Self Help for Writers
It turns out that in the internet age, just as in the long history of civilization, the best way to organize and share your thoughts with others is by writing. If you want to write, and find the challenges to be daunting, take advantage of my psychological approach. Through the book Four Elements for Writers, and other articles I will post here, you will find insights that can help you transform your essential purpose into words other people can share.
Action
It should be easy to move the ideas that float around in your mind on to paper. All it requires is action. What actions will create the body of written work you can share with others? Discover the path, develop the energy, overcome procrastination and anxiety, and keep moving. These external challenges become an important project for any writer. Most successful writers write every day. How can you do that when things get in the way?
Break the action of writing into challenges that can be overcome through strategy and energy. There is a whole body of psychological research about harnessing actions to write.
Convert intention into action.
Learn the difference between inspiration and perspiration and learn when to apply each.
Harness the power of your routine, by studying techniques to start and maintain habits.
Attitude
What can get between your intention to write and the act of writing? Surprisingly, your own thoughts can undermine your resolve. While you consciously want to write, your automatic thoughts might be dragging you down, reducing your energy, and making your tasks more difficult. This section shows how to become more aware of the thoughts you bring to your writing project, and offers specific suggestions for improving them.
Refute unproductive thoughts,
Use affirmations
Wweed out unproductive beliefs.
Story you tell about yourself
We tell stories about ourselves to help us organize who we are and where we’re going. Stories are the way we manage our self-image. If you see yourself as a writer who will succeed, you harness the energy of that guiding story. This section offers specific instructions on how to develop more effective stories about yourself.
Identify yourself as a writer
Use the model of Hero's Journey to define your own role
Tell a story about your own successful future
Go Public
We write in private. Then to become successful we must reach towards a reading public. If you find this transition from private to public daunting, you will benefit from this section. It offers encouragement, advice, and strategies to go beyond the shyness experienced by many writers, and shows you how to look to your prospective audience to generate buzz.
Solicit input from critique groups to learn more about your reading audience
Convert your image of audience from judges to fans
Differentiate between “the public” and “the fans.” Write to the fans.
The Four Elements for Writers
How to Get Beyond "Yes-But,"
Conquer Self-Doubt and Inertia,
and Achieve Your Writing Goals
by Jerry Waxler, M.S.
Do you yearn to write?
Writing requires self-management. You must convince yourself to persist, stay fresh, and reach your goals. Whether you are just starting out or are an accomplished writer reaching for the next level, The Four Elements for Writers, based on Jerry Waxler's successful writing workshops, will help you break past the walls of "maybe tomorrow" and achieve your writing dreams.
Action
Break your inertia with effective techniques to convert intention into action. Learn the difference between inspiration and perspiration and learn when to apply each. Harness the power of your routine, by studying techniques to start and maintain habits.
Attitude
When your thoughts line up with your goals, you can move rapidly. When your thoughts seem to fight you at every step of the way, naturally your tasks are more difficult. This section shows how to become more aware of the thoughts you bring to your writing project, and offers specific suggestions for improving them.
Story you tell about yourself
Stories are the way we manage our self-image. If you see yourself as a writer who will succeed, you harness the energy of that guiding story. This section offers specific instructions on how to develop more effective stories about yourself, including how to see yourself in the universal role of the Hero's Journey.
Go Public
We write in private, but to become successful we must reach towards a reading public. If you find this transition from private to public daunting, you will benefit from this section. It offers encouragement, advice, and strategies to go beyond the shyness experienced by many writers, and shows you how to look to your prospective audience to generate buzz.
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About the Author
Based on his experience and training as a therapist, and drawing from the great motivational and self-help teachings of our day, Jerry Waxler, M.S., developed this program to help experienced and aspiring writers overcome their obstacles. By leading workshops at the Writers Corner of Bucks County, he discovered the essential insights and strategies all writers need to achieve their dreams. Jerry writes articles, teaches, and coaches writers at the Writers Corner USA in Doylestown.
Jerry says, "I've integrated insights from many branches of self-help and writer training into a program that is easily accessible to writers at any level of skill or achievement."
What readers are saying
"Writing is easy for me. But my writing has been trapped in my filing cabinet. The Four Elements showed me how to complete the circuit, set goals, get feedback, and take my writing to the next step." Chris
"Somehow I had conned myself into thinking that writing was going to happen on its own. I didn't really know when. This book helped me convert my dreams into reality. Now I write every day." Richard
"By the end of Jerry's workshop, I realized I had talked myself out of writing because I hate to peddle my work. I'm a writer, not a sales person. I actually resented publishers! The Four Elements helped me get a grip on this reluctance and gave me tools to overcome it." Gail