These writers had the synthesis they needed to connect concepts to their application. As if that’s not powerful enough, they also had the accountability to keep them writing, to meet their own expectations.
I can’t even believe that no one else has caught on to the importance of accountability in a quality writing program.
Let’s be honest. (Really honest.) If you didn’t have boss who could walk in at any moment, would you be as productive? Most people would say, “Probably not.” Accountability keeps us from goofing off when we should be working.
The same is true for writing. Having someone to keep you accountable is an amazing tool. It leads to real productivity too, because of the individualized attention that a quality program offers.
Without the accountability and support to meet goals, writers flail. They’ll “get to it” (but they never do). They waste time thinking about writing without getting any typing done.
(Raise your hand if you’ve done that one.)
What if my character did…? How was my character born? I wonder if my character is allergic to peanut butter.
Lots of thinking, not a whole lot of writing.
In my beginning years, I had a note on my writing desk that said, “If you want to be a writer, write.”
Simple as that. What do writers do? Write.
Do they brainstorm, file, read email, surf Facebook, organize all the sticky notes in rainbow order in the drawer?
Yes, they do those things...but they’re not part of the job description. Writing is.
If you’re not writing, you’re not finishing. And if you’re not finishing, you’re not publishing.
I know we all like a good diagram. Let’s take a looky here:
Now look, not every manuscript gets published, of course. But I don’t know a single agent who wants to represent your novel based on a half-written concept. You want to publish? You need a finished novel.
You want a finished novel? Accountability.
(We’re not building Sputnik, people. Pretty easy stuff, really.)
Easy—yet so many classes don’t offer accountability or the kind of support that leads to writing, and the writers in these classes wait until the last minute to hand in the chapter that’s due—because it’s due, which is like accountability without any meaningful support—but the writing’s not done well, because there were dishes to do, and dogs to walk, and the writing got put off till 10 PM the night before.
Does that sound like a quality writing experience to you?
Sounds stressful.
And we all remember what happens to creativity in the brain when stress is hanging around.
Good ideas? Bye-bye.
Inspiration? Bye-bye.
Your brain’s in lockdown.
Hello, Writer’s Block.
No wonder so many writers give up finishing a manuscript. That sounds awful!
You couldn’t pay me to sign up for that torture, nevermind pay for it.
That’s crazy talk.
I know that writing can be joyful, fun, inspiring—one of the Writing Gym writers recently said, “It’s like going to summer camp.”
Think about that. Back in the day, full fun days, getting up early, staying up late, and loving every minute. Imagine having that kind of joy and enthusiasm in your writing. If writing felt like summer camp, I’d be pretty psyched. I mean, that’s something you would jump out of bed in the morning for, right?
That’s why these writers meet and exceed their goals every single week. Because it’s fun. Because writing becomes something they look forward to. Because writing is something they’ve fallen in love with again.
What would that feel like for you?
That kind of joy, that fun, that getting back into the flow of inspiration. That’s why I recommend and run a program instead of a class. Writers need a system not just a Sage on the Stage class.
Let’s review, shall we?
This new approach is better than anything else out there because it is holistic. It treats the writer like the complex person she is. It recognizes that writing isn’t just about knowing the right stuff. It’s about doing the hands-on work, and getting quality feedback on progress. It’s about knowing how to apply concepts to actual manuscripts, making the time to write again, and doing it joyfully. And, most importantly, it sits on a foundation that nurtures writers from fear to functioning, and from functioning to fun.
While we’re thinking about the mind, let’s talk about your brain again.
Getting the Feedback loop right
What most writing groups are doing is all wrong.
Why wrong? You ask.
Remember the brain?
The majority of groups out there overlook the stages of the writing process, and they overlook the way the brain was meant to function.
Think back to the writing group we talked about before. The one where the writer writes a piece, hands it out, reads it aloud, and then everyone offers feedback.
They ask questions, and offer direction, and give critique on the reliability of the narrator, and say, “It would be better if…”
I bet you’ve walked out of that kind of writing group frustrated, or at the very least flabbergasted.
Why?
This is what it looks like when writing groups mix up the two phases of the writing process, and when that happens, it’s like wires crossing in your brain.
The different phases of the writing process come from different centers in your brain. It’s like putting on hockey gear, showing up for practice, and suddenly it’s basketball season, so you change into your basketball clothes and return—only to find everyone ice skating.
Your brain doesn’t know what to do.
Earlier we talked about the parts of the brain: reptilian brain, limbic system, and neocortex; and how they serve different functions. Remember emotional hijacking and how one part of the brain effectively shut down another?
Well, emotional hijacking is a regular occurrence in the bulk of writing groups.
One of the main problems is that most writers, writing groups, and instructors don’t even know about the two different phases of the writing process because they don’t understand how the brain works.
So, we keep on with this wrong kind of feedback—and institutions blaming writers for not being motivated enough—or wanting it enough—when they don’t finish a manuscript, when the very class these writers have been reaching out to for support is working against them.
Sound warped to you?
Yeah.
Writers in these classes are like the backwards marathon runners I mentioned. They’re trying their best to move toward the finish line, their coaches are on the sidelines shouting out techniques to use—but all the while they’re using the machine wrong.
(There’s a reason we run marathons facing forward, after all.)
Now look, the coaches mean well. They don’t know any better. They don’t know that they’re working against the writer’s brain, or that their coaching is doing more harm than good.
But that doesn’t mean their techniques aren’t harmful.
Remember when we talked about #FeedbackHorrorStory? That’s what I’m talking about here. You’ve got one. I know you do. (Have you tweeted it to me yet?) Anger. Discouragement. Bullying. These are the stories I hear on a regular basis.
This is why one of my first pieces of advice to writers is to ditch the free writing group. They’re not free. They’re costing you a lot.
The lack of expertise, not just on writing, but on how to give quality feedback, is harming your writing and your writing future.
Sounds pretty dang expensive to me.
There’s got to be a better way.
And there is.
A system—a program—based on how your brain actually works.
Writers in brain-based systems experience feedback that is custom-tailored. No cookie cutter or vague comments, but specific feedback that addresses craft as it applies to the writer’s manuscript. That kind of fe
edback helps you to become a better, more confident writer. That kind of feedback makes writers say, “I grow as a writer every time.”
Do you feel like you grow from the feedback you’re getting now? Most writers would say no. They’d say they feel deflated after a group session, or at the very least they got decent feedback on a writing piece. But growth as a writer? Rarely.
Classes not based on the way your brain works will leave you dangling in the wind every single time.
Programs based on neuroscience will make you say, as one recent writer did, “The session gave me a confidence boost.” Or another who said, “I came out with way more confidence in my writing.”
How would you like to go from feeling like a deflated, soggy, used balloon to a high-flying helium balloon after a session instead?
Sign me up, right?
This method works. Writers have walked away from one session and written for an entire weekend, to come up with a finished product that was published. Seriously, want to talk about secret sauce? This is it, baby.
When your feedback is based on the way your brain actually works, you can soar forward, do things you only imagined possible, write like you always wanted to write in full confidence and flow.
Invest in a Program that Works
Let’s say that you want to learn how to ride a bike.
So you take a free class that shows you how to move the pedals around and around, and you study diagrams on how the chain makes the wheels move. It’s a free class, but there’s not much information offered. You’re not ready to ride a bike yet.
So you sign up for the $100 class at the rec center. Because it’s offered by the municipality, they’re safety conscious, so they teach you about the importance of wearing a helmet and the consequences of not using hand signals, and the rules for bike lanes and walking your bike on the sidewalk.
Do you know how to ride a bike yet? Nope. You haven’t even sat on one.
Ok, fine. You sign up for the $500 class at the local bike shop. It’s pretty cool because it includes a little pamphlet that explains the physics of how a bike balances and momentum and such.
The instructor gets on the bike and rides around the parking lot.
Don’t do that. Do do that. Hold this here. Put your foot here. Ok, go home and practice.
Crash landing.
Next day, he shows you again how to ride a bike and he has you stand next to your bike and demonstrates where to place your hands on the handlebars.
Great. Go home and practice.
After a full week of demonstrations and small exercises, you still can’t ride a bike, so you spend $1,000 on the next level class.
On and on this goes.
When we read a silly story about a would-be bicycle rider, the absurdity is clear. Yet most of the aspiring authors I meet treat their writing futures this way, every single day for year after year after year.
Spending their money in small increments and getting little to no results.
What’s wrong with this approach?
Well, instead of asking, “What’s the cost?” writers should be asking, “What’s the value?”
What’s the value in a $500 course that shows you how to do something, but doesn’t give you the opportunity to try it and get feedback? Not much.
What’s the real cost? Wasting valuable time instead of being in a program where you could actually be achieving what you set out to do.
Take a moment to think about that. When it comes to your writing, have you been focusing on value? Or have you been overlooking the true cost of hodge podging all of these writing classes and workshops and free pamphlets together?
I was talking with one of our writers and we were joking around about how much he’d wasted on writing classes before he joined our program and it was $10,000 or something close to that—just under, just over. No matter what the number, that’s way too much to be wasting—without any results.
Even with all those classes, all that information, he hadn’t been able to finish a novel nevermind publish one.
What’s at stake if you continue this kind of approach?
Many years wasted trying to patchwork together a writer’s life when you could have been writing and publishing, getting the results you want.
Years of wondering why you’re not good enough when you could have been accessing a system that actually optimized your brain and made you more confident.
When we focus on cost, we see everything that’s in the way. When we focus on value, we start to see how we can grow. We focus on goals and outcomes and where we want to go; we start to see the possibility in ourselves and how we can get there.
Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to be a perpetual class taker?
Look, there’s nothing wrong with lifelong learning. I’m a big fan; continued education is central to my life’s philosophy.
But there’s a big difference between taking class after class after class and never learning how to ride a bike and becoming a proficient road biker and branching out to learn mountain biking or how to pop a wheelie.
The first biker is stagnated and the second biker is growing.
So, when it comes to your writing life—which one do you want to be?
You can either take the information I’ve given you in this book and forget all about it, keep struggling to finish your book and to get published. Or, if you want to accelerate your writing, finish your novel to publishable, and gain the kind of confidence that gets you over your fears, here’s what you can do.
Whatever the biggest challenges are for you right now, my team and I, we’ve seen it and we know how to fix it. I love to talk to writers about where they are, where they want to be, and how they can get there. I’ve made space in my calendar every week just to talk to the people who had the patience to make it all the way to the end of my book. We can get on the phone or a Skype call for about 45 minutes to an hour, and on this session I will work with you to create a step-by-step game plan to move you toward your writing goals.
When we chat, we’re going to get you clear on the best course of action for your writing now.
Let’s get back to the truth, though: this isn’t for everyone. If you’re not looking to complete a manuscript in the next couple of months, if you’re not serious about creating the very best manuscript that you can, if you’re not ambitious to publish in the most prominent way possible, then now is not the right time for you.
I offer this opportunity at no cost, so of course, some people ask me why I do it. Here’s why: As I was coming up in the writing world, many people reached out their hand and helped me. (I’ve written about many of them in this book.) I love giving back to writers who are in the same position that I was then.
Also, I know that you might want my help to transform your writing and your writing life. (And besides, after reading this book, you know just how cool I am to hang out with, right?)
If it looks like a good fit for us to work together, we can chat about that on the call. If not, that’s fine too. No matter what, you’ll get tremendous value from the conversation.
Here’s the link to drop yourself right into my calendar that’s just for the readers of this book.
www.datewiththemuse.com/pantsers
When you go there, you’ll see all the available appointment times. Just grab whichever one works for you, and there will be a short application so I can get to know you a little bit. After that we’ll get on the call (or on Skype) and it’s going to be the best hour you’ve ever spent working on your book.
Thank you for sticking with me all the way to the end of Storytelling for Pantsers and indulging my wonky sense of humor and love of obscure cultural references. I sincerely hope this book has helped you to become a better writer and to reach out for the kind of support that helps you to become a published author.
I’ve put together a list of the free resources offered in the book. You can find that over in the appendix, so don’t forget to take advantage of those.
Keep in touch. Keep me posted on your progress.
Annalisa Parent
Longmont Colorado
June 2017
RESOURCES
A complete, one-stop-shop guide to all this book’s free handouts. Get your own copy at www.writing-gym.com/handouts
Pantsing
Title: A Note-Taking Outline (For People Who Don’t Outline)
Benefits: You know you want to take notes. Well, we’ve got you covered. Download the free Storytelling for Pantsers notetaking outline.
URL: www.writing-gym.com/notes
Optimizing Your Brain’s Innate Power
Title:Neuroscientific Writing Prompts
Benefits: Want some great writing prompts based on neuroscience and guaranteed to jump you into writing flow? Watch the video series.
URL: www.writing-gym.com/brain
Finding the Confidence to Write
Title: Writing Gym Accountability Calendar
Benefits: This accountability calendar will keep you on track with your writing goals. We use this tool in the Writing Gym as part of our accountability sessions and have great results. BONUS: Tips on battling procrastination!
URL: www.writing-gym.com/accountability
Reading
Title: Annalisa’s Reading List for Successful Writing
Benefits: Curious what books are on my nightstand? Download my top ten book list.
URL: www.writing-gym.com/readbooks
How to Find the Kind of Support You Need to Help you Be Your Very Best Writer
Title: Are you getting the support you need?
Benefits: Download this simplified flowchart to walk you through the steps to find quality support to help move you toward your writing goals.
URL: www.writing-gym.com/support
Character
Title: Recipe for Successful Characters
Benefits: Get to know your characters with this non-traditional character questionnaire.
URL: www.writing-gym.com/characters
Character
Storytelling for Pantsers Page 14