Despite the fact that most of our writing schedules are our own personal goals, we often tell ourselves we are “behind” at them, or we think that other writers are further ahead than us.
Our brains love to tell us that “we are behind,” as though they are just stating the obvious. When actually, there is no universal measuring stick to tell us where we should be in our progress.
Being ‘behind,’ or ‘ahead,’ in writing is simply our own thoughts, not a fact of the world.
We believe that thinking, “We are behind,” will light a fire under us to get writing, but it does the exact opposite and makes us write less.
Here’s how you can start to notice this thought pattern so you can get ahead in your writing.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/behind-in-writing
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
In this podcast, we answer listener-submitted questions like;
Tune in for the answers or read the blog: https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/listener-qa-1
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For all writers (especially first-time authors), the desire to write competes with the desire not to write.
This often looks like a short period of time where you write consistently, immediately followed by a long period where you find yourself not writing as much as you want to be.
In your head, you find yourself thinking thoughts like,
So you take a break instead of writing.
It feels great in the moment, but afterwards, you berate yourself for it. You end up feeling miserable, and you're angry at yourself for giving in.
What’s actually going on here is that not that you don’t want the book badly enough or that you don’t have a good enough reason to write, it’s that you have competing desires.
But the more you push against your desires, the more you are creating a combative relationship with yourself. You will never get to the finished novel in this kind of relationship – because it’s forced and miserable.
In this podcast and blog, learn why the fastest way to get that finished novel is by loving that part of yourself that doesn’t want to write.
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Do you know someone who makes writing hard for you? Are you constantly trying to tip-toe around their desires, or getting frustrated with their lack of understanding?
Writing can certainly be difficult when you spend the whole time wishing that this person was different, feeling guilty about upsetting them, or trying to write and do everything else at the same time.
I’ve come across two kinds of “challenging” people when it comes to writing. There is the person who can feel abandoned because of the time you spend writing, and the person who can feel threatened or inadequate because of your writing.
In this podcast and blog, learn how you can stop feeling guilty, angry, and anxious, and how to make your writing (and relationships) more effective.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/when-writing-is-affecting-your-relationships
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hi writers! I'm super excited to announce a new group program I'm launching called Advancing Authors.
I get a kick out of the name because I look at it like the anti-writing retreat.
The problem with writing retreats is they tell us that our lives are somehow a problem that need to be escaped from.
But you do not need to hide away from your life in order to write. Your life is not the problem. Your mindset is the problem.
In Advancing Authors, we teach you the tools to grow your self-confidence, to manage your calendar, to stop people-pleasing, and to reprogram your brain so it works with you and not against you.
We teach you lifelong skills for living your best life. Combined with individual writing tips along the way that will make your story stand out among the crowd.
You do not have to give up your job, your sleep, your family, or your sanity to be a writer. You can be that writer now – let us show you.
Sign up for the waitlist at https://www.blockbusterya.com/advancing-authors
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Do you want to write or publish a novel because you think it will prove something about yourself?
Do you want a novel because you secretly believe you are not good enough as you are?
You’re not alone. Many writers, including myself, try to write books to feel better about ourselves.
But it doesn’t work.
Thinking that you aren’t good enough without a published novel puts way too much pressure on yourself to write a novel. You end up failing and proving yourself true that you are worthless. So to try and feel better, you bully yourself into writing. But this just makes you feel terrible and makes writing incredibly difficult.
The only way to write a novel (and to learn how to feel good about yourself) is to see yourself as worthy now.
This is some of the hardest and most profound work. Learn how you get started in this podcast episode.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/self-worth
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Fights and battles need to be written carefully so they don't come across like a list of actions. The key is to assign meaning and emotional drama to every fight, and to weave the protagonist's interpretation and inner voice into the action.
Let’s look at five guidelines to keep in mind as you write. In this lesson, we'll discuss:
Download free writing checklists and worksheets at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/blog
“Massive action” means taking action consistently, until you get what you want. It can be a game-changer for writers who struggle with commitment, or self-doubt, or the frustration that comes with trying to achieve a goal and not having it go as planned. If you’re trying to get a publisher, finish a novel, or get a movie deal, you can apply massive action to get it.
Massive action eliminates this pressure of doing the right or wrong thing because it doesn’t matter what you choose. You just keep taking action until you get the result you want. If something doesn’t work, you try something else. Maybe that’s after 5 actions, maybe that’s after 500. It doesn’t matter. If you don’t have the result, it’s because you’re not done taking action.
In this podcast, learn how you can achieve your writing goals through massive action.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/massive-action
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A lot of book marketing strategies exist, but which ones are the most effective? Where should you focus your time, effort, and money when promoting your book? Let’s talk about the most effective channels for authors. In part two of this two-part book marketing series, we’ll cover:
Download the example book marketing checklist at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/post/book-promotion
How many of you think you are committed writers?
Despite the fact I had very little work to show for it, for ten years I thought I was committed to writing a novel. The truth was, I was just wanting to write a novel. Wanting, though it was a very safe place to be, left me feeling pretty awful about myself.
Commitment requires risk. That’s why our brain doesn’t like it. But if you want to write a novel, you need to go from wanting to write a novel to being committed to writing a novel. It’s the only way.
Many of you writers are also stuck in this place of wanting. We tell ourselves we are committed, but actually, we are not willing to keep taking action no matter what. We are not willing to keep writing when it gets hard or when we get busy.
In this podcast and blog, learn about commitment vs. wanting so you can spot the difference and save yourself from the decade of struggle I went through.
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, understanding book marketing strategies is crucial to selling copies and expanding your audience. Let’s spend two lessons talking about tips and strategies for promoting your book. In this first part, we’ll cover:
Learn more about writing, publishing, and marketing a blockbuster YA novel at https://www.blockbusterYA.com
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Do you have a long list of reasons why you don’t have time to write? Chances are if you believe you don’t have enough time, you do.
Your list of reasons might be good, but if you are truly motivated to write, why not find half an hour, once or twice a week to write?
You don’t – because the real thought you have is that 30-minutes is not enough. And if you don’t have enough time to write, it’s not worth doing.
But if you were to write for 30-minutes, twice a week for a whole year, you’d have 52 hours of writing done. Is that 52 hours worth it?
Listen to our latest podcast and stop underestimating what a little bit of writing can do.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/no-time-to-write
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The key to writing great dialogue is subtext. This is one of the hardest things to write, but it really is the stand-out factor that will get you noticed by agents, editors, and readers. In this writing lesson, we’ll talk about what subtext is, along with a few other tips for how to write great dialogue. We’ll cover:
Download the subtext worksheet at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/post/dialogue-and-subtext
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
As writers and humans, we all get busy. We all have different priorities that compete for our attention.
You might find yourself struggling to balance all the different things you want to do, and more often than not, writing gets bumped for something else that feels more important.
Even though you consciously pass up writing for that other activity, sometimes it doesn’t feel like you have a choice. The decision feels automatic. So you beat yourself up about not being dedicated to writing.
When you find yourself constantly giving up your writing time for something else that seems more important, there are a couple of factors that come into play.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t change this pattern. If you want a different result, like a published novel, it starts with changing your thinking. Learn how in this episode!
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/the-most-important-thing
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Think of some of your favourite characters in books or movies. A few of those favourites are probably not the protagonist, right? Kudos to the writer of that story for making such a great minor character that they actually become some people’s favourites! There is a straightforward way to make an amazing, three-dimensional supporting cast that readers will fall in love with.
In this lesson, we'll discuss:
Download the Minor Characters worksheet and tips at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/post/minor-characters
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Do you find yourself waiting until some kind of break to get writing? Waiting for the weekend? Even just waiting until tomorrow?
The idea of getting to write a lot over some kind of break is the perfect, perfectionist fantasy.
But that tomorrow – or that break – is not reality. Reality is the moment you have right now.
Waiting for the break to write means that you don’t actually spend time writing. Or if that break comes around and you do start writing a little, it usually doesn’t last because you’re not able to achieve the perfection you dreamed of and start feeling bad about it.
In this podcast and blog, learn how this perfectionistic thought pattern is stopping your writing and 3 ways you can overcome it.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/stop-waiting-for-a-vacation
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most common pieces of writing advice. This means that instead of describing what’s happening to the reader, you’re immersing them in it. You’re showing them the scene by picking meaningful details to describe. Mastering this can take your writing style from "good" to "great", and it'll really make you stand out to agents, editors, and readers.
In this episode, we'll talk about six ways to show your story rather than tell it. Follow our step-by-step process for writing a blockbuster YA novel at www.BlockbusterYA.com
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
It’s been over a year since the first case of Covid-19 was reported. In that time, a message we are all hearing over, and over, and over again is; “when things go back to normal, everything will be fine.”
When things go back to normal, life will be better.
But we don’t realize that this thought is a huge problem to have.
We don’t realize that this thought is largely what is creating our miserable experience.
Because thinking that, “when things go back to normal, life will be better,” implies that…
But none of this is true, or even helpful to think. It certainly is certainly not helping your writing.
In this podcast/blog learn about the radical concept of believing that “you’re right where you’re supposed to be,” and how it can change everything.
https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/wanting-things-to-be-different
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Following last week's episode about Fearing Plot Holes, let's talk about some practical tips for what to do if you or a beta reader find a flaw in your story. You might be relieved to know that a plot hole is never as much work to fix as you think it will be – and there are ways to minimize the risk of writing one.
In this lesson, we'll cover:
Join the community at blockbusterYA.com/forum to connect with other YA writers and find beta readers.
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Do you worry about someone pointing out a plot hole in your story?
Maybe you get overwhelmed about the idea of fixing plot holes or use the discovery as a reason to beat yourself up. But plot holes happen to every writer. They are not a problem. When you overcome your fear of plot holes, finding a solution is easy.
Read the blog: https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/fear-of-plot-holes
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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP
Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner
Jingle:
Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/