable - that you actually have a way to tell when you’re making progress and when it has been completed. 

Ask yourself questions like: 

How will I be able to tell I’ve made progress? 

How will I know the goal is achieved? 

SMART Goal Element 3: Achievable

This part is super important - we don’t want to set goals we can’t complete! Your goal should test your limits, but should be something you can actually achieve. 

Ask yourself questions like:

Do I have limited resources to achieve this goal? For instance, money or time.

What are the concrete steps I need to take to make this goal a reality? 

SMART Goal Element 4: Relevant

This goal isn’t going to be the only one in your life, so it’s important it relates to other things you’re working on, too.

For instance, you don’t want to set seemingly opposing goals like “I want to learn to relax more” and “I want to get a second job to make more money.” It’s probably going to be hard to relax more if you’re also working more.

Ask yourself questions like:

Does the timing of this goal fit the other needs in my life?

How does this fit in with the other goals in my life? 

SMART Goal Element 5: Time-Bound

For most of us, our natural instinct is to do things “when we can,” but this is not a great mindset for achieving goals. In order to make progress and achieve our goals, it’s important to set a deadline for ourselves so we actually work on it. 

Ask yourself questions like: 

What can I start doing today to work on this goal?

When will I work on this goal every week/month/quarter? 

When do I want to have the goal completely accomplished? 

The foundation of the SMART goal system  was developed by many talented individuals in the organizational performance field.

The foundation of the SMART goal system  was developed by many talented individuals in the organizational performance field; however, George T. Doran was the first one to name the SMART & write it down as such in 1981.

Can we take a moment to say thank you to George and those before him who developed these ideas?!

The particularly appealing parts of SMART goals, for me, are the measurable & time-bound pieces. It can be hard to quantify our creative life using these parameters, but it’s also incredibly doable and empowering!

What’s the Difference Between a “Regular” Goal & a SMART Goal?

Before we dive into why SMART goals are a fantastic tool for writers, I wanted to touch on what makes a SMART goal different from a “regular” everyday goal. 

The things that are most different between goals and SMART goals:

Specific

No one means to set a vague goal, at least not most people. But because the SMART goal asks you to be hyper-specific, it means that you can actually see progress and that you can actually accomplish the goal. 

Instead of a goal like “I want to be a better person,” which is good but vague, a SMART goal might say something like “I want to volunteer at lthe local food bank to become a more helpful citizen in my community.”

Measurable

It’s great to have big goals - I preach that over and over! - but it’s less of a goal (and more of a dream) when you can’t measure what’s happening. 

We need that deadline to encourage us to actually do the work and get the goal completed. 

Using the same example from above, “I want to be a better person,” a SMART goal would be more measurable if it said, “I will become a more helpful citizen in my community by volunteering at the local food bank so I can meet people with different life experiences and learn from them.”

The SMART goal here can be measured by the hours volunteered and the amount the individual purposefully interacts with the people s/he is serving. 

Time Element

The time element is probably the most helpful part about SMART goals, at least for people like me who struggle to balance all the priorities life has in store for us. We need that deadline to encourage us to actually do the work and get the goal completed.

In the example above, “I want to be a better person,” the SMART goal with a time element might look like, “I will volunteer at the local food bank once a week for the next 6 months so I can meet people with different life experiences and learn from them.”

Why Do SMART Goals Work So Well for Writers? 

First of all, are you as excited about SMART goals as I am? I hope so! If not, that’s okay, too. That doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly helpful for writers just like you!

Why does this system work for writers? 

First, you can actually see progress as you write because the goals are measurable. As you’re working on your writing goals and doing the writing, you can see your progress on the page.

Setting a deadline creates the kind of pressure that encourages you to finish your epic fantasy novel at all instead of just letting it sit in a file cabinet by your desk.

Second, you’re creating accountability to yourself. By setting a deadline, and maybe telling someone about it, you create a situation in which you need to be accountable to actually doing what you set out to do. You also know going in that your goal is achievable, which makes checking your progress pleasant instead of something you dread.

Finally, setting a deadline and having measurable progress creates a little pressure! Not the kind that says you have to finish your 1,000+ page epic fantasy novel in 90 days, but the kind that encourages you to finish your epic fantasy novel at all instead of just letting it sit in a file cabinet by your desk.

How Can Writers Set SMART Goals? 

The first time I read about SMART goals I was not sold on how this could relate to anything creative because at first glance it doesn’t seem like it leaves a lot of room for creativity. 

But the more I read about them, and the more goals I set, SMART and “regular,” the more I’ve realized SMART goals are DEFINITELY the way to go with writing! 

The more I read about them, and the more goals I set, the more I’ve realized SMART goals are definitely the way to go with writing! 

If you, like me, are wondering what that looks like, I wanted to walk through an example because it can be tough to see how creativity can be measurable or relevant when you’re first starting out. 

I also created a worksheet to help you out! I figured since I muddled through it I could make it easier for you. You can get that by clicking here.

So, let’s start with the basic goal of “starting and completing a writing project” and walk through the steps to make it SMART. 

Writing SMART Goal Step 1: Specific

Starting: Starting and completing a writing project

SMART: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel.

Writing SMART Goal Step 2: Measurable

Start: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel. 

SMART: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter at a time.

Writing SMART Goal Step 3: Achievable

Start:  I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter at a time.

SMART: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter per week.

Writing SMART Goal Step 4: Relevant

Start: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter per week.

SMART: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter per week, which will allow me to still have time to spend with my family and work on other creative projects. 

Writing SMART Goal Step 5: Time-Bound

Start: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel by creating an outline and writing one chapter per week, which will allow me to still have time to spend with my family and work on other creative projects. 

SMART: I will start brainstorming and completely finish the first draft of my YA novel within the next 6 months by creating an outline and writing one chapter per week, which will allow me to still have time to spend with my family and work on other creative projects.

Do you see how SMART goals could help you with your writing?

Do you see how SMART goals could help you with your writing? It seems like it would be counter intuitive to structure your creativity, but as it turns out, having deadlines and being able to see progress is actually a huge and positive game-changer.

Next steps

Next Steps

Now that you know why SMART goals work for writers, what are you going to do with that info? 

There are multiple steps you can take: 

1.Download the free Writing SMART Goals Worksheet! It’s almost always helpful when someone else builds a fill-in-the-blank worksheet to help us take action, and I’m so excited to give you another tool! It’s a pretty sweet setup, if I do say so myself, and I am going to be using it to set my own SMART goals this month as we finish out 2020. 

If you want the SMART goals worksheet, click here or fill out the form below to get your worksheet for free right now. What’s the worst that could happen? 

2. Set Some SMART goals Take some time and use the worksheet to set brand new shiny SMART goals! Or, take your goals from the beginning of 2020 and revamp them SMART style. 

3. Practice Being Accountable Once you’ve gotten your SMART goals written (and posted where you’ll look at them every day), practice making measurable progress on them every day/week/month. Whatever goal you set, keep showing up to do the work and being accountable to yourself. 

4. Get Help if You Need It If you are struggling with setting goals for your writing, or you just want some help, I can be that person for you. Click here to read more about how I work 1:1 with writers like you to set goals, strategize, and be an accountability partner for their writing projects. 

My challenge to you is to take action today. Get the worksheet and take a few minutes TODAY to set a SMART goal for your writing. 

Have you heard of or used SMART goals before? Did you use the worksheet to set new SMART goals? I’d love to hear about your goal-setting process! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com! 

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.