Upcoming Writing Classes

September 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Need help getting going with your writing and/or a big rewrite? Want to get a sense of working with me? Check out these upcoming writing classes I’ll be leading in October and beyond.

Note:  The links I’m providing are referral links so the company involved will a pay me a small commission for referring you to them if you sign up after clicking on the link.

 

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With The Writer’s Store:

Navigating the Inner Journey of a Rewrite

navigatingrewrite-500_smallWHEN: Thursday, October 1, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

HOW: Webinar

WHAT: The Navigating the Inner Journey of a Rewrite webinar is focused on rewriting for screenwriters but also has relevant tools for all writers because it addresses the inner aspects of dealing with a major rewrite. This is a one-time, 1.5 hour webinar and will be recorded if you cannot attend the live class.

DESCRIPTION: You’ve finished your screenplay, right?

Or have you?

Whether you’ve just typed FADE OUT or you’ve been wrestling with a rewrite for ages, rewriting is a necessary part of the screenwriting process. After all, you want your script to shine before you take it out into the marketplace. And since rewriting is part of a screenwriter’s job description, whether you’re elevating a spec, doing a page one rewrite, reworking a script based on feedback or coverage, or overhauling to meet a producer’s needs, it’s worth making sure you have all the tools you need at your disposal to make it happen. (Read the full class description by clicking on the link below.)

In this class you’ll:

  • Discover how to deal with the resistance and overwhelm that turn up when tackling a major rewrite
  • Develop both practical rewriting strategies and inner mindset tools to help you see your rewrite all the way through to completion
  • Gain the skills you need to successfully complete rewrite after rewrite — a must in the screenwriting industry

Click here to find out more and register: Navigating the Inner Journey of a Rewrite

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On Screenwriter’s University:

Fitting Writing Into Your Life: Becoming a Productive Screenwriter

fittingwritingintoyourlifeWHEN: Starts on October 15 and runs for 7 days

HOW: A weeklong intensive with a three-part online recorded video presentation and discussions online (with lots of interaction and support from me).

WHAT: The Fitting Writing Into Your Life: Becoming a Productive Screenwriter course is about making your writing happen, one day at a time. (There’s a later section of the same course in January you can register for now if the October class doesn’t work for your schedule). Although this class is offered as a screenwriting program it is relevant and useful for other writers too. This is an online program with a prerecorded class (from me) and interactive writing prompts on the site with feedback from me also.

DESCRIPTION: If you aren’t making progress on your screenplay, or you feel blocked every time you sit down to write, it’s time to break the chains of unproductive writing. Adopting the techniques that will make you a consistently productive writer is imperative to seeing any of your writing projects from beginning to end. Get all of the tools to develop an effective strategy and a schedule that you can stick to.

In this week-long intensive, you’ll first watch and discuss (via discussion boards) a three-part video lecture exploring 10 habits and techniques that will keep your writing schedule consistent and productive. Then, you’ll use what you have learned to create a personalized writing plan that you will submit for feedback. At the end of just one week you will have a fail-proof strategy for the most productive writing of your life.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Myths about writing that may actually be sabotaging your progress as a writer.
  • Simple, fresh strategies for handling writing resistance and creative blocks.
  • Ways to design your life and your writing time so it happens regularly.
  • Mindset shifts to help you write more consistently and productively.
  • Techniques to cut down on the time required to “gear up” into writing mode.

Click here to find out more and register: Fitting Writing Into Your Life: Becoming a Productive Screenwriter

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My Fall schedule got so busy with these classes that I decided to postpone my own Called to Write teleclass but I expect to offer it in November or December, so stay tuned!

 

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The opposite of resistance is insistence

September 21, 2015 by 2 Comments

Overcoming resistance to writing requires more effort initially than it does later on, particularly if you build a writing habit and get into the swing of doing it every day without question, like brushing your teeth.

Before that — and sometimes even after you have a writing habit in place — one of your best tools for fighting resistance is insistence.

I suppose it’s a kind of willpower but I think of it more as a blazing piece of magic and determination that tells resistance: “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”

Insistence means drawing a line in the sand and saying, “I WILL write today!” even if that looks like aiming for your rock bottom minimum of fifteen minutes or 350 words or whatever you’ve identified as your “no matter what”.

Insistence doesn’t have to be a ruthless warrior either. She can also be a gentle goddess, coaxing you to the page, kindly insisting that yes, indeed, you can write today, even just for five minutes. She’s the one that helps you set the timer and get the file open and start typing.

There are days when insisting that I write feels exhausting, like one more thing to do on my overly full plate. But there’s a deeper part of me that feels relieved and satisfied when I show up and do it.

Release the joy

I believe that writing is a calling. Something we can’t not do. It doesn’t come easy for all writers. For many of us, resistance is so overpowering that we begin to believe perhaps we just don’t care enough about writing to actually do it.

Here’s the thing. Where there is resistance, there also is passion, secret joy, energy, enthusiasm, and delight just waiting to burst out, to be freed from its prison.

You are the one with the power to release it.

Gently insisting that you will write today, even just a little bit, begins to break down the dam that holds back all that joy.

Is writing always joyful?

Will you feel joyful while you write?

Maybe not.

Perhaps it’s the pessimistic side of me but I often feel more like a terrified deep sea diver putting on her scuba gear when I sit down at my desk to write. And while I’m underwater I focus on doing the work, as if the sharks and other unseen terrors might be show up at any time. And it’s hard work too, extracting ores and hauling buried treasures back to the surface. It’s only once I’ve returned to the surface, pulled off my gear, and taken a breath of fresh air that the relief and joy erupts through me.

I’m okay with that. But sometimes, I need a little insistence to help me get past the fear of facing all that hard work. :)

 

What about you? How does insistence help you show up and do the work?

 

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Today is the perfect day to clean your writing desk

September 9, 2015 by 2 Comments

Ordinarily I recommend writing first and cleaning later. I stand by that today, too. Do your writing, then clean your writing desk.

But today is still a good day to clean your desk.

Here’s why.

As Fall takes shape, you’re likely to start experiencing that “back to school” energy we all usually start feeling around now. You’re probably even be feeling it already.

If you’re like me, you’re might be right between that lazy summer-just-ended feeling and sensing the forces of Fall coming down the pike. My older boy just started school and I can tell that I’m about to get swept up in the wave of production that usually strikes around now.

But it’s not quite here yet, at least not for me — today might actually be the first time I’m really starting to feel it as opposed to just knowing that it’s coming.

Whether you’re still in that in-between place, or ready to Get Moving, cleaning your space of the accumulated muck that’s built up over the summer is a perfect way to transition into this productive phase and be ready to make the most of it.

For desk cleaning, here are a couple of tricks that work for me when I have limited time:

  • Triage the mess and sort it into what-goes-where piles. Hopefully a lot of it will go straight into the recycling bin. One of my favorite tricks from Miriam Ortiz Y Pino is to use a “Belongs Elsewhere” box that I can toss things into that belong elsewhere in the house but have snuck into my space over time (those evil little monsters!). 
  • Put away what you can right now.
  • Put the rest into a stack to sort later.
  • Clean the desk surface.
  • Behold the magnificence of your clear workspace.
  • Get back to the writing. :)
  • Over time, develop a system for the what-goes-where issues you discover as you clean and so the mess is less to deal with next time. (Miriam is great at helping with this. One of the best things about my office is that even though it’s messy on top right now it’s well organized underneath the chaos.)

And while you’re cleaning, here’s something to contemplate.

It’s also a really good time to think about what you want to accomplish between now and the “end” of the year.

And let’s be realistic about that for a moment, shall we? 

It’s not really December 31st for most of us that marks the end of the year. Realistically, it’s more like late November or early to mid December somethingth. Because Thanksgiving rolls around, the kids are out of school for a couple of days, then suddenly you’re in holiday mode. And sure, you’ll still get stuff done (I always do something special to mark the end of the year for my online Writer’s Circle coaching program for instance), but let’s face it, you’ll also have one foot in holiday parties and shopping and the like.

(Unless maybe you’re a true writer-hermit type, in which case you’ll probably benefit from everyone else being so busy since you’ll have all kinds of quiet time to yourself. :) ) 

So really, it’s a great time to not only kick it into high gear with this back to school vibe, but it’s also smart to think about what you’re hoping to accomplish before 2015 rolls out like the tide.

You’ve got about three and a half months, give or take, before the holidays really start taking over the collective.

What are you aiming to accomplish before then?

While you’re cleaning your desk, you call mull that one over and think about where you’d like to be at the “end” of the year.

And you’ll have a nice, clear space to get to work in, too. :)

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Join the Writer's CircleIf you want to make the most of the coming months in terms of your writing, consider joining the Writer’s Circle. One of my writers just today told me what a magical place it is for her. I couldn’t agree more! Writers who’ve struggled for ages to write regularly find that if they commit to showing up daily in our online program, it doesn’t take long before they are moving mountains with their words. Come join us. The next session starts on Monday, September 14th, and registration closes THIS THURSDAY (that’s tomorrow). Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com

 

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Survey says . . . !

September 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment

I haven’t really taken a proper day off this Labor Day weekend, though we did get to take the boys swimming up in warm Sacramento on Saturday, which was lovely. I hope you’re having a terrific Labor Day if you’re off work today. 

What’s been preoccupying me lately is been looking over the results of the survey (and packing up books for our winners, so fun!).

It’s been fascinating to see how the answers spread out in response to the question, “Do you struggle with any of the following with your writing?“

Here’s a look at all the survey results for this particular question (click the graphic to open it up into a larger window):

Do you struggle with any of the following with your writing?Survey Results

 

Over 71% answered “procrastination,” which doesn’t surprise me. Interestingly, 71% of you also said you felt called to write “without a doubt”.

Isn’t that an interesting statistical match up?

The statistic that really stands out to me though, is the second one in the list, which comes in at 44% — “Jumping from project to project and never finishing anything“. 

It’s worth talking more about why this happens and what to do about it, but I’ll give you a hint right now about what underlies that “habit”: Perfectionism coupled with self-doubt and normal resistance (but perfectionism takes the lead).

And of course “Wishing you had more time” comes in close behind it at 38%.

The next batch of highest ranked challenges makes an interesting collection too:

  • Thinking you aren’t creative enough or don’t have good enough ideas, 35%
  • Not feeling like a “real” writer, 35% 
  • Being too busy with work, 34% 

Followed closely by:

  • Struggling to find big blocks of time to write, 31%
  • Feeling that you need more training, 29%

Can you relate to any of these?

Some of these are “trick” questions of course, and I’ll be telling you more about why that is when we talk for the teleclass. (N.B. I’m postponing this class until later in the fall and will keep you posted!)

The answers that were “other” included things like:

  • Insecurity and self-doubt
  • Being afraid to finish because of being unsure what to do next
  • Feeling like no one will want to read what you write
  • Feeling under-skilled and ignorant
  • Failing to set firm boundaries around your writing time
  • Feeling depressed because of other life issues
  • Not getting up early enough or scheduling writing time 
  • Struggling with organizing and editing 
  • Perfectionism
  • Not enough income

And of course I have thoughts and suggestions about how to deal with all of these too, which I’ll aim to discuss in the teleclass.

Thanks to everyone who participated! 

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Join the Writer's CircleIn the meantime, if you’re struggling with any of these challenges, my best solution (and/or doing private coaching with me) is my Writer’s Circle group coaching program. The next session starts this coming Monday, September 14th and we’d love to have you join us! 

 

 

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And the winners are…

August 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Thanks to the almost 100 of you who participated in my Called to Write Survey!
I appreciate your input so very much.

It was fascinating to look over the results.

So many of us feel called to write, but struggle with all the challenges of bringing it into reality.

For instance, in answer to the question, “Do you feel that you are called to write?”

  • 71% answered “without a doubt“
  • 21% answered “would like to believe that“
  • 8% answered “not sure“

But even though so many of us feel called to write, there are still lots of struggles with procrastinating, being too busy, being uncertain about what to work on, and more.

I’ll be looking further at the data and seeing what else I can glean, as well as reviewing all the great questions and issues all of you brought up. Thank you so much!

And without further ado… 

Our book drawing winners!

Here are the TWENTY winners from our random number generated drawing:

  1. Courtney
  2. Dorit 
  3. Michele (with one ‘L’)
  4. Debi
  5. Beth
  6. Jodie
  7. Marion
  8. Steven
  9. Karen
  10. Rebecca
  11. Christine (@yahoo)
  12. Jo Ann
  13. Risa
  14. James
  15. Antoinette
  16. Amy
  17. Linda D.
  18. Nikki
  19. Candace
  20. Selen

I don’t have last initials for everyone, but everyone has been emailed who won (check your spam folder if you think your name is on the list but you don’t see an email from us).

IMPORTANT: Winners have until Monday, August 31 at 12 noon Pacific Time to respond with their mailing address and book preference, after that we will move on to our Runners Up.

 

Thanks again to everyone who participated!

 

 

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Cool (and free) expressive business writing retreat this Friday

August 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Isabel ParlettMy colleague and friend Isabel Parlett is hosting a very cool (and free!) business writing retreat this Friday, August 28th starting at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (noon Eastern) that I want to make sure you know about. It’s designed to help you “wake up your writing and get the words flowing,” and I think you will love it if you’re looking to write business copy more freely and with more fun.

Isabel is amazing with “message” work — helping business owners find the deeper core message of what you are here to do with your business, and as a dancer, she also is incredibly inspiring about how she gets writers to free up their bodies and write more from their hearts and souls when it comes to business related writing.

You can expect to dance, move your body, and WRITE for much of the half-day program.

You can find out more about the program and sign up here: 
http://soundbiteshaman.com/express-your-wild-spirit-retreat-2015

 

Note: I’m not an affiliate and I’m not receiving compensation for this. I’m just telling you about it because I adore Isabel and I think you will love her work. :)

 

 

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Share your input + be entered to win

August 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment

I’m working on prepping a class called “Called to Write: How to Align Your Daily Actions with Your Soul’s Deeper Purpose” and I’d love to have your input.

If you can spare a few minutes of your time to fill out a short survey, I would be grateful!

Everyone who participates will be entered into a random drawing to win a print copy of The War of Art or Turning Pro, two of my favorite books by Steven Pressfield. Multiple copies are available, courtesy of the lovely Callie Oettinger at Black Irish Books, so there will be multiple winners!

The drawing will be held on Wednesday, August 26th and winners will be announced then.

You can enter the drawing and participate in the survey by clicking here.

Thank you so much!

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What would you require to give a writing grant?

July 30, 2015 by 8 Comments

I got to thinking today, after hearing about a writing grant opportunity recently, that it would be amazing to one day be able to fund and operate a writer’s grant program. Maybe even a residential one.

And instantly I started contemplating what I would want to see come in from prospective candidates with their applications.

Here’s what’s crossed my mind so far, in addition to the usual “proof of need” one might expect:

  • A specific writing project and a description of its current status, i.e. concept development, rough draft, in rewrites, etc.
  • A plan and timeline for completing it.
  • A pitch for the concept that gives a sense of its marketability, audience, and reach.
  • An outline of the writer’s plan for marketing the project.
  • Possibly also a slate of ideas for future writing projects.
  • An amazing writing sample demonstrating the writer’s potential.
  • A personal introduction that gave a strong sense of who they are as a person, in terms of their spirit, drive, passion, and personality.

I imagine this might be something similar to what a publisher would want, though that’s an area I haven’t explored yet. Some of these things might be of interest to a screenwriter’s manager as well.

What would be on your list?

I’m curious, if YOU had the money to give, what would be on your list of what you’d want to see from prospective candidate for a writing grant? Or if you were advising me on how to make sure I would attract and select writers best suited for making the most of a writing grant, what would you suggest?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not accepting applications yet nor will I be in a position to do something like that for the foreseeable future but I’m interested… :)

Can we use this now?

… Because:

What if we had those things right now for our current writing projects?

Would they help move us forward with a clearer sense of purpose, drive, and momentum? Or not?

What would it be like if we did?

 

I’d love to hear what you think.

Tell me in the comments!

 

 

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About this “there’s no such thing as writer’s block” thing

June 18, 2015 by 4 Comments

I get kind of pissed off when people say there’s no such thing as writer’s block.

People say “you don’t ever hear of plumber’s block, do you?”

And, “Writers write. If you’re a writer, write.”

Which, yeah.

I agree with that.

Writers write.

But not when they feel stuck.

But if you think about it carefully, doesn’t writers block really mean “feeling unable to write”?

And isn’t it a bit ridiculous to tell someone there is no such thing as the feeling they are feeling?

I think it is.

One of my coaches, Jessica Michaelson, says there are no rules governing our inner emotional sanctuaries.

We get to feel how we feel. We may chose to take action that is different than how we feel – like not throwing the baby out the window when he wont stop screaming ;) or choosing to write when we are not in the mood (which is not the same thing as feeling blocked by the way) – but we may still feel angry and at wit’s end, or grouchy and out of sorts, and that’s perfectly okay.

In fact, I’m not at all sure how it helps someone who feels blocked to invalidate how they are feeling.

I will say, however, that what worries me is how writers usually chose to deal with writer’s block, and what they make it mean in their heads.

Lots of writers who feel blocked just stop writing and flat out hide. Or go around complaining that they are blocked as if they have no ability to make any kind of change their own lives.

I get equally pissed off by people who don’t choose to take action to help themselves, even if it’s a matter of reaching out for help to someone like me, one of my Writer’s Circle coaches, or any of the other wonderful writing coaches and mentors out there in the world.

But there’s a reason why we don’t.

It’s shame.

Shame is what makes us hide and stop reporting our results or asking for help.

Shame makes us say “I should be writing.”

And, “But I can’t.”

And that’s the part of me that doesn’t get pissed off but instead wants to come sweeping over to your house and give you a big giant hug and tell you it’s all going to be okay. And then make you a cup of tea and talk, really talk, about what is going on inside that head of yours and help you make a real plan for how you will start to shift and change it, with me holding your hand every step of the way.

Writing is a lonely business.

Feeling blocked is even more so.

It’s not fair to compare it to a chronic illness or depression, but in some ways it’s just as soul crippling.

And as someone who is in the business of helping people honor their soul’s calling, it’s one of the challenges I most love helping you overcome.

 

 

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What to do when you come up empty

May 28, 2015 by 4 Comments

naomi dunfordNote from Jenna: This is a guest post by Naomi Dunford, my friend and business consultant who runs IttyBiz.com.

Although she’s writing from the perspective of business writing or blogging, her wonderful ideas for how to cope with “coming up empty” are useful for writers of all sorts.

Take a look and see what resonates as useful for you.

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Today, I completely ran out of things to say.

I wrote the introductions for my next seven newsletters.

I found quotes for the next month.

I wrote 53 emails, planned a trip, and took two sales calls.

And I called my mother.

I should note here that I’m writing this on a Saturday.

I’m sure it comes as a surprise to nobody, but at some point in this process, I completely ran out of things to say.

And poor you! You are sitting there, breathlessly waiting for your next instalment of the IttyBiz daily and I am dry. I got nothing.

Hmm.

It’s weird when this happens. You’re on this crazy roll, getting an absolutely stupid amount of stuff done, and you’re getting accustomed to the momentum. It’s like shopping in a crazy busy mall. You get into a flow of bam! bam! bam! Dodge, charge, pivot, go, turn, and then…

Silence. Motionlessness.

It’s like all of a sudden the people are gone and the stores are shut and you’re not entirely sure what you’re supposed to do now.

What you are supposed to do now

When you are experiencing temporary burnout, you must do something that is not work.

That something should be, at minimum, comparable in time and attention level as a chunk of work. If you would be working for two hours, you should take at least two hours away. If you would be working on something mentally engrossing, you should do something equally engrossing.

This seems obvious to those around you, and yet completely counterintuitive to you. You think that you should stay busy, stay occupied, get something useful done. You think that you should try harder, or get a coffee, or stare at your computer screen for a while in case that solves the problem.

Nope. This is one of those few situations where the majority is actually right.

All your idiot friends who tell you that you need to take a little break, step away from the computer for a while? Those ones who just don’t get it?

Yeah, unfortunately, it’s you who doesn’t get it. (Please bear in mind here that when I say “you”, I mean “me”.)

Time for some practical examples!

If you were going to work on outlining your next project, and it was going to be mentally taxing, you need something that will not only utilize a completely separate area of your brain, but something that will actively restore you. A movie, perhaps. A run, maybe, as long as you’re not the type who thinks while you’re running.

If you were catching up on your emails and it wasn’t going to be taxing, you can just do something dumb and brainless. Candy Crush: Soda Saga is a nice choice here, but if you’re stuck on a level, you’ll only get five minutes. But the movie option still works. I routinely TiVo Jeopardy! for situations like this one.

If you’re doing something that’s making you numb, like taxes, you’re going to need something energizing. Some kind of personal treat would be a good idea, ideally something that gets you far away from the source of the problem. Drop in on a yoga class or get an ice cream. Bonus science points if you go somewhere you don’t normally go – it activates the novelty parts of your brain and makes you more alert for a good while afterwards.

Some tips for taking a break:

1. One thing that I find really helpful here is setting a little intention before you take your big break. I say something like, “OK, I’m going to go watch Legally Blonde so I can give my brain a chance to fully restore. That way I can come back rejuvenated and ready to kick some ass.”

I avoided doing this for a long time because I thought it was cheesy. Then I tried it and it worked. Then I tried it again and it worked again. Once the third time succeeded, I had to admit that it was a good strategy for me. I value science over ego, and if it works, it works.

2. If you hate the task, you may want to admit it to yourself. I don’t hate this task, I love it, but there are plenty I don’t love. When I was recording launch multipliers in month 11 of BIG LAUNCH, after I’d already done it once before but my computer wiped the files? Yeah, those are the kind of situations made for “Oh my God I ****ing hate my ****ing job and I ****ing hate this ****ing product and I swear I am moving to Costa Rica tomorrow.”

Sometimes, saying exactly how you feel is remarkably cathartic.

3. On the other hand, if it’s just standard issue fatigue, try to put a positive frame around your break. This is not the end of the world. You’re in a line of work that drains your resources. Being periodically drained is hardly a state of emergency. Sitting around saying you’re soooooo drained and soooooo tired and juuuuuust caaaaaaan’t work is not helpful.

Pretend you work for a moving company. Those guys are tired at the end of the day, and they probably can’t lift one more thing. You know what they do? They drink some beer, watch some baseball, and put their feet up. They do not put in an emergency call to their life coach, claiming existential catastrophe.

Sit down, enjoy your Strictly Ballroom, and smile. Your rejuvenating, not injured.

4. Plan for it. If you’re in a periodically draining line of work, this is going to happen. It might be a good idea to have a plan and some supplies on hand so you can immediately shift gears when you’re feeling the signs.

People with diabetes plan for crashes. Parents of preschoolers plan for crashes. Don’t get superstitious about this.

The more you plan for a crash, the faster you can recharge, and the faster you can get back on your feet.

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Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out Naomi’s other guest post here about writer’s block. 

 

 

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