Excuses Begone

It has been said that old habits die-hard and seem to be next to impossible to change. But this need not be the case. You CAN change old habits and patterns of thinking that are keeping you from being the best writer possible.

The first thing that a writer should do is to take stock regularly. When a writer evaluates how she is progressing, she is able to become aware of some of the self-defeating thoughts and actions that she takes every day—ones that are completely unproductive and can lead to misery and a lack of success.

In order to change our old negative, self-defeating writing habits, we should seek to get rid of all of our excuses for not accomplishing and producing what we must in order to be successful. This usually takes an intentional mind shift—one that moves the writer from a negative to a positive state of mind.

So, instead of constantly saying, I can’t, I’m not able, I’m too old, I’m too dumb, and so on, we should say, I will try this, I can do this, I can learn to be a better writer, I can get published and so on. No matter where you are in your writing career, you can make small improvements today in your thinking patterns that will eliminate some of the excuses for you to remain stuck in a rut of negativity.

Here are a few things you could do to get yourself out of the negativity rut.

• Make a decision NOT to entertain any more excuses for not being the best writer that you can be. Instead, start where you are right now, and decide on which positive steps you can take to bring your career to the next level so that in time you could be successful.

• Take steps to change and reverse all negative self-defeating writing habits and thoughts that you have towards your writing career. Instead, try to write every day, even if it is for 15 to 20 minutes. The consistency will help you to feel more confident about your writing career. Also, take a class every season to upgrade and improve your writing skills.

• Have a zero tolerance towards negativity in your life in general. Many times when writers experience negativity in other parts of their lives, such as with their families or jobs, this kind of spills over into their writing life. So, it is important to take steps to be as positive in all areas of your life.

• See yourself through a new lens. Instead of seeing yourself through the lens of failure, view yourself through the eyes of success. If you have to fake that feeling at first, that’s okay. Just develop it. This positive feeling will give you the confidence to pursue any of the avenues you need in order to be the most successful writer.

By taking these steps, you will stop making excuses for not being a successful writer. Instead, you will take responsibility for your writing life. You CAN BE a successful writer. It doesn’t have to be difficult, even small changes can produce major results. All you need is a positive mind-set.

Try it!

Irene S. Roth
Freelance Writer, Author, and Editor

Book Review: Noddy in Wonderland

This is a GREAT novel with wonderful pacing and magical elements in it. If you are trying to write a great fantasy, please take the time to read this book. Here is a review of the book to tweak your imagination.

Noddy In Wonderland
By: Paddy Bostock

Noddy in Wonderland is a unique fantasy novel for all ages. It will keep the reader turning those pages. It is filled with romance and magic. What a great combination for a novel!

Noddy in Wonderland is a multifaceted drama, imbued with philosophical, social and psychological implications. Yet, one of the greatest aspects of the novel is that it never makes its connection with that genre completely explicit. I love the freshness and uniqueness of this story.

The story is about a former soldier, Noddy who returns to his hometown, Liverpool. He dreams of becoming the king of Liverpool. When he shoots a government minister in the bottom, he accidently divides the country into two groups, a group of fans who approve of him and the entire government machinery who threaten to go against him. How does Noddy manage to turn this situation around and see his dream come true? This is a very intriguing part of the story that the reader should explore for him/herself. And on this fantasy adventure he chugs along a large group of accomplices and friends including his brother Knobby, a beautiful girlfriend Meryl, and an elf and a talking dog. This is quite a combination of unique characters.

In this story, Bostock mixes satire and sarcasm into a delightful story. Turning this into a fantasy takes a lot of hard work. But Bostock pulls it off with honours. But what is more, behind the hilarity lies a profound understanding of human nature and an in-depth contemplation of some pretty ineffable issues. The book is also paced perfectly. I just love stories that have this kind of depth and meaning.

Bostock’s novel is one of self-development and it will make the reader rethink and reassess some of his common frameworks and viewpoints. Being a philosopher interested in philosophical psychology, this book tweaked my interest quite a bit and held it until I finished reading it. What a GREAT book! Now, I plan on rereading it.

I recommend Noddy in Wonderland to anyone who loves to read fantasies. Get ready to be transfixed by this book.

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth

Are You a Disciplined Writer?

The word discipline has many negative connotations not only for writers but for everyone. It seems that we don’t want to be disciplined. It connotes ideas of being narrow-minded and stubborn in pursuing and fulfilling our goals. It can also connote a stagnant mind set for some. But is this really true?

Discipline need not have these negative connotations. This is because without discipline, writers will not be successful. But discipline comes in many different forms, some of which are very positive indeed. When writers are asked about the positive dimensions of discipline, here are a few things that they commonly mention:

• It helps me stick to my writing goals;
• It helps me be aware of my writing goals;
• It helps me be a successful writer;
• It helps me gain balance with my other goals by setting time lines to complete projects;
• It helps me gain self-confidence;
• It helps me accomplish so much more;
• It helps me be in control of my writing career;
• It helps me see where I need to focus my energies and where I can let go a bit;
• It helps me make a commitment to my writing;
• It helps me carve out time to write and ascertain a particular time to write;
• It helps me develop my craft so that I can become the best writer that I am capable of;
• It helps me be a professional writer.

Given all of these benefits, it is no wonder that discipline and becoming a disciplined writer has become a buzz word among writers. There is a big difference between a writer who has discipline and one who doesn’t. One can almost see it in how they regard their work projects and how important it is for them to complete them on time and with a high degree of quality.

The most successful writers are extremely disciplined. They know where they are at the present time, and where they want to be 1, 2, 3, and 5 years from now in terms of their writing projects and what they want to accomplish. They know what kinds of writing to pursue for personal fulfillment and they take the time to carve up some time for themselves.

Don’t you wish that you were more disciplined? Don’t you wish you felt more in control of your writing career? Don’t you wish you were successful? If you answered any of these questions in the affirmative, then take some time to develop the necessary habits to become a disciplined writer. You will gain a lot of freedoms and you will be a successful writer too. And once you become a disciplined writer, you will become disciplined in other areas of your life too. This is because discipline really does beget discipline!

Try it!

Irene S. Roth
Freelance Writer, Author, and Editor