I can’t stop selling for the life of me. Really, it’s like I was born to sell. I do it with everyone, everywhere, at all times. I used to be ashamed of it. I used to not even understand what it was I was doing. When I was a little girl, I learned to survive by talking people into selling them on the idea of not hurting me. I had to. So I practiced it every day, from very early on. Then, when I understood I could make money with it, I was told it was an egoistic, capitalistic desire that was shameful, and I shouldn’t be selfish, and I’d never be able to do it, and I must be altruistic and self-sacrificing, and on and on and on, the glorious bullshit of patriarchy teaching me to be subservient and non-ambitious and mediocre and quiet and compliant.
Read More4 tricks to motivate yourself TO FINISH THAT NOVEL
I'm struggling with finishing Draft 5 of TUBE. I've been writing it for over a year now, and new stories are crowding it out of my mind, but every day I get up and I know I have to finish it. It's an important story—for me and for you—and so it's important I do a good job. But man, how do I love procrastinating on it, and how hard it is to get myself in gear! Once I start, I forget my fears, and it's easy. Starting is the hard part. So I came up with four ways to trick myself into writing it every morning. I know I'm not alone. Lots of times you told me how you have to kick yourself in the ass, hard, to get yourself to work on that manuscript that you rewrote so many times, it makes you want to vomit. Well then, here is how I trick my brain into TUBE. See if you can steal some ideas for yourself, and share yours, and send bags of coffee (to my new PO Box, so it wouldn't feel empty and lonely!).
Read MoreWhen the going is tough, KEEP GOING
You guys often ask me how I did this or how I did that, and if there is a secret recipe to it all. "How did you get so many readers?" "How do you keep up with posting everywhere online?" "How do you get people to read (review, like, talk about) your books?" "How do you find the time to write and read and do everything else?" "How do you find motivation to keep moving forward?" "How did you get to be so successful (famous, known, respected)?" Which is total bull as I don't know what most people mean by BEING SUCCESSFUL, and in my world I'm not there yet, my writing still sucks ass. But anyway. To answer all these questions at once.
I DON'T KNOW.
I don't have a clue. I don't get it. I scratch my head every day and ponder and get all confused and puzzled. What you think looks so pretty on the outside doesn't look pretty at all. Here is the daily reality I face, and the only thing I do know how to do is to ignore it all and simply keep writing.
Read MoreHow to keep writing when money is scarce
Savannah Grace asked: "Would you mind me asking a personal Q? I just see how well you are doing with social media and how much influence you have. You are doing an amazing job and are a writing machine. I'm just running into a huge financial problem right now which puts me in a very bad situation for my writing career and may have to give it up. I'm at the point where I feel I really am on verge of making the whole thing work financially.... but... but... How do you do it? And are you at the point where you can live from what you make now as an author/blogger? Trying to find some inspiration here."
Thank you, Savannah!
Let me begin by saying this.
I have started writing not expecting to make any money at all, but purely for therapy. So I set out to adjust my life in such a way where my lack of money wouldn't inhibit my writing. Surprisingly, I started making money via book sales and donations, and even landed a ghostwriting gig through this blog. Here is what happened, step by step.
Read MoreOn motivation and self-discipline of writing at home
Briana Morgan asked: "Do you think you could write a post about motivation and self-discipline while working from home? Some days I find it hard to even get dressed, let alone write."
Sure thing. Let's see here.
WHY DO YOU WRITE?
If you answer this question with "I want to get famous" or "I thought writing books would be sexy" or "If E. L. James can rake in millions, why can't I?" or "I really don't know what else to do with myself," then you better quit writing and do something else. In fact, quit reading this post. You will hate the rest of what I have to say. If, however, writing is something that is a relief to what you can't control, to this pressure in your gut that pushes and prods and aches to get out, then, by all means, continue reading and ask yourself this. If you could do anything in the world, for pleasure, what would it be? If writing isn't your immediate answer, I can't help you. The rest of this post is dedicated to those who are diseased with the curse of I-can't-shut-up-so-I-write.
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