Tag: goals

Focus on the intersection of what we want to write with what we can sell

The goal of every writer is to make money with his or her art.

I’m sure some of you are shaking your heads over this statement. You insist you don’t care if you make money or not. You just want to write. I get it. I even agree—to an extent. But it’s not true, not deep down.

If you claim you don’t care about the cash, let me meddle a bit. Writers who say they don’t concern themselves with money fit one of three categories: they are independently wealthy, they are lowering expectations to avoid disappointment, or they are lying to themselves. Since I don’t know any writers who are independently wealthy, that leaves the other two categories. Which one describes you? Think about it. Seriously consider this. Admit the true, unspoken, deep desire of your writing heart: you want to make money writing. Then keep reading.

I love Venn diagrams. They communicate so much in so little space. Venn diagrams help me understand writing. Of all the things I can write, represented by the box, the things I’m passionate about fit in the first circle. This is where I find joy. When I tap my passion, I can write all day; I skip meals and sleep isn’t important.

Also within the box of all the things I could write sits a second circle. It represents all the types of writing that sell. Staying within this box presents the opportunity to make money with words.

Where the two circles intercept is our sweet spot, where passion and profits converge. This is where we need to focus our writing—not all of the time but most of it.

Yes, sometimes I take a short break to write what I enjoy even though it doesn’t pay and never will. Other times I write what pays even though it falls outside my passion. (Though I’m not zealous about those projects, I only pick ones I will enjoy and am good at. To do otherwise would be author suicide.)

My hope for every author is that your passion circle will overlap the marketability circle. We all need our sweet spot so we can pursue our art and pay the bills. But if your circles don’t share any common ground, then know this truth: sometimes you will write for a paycheck and other times you will write for the joy of it. The first allows you to feed the second.

May we all find joy and money when we write.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

The labels writers use about themselves reveal much about them—& their future

I cringe every time someone says, “I’m an aspiring writer.” The phrase is an oxymoron: either you’re a writer or you’re not.

It makes as much sense as the claims of “somewhat unique” or a “little pregnant.” There are no degrees of uniqueness or pregnancy. And while there are levels of writing proficiency, there are no variations of writership.

Simply stated, “I am a writer,” and don’t equivocate.

When people say they are an aspiring writer it tells me one of three things about them:

1) The Romantic

They are a dreamer and not a doer. These folks will forever talk about writing but will never write. They long to have written but will never sit down to do the work. They derive satisfaction talking about writing and may even have an impressive vocabulary about the craft, but they are mere poseurs—and always will be.

2) The Procrastinator

This group waits for the right time to write. Life is in their way right now, but the next season will be better, allowing time to write. Except it won’t. Just as they allow the distractions of life to push aside writing today, the same thing will happen tomorrow. Now is the time to start writing, not later.

3) The Doubter

Some people write in secret or hold their words too close to ever share. They are waiting until they become better and dare not claim full writer status at this time. This group lacks confidence, and I understand that. But real writers always strive to improve; we will never arrive. My work today is better than it was a year ago and in another year I expect to be even better, but the whole time I have been a writer. You are too.

This brings up a fourth category: the delusional writer. Though they are not aspiring, they are arrogant. They think they have this writing thing down and see no need for improvement. I’ve had people actually tell me that. They make me sad because they don’t have a clue.

So don’t fantasize about writing, put off writing, or diminish your writing. Always strive to improve, but never aspire to write. Just write.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Each year I set goals. For several years I posted my writing goals online. I did this to provide transparency and offer encouragement to you. I also made them public to help hold myself more accountable. Plus the mere fact of writing out our goals increases the chances of us actually reaching them. Holding our goals in our heads does not have the same effect.

Then at yearend, I’d report on my results or the lack thereof. Most years I faced more embarrassment then exhilaration. Occasionally the goals were outside my control, not measurable or unrealistic, all of which are things to avoid in goal setting. But mostly the year didn’t unfold as I expected, with new opportunities superseding my once-good goals or surprise twists of life conspiring to distract me.

In the end, I failed more times than not. Yet I persist in setting goals and have done so again. It’s just that this year I will keep them to myself. As I said a few weeks ago “set a goal that will stretch you.” My three goals for the year will certainly stretch me. Yet they are within my control, measurable, and reasonable. However, it remains unseen if they are realistic. Separately they are feasible, but together they may crowd one another out.

I yearn to complete all three goals, and I would feel so good to do so. Yet already I have doubts. Instead of goals, the super stretch me, perhaps I should shorten my reach and pick things a bit easier to grasp, perhaps a lot easier.

Regardless, my writing goals will surely make for an interesting year.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

In my post What Spurs You On In Your Writing? I listed four things that encourage me to persist in writing: seeing improvement, satisfaction, a paycheck, and giving to others. These positive outcomes motivate me to want to write even more.

So I take proactive steps to make that happen. From these four results I have seen three writing characteristics emerge:

1. I Use Deadlines to Keep Me on Track: Deadlines move me forward. I race against time to complete a project; I love it when I win. And when a project doesn’t have a deadline, I often give myself one so I can compete against myself. Meeting a deadline is great; finishing ahead of time is an added bonus.
2. I Make Writing a Priority: I block out my schedule so I can write. I prioritize what I enjoy and what matters to me, giving my writing the best part of my day. I fit in with other tasks around it. And this just feeds back into the allure of the art.
3. I Write Whether I Feel Like it or Not: On those rare times when I don’t feel like writing, knowing the possible outcomes spur me on. I sit down, and I write. The results will eventually come. I know if I push through the challenging times good writing will reward me in the end.

These are the natural outcomes of me doing what I love and enjoy—and from seeing the results from my work. They make me want to write even more. These three traits feedback into the first four. Momentum builds. And on it goes, with my writing feeding itself.

But my story isn’t yours. We are all at different points in our writing. The important thing is to do what we can to move forward. That is the right answer.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Save

You may be familiar with SAD, seasonal affective disorder. I have something similar. I call it SAW or seasonal affective writing. In the spring and summer, despite having more distractions to keep me from writing, I also have more energy to write. Though there are days when distractions usurp writing, overall my writing prevails. My output increases. Writing flows.

During winter I encounter fewer distractions, but discouragement is more likely to overtake. I still write every day, but it may not be as much and may require more effort. Motivation wavers and production drops. Though the quality, I believe, is just as good, there is not as much of it.

I suspect everyone has a seasonal aspect to their writing, a time when they write more or better, offset by another time when they write less or not at all. It’s critical we understand our writing cycles to set reasonable expectations for ourselves—and others.

For me, I avoid starting new projects in the fall. My goal is to plod through winter with an intentional focus on existing work, not adding to a schedule that threatens to overwhelm. Conversely, I embrace new assignments and take on extra work in the spring and summer, a time when I know I can complete them with ease.

Some people, like me, write more in the summer. Others write less or may even take a break, a summer vacation if you will. The key is to embrace our seasons of productivity and protect our times of diminishing returns.

Regardless of what your summer writing looks like, may you have a great one!

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

When asked about her plans for college, I once heard a high school grad say, “I’m going to study pre-med and see how far I go.” Though she was a capable student, and pre-med was a realistic choice for her, I immediately knew she would never complete her studies. A couple of semesters later she did indeed change her major.

To avoid possible embarrassment if she fell short of her goal, she publically set expectations low. In the end, she met those low expectations. She left herself an out, an escape hatch; when things got tough, she opted out.

I think many writers do the same thing.

• They say they only write for themselves when they secretly yearn for others to read their words.
• They say it’s just a hobby, yet they wish to be taken as a serious writer.
• They say they’re not in it for the money, even though they desire to be paid for their work.
• They say they’re content to write part-time, working around a full-time job to pay the bills, when what they really want is to write full-time.

We can declare whatever we want to about our writing, but we must be honest with our claims, because we will surely live up to—or down to—whatever we say. Our words are a powerful thing.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.