The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Is your brain working against you?

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word cloud shaped like a brain, mind principlesDid you know your brain can actually work against you without you even knowing it?

To illustrate the point, have you set goals time and again, yet failed to reach them?

Have you ever said to yourself, “Be realistic. You’re reaching too far with that goal.”

How about “How am I going to do that? What in the world was I thinking?”

NaNoWriMo participants might being saying both of the above right now!

You might think you’re the problem, but in fact, more likely it is your brain working against you. Let’s look at how that happens and how we can get the brain to work for us instead. [Read more…] about Is your brain working against you?

How Do Mind-set and Beliefs Help Me Reach my Goals?

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Mind-set, goat on top of hillAre you feeling stuck or frustrated in reaching your writing goals? Like you’re hitting the same brick wall, but you can’t seem to identify what that brick wall is?

Today I’m going to look at 2 things many people don’t stop to think about, yet have a profound impact on reaching your goals.

Your mind can work for you or against you because your  subconscious mind believes everything you tell it, without question. It accepts whatever you say, true or not. (For more on mind principles, read this post.)

What Is Mind-set?

Many writers are now 5 days into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I hope they are telling themselves “I am writing 50,000 words this month.” Because if you say “I’m going to try to write 50,000,” then your brain is going to find every little excuse to keep you from putting your butt in the chair to write.

Merriam-Webster’s Online Collegiate Dictionary defines mind-set as “a mental attitude or inclination.”

What is your mental attitude toward your writing? [Read more…] about How Do Mind-set and Beliefs Help Me Reach my Goals?

Pantser, Plotter, Producer—Which One Are You?

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writing sprints word countsLast week I excitedly told you about Chris Fox’s book 5000 Words per Hour, and how I had added 914 words to my fiction WIP through 7 five-minute micro-sprints.

This week I wanted to bring you an update.

I upped my writing sprints to 10 minutes, and added another 1675 words.

One thing I found as I did my sprints is that if I only have a vague idea of what’s going to happen, I don’t know what to write. And my words per hour (wph) [Read more…] about Pantser, Plotter, Producer—Which One Are You?

Challenge your writing routine and discover new methods

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challenge, rafting the river rapids

Challenge.

Does that word strike fear and trembling into you or get you pumped?

Perhaps it’s my Marine Corps training or just part of my DNA, but I love learning. And I challenge myself to continually improve professionally and personally.

A few weeks ago I was listening to the Novel Marketing Podcast episode “How to Write 5000 Words an Hour with Chris Fox.”

Five thousand words an hour! Yeah, right, I thought. But I listened anyway. Something productive while I was washing dishes.

What’s This Challenge All About?

[Read more…] about Challenge your writing routine and discover new methods

As an author, what expenses can I deduct?

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word cloud tax deductionsAs an author/business owner what deductions can I take on my taxes?

In the coming months, I’ll be going through my all my paperwork, ensuring I have listed all my income and all my expenses, ready to submit to my certified public accountant (CPA).

If you’re like me, you cringe at all this number-crunching stuff and whether you’re doing it right for the IRS.

An accountant friend, as well as my own CPA, advised I use the IRS Schedule C (Form 1040) to guide how I track my business revenue and expenses. It is the same advice I’m giving you, along with some added details.* [Read more…] about As an author, what expenses can I deduct?

Reaching for Your Dream – It’s Never too Late

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Editor Debra L. Butterfield
Debra teaching at a writers conference.

You never know how someone else might use you as an example.

I want to relate a quick story that I hope encourages you in your journey.

My daughter lives in another state, but she calls on a regular basis to visit. Earlier this year she called to tell me how she had shared my story with a man who wants to be an author. This man was struggling with believing his dream of published writer was possible. My daughter shared [Read more…] about Reaching for Your Dream – It’s Never too Late

How to Use Sentence Structure to Make Your Story Better

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little man building brick wallThough I’ve never asked, I can’t imagine anyone considering sentence structure in their every day conversation. They just say what they want to say.

However, writers (and public speakers) must consider sentence structure because poor structure impacts the readers’ ability to comprehend the message, as well as their enjoyment of your story.

Defined, “sentence structure” is how you construct your sentence. Proper grammar is a part of that, but also includes length and complexity.

Keep reading to learn how your word choices and sentence length and complexity affect your story. [Read more…] about How to Use Sentence Structure to Make Your Story Better

A Checklist of 6 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Nonfiction

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self-editing red penBased on the nonfiction submissions I get for freelance editing and those I receive at CrossRiver Media Group, it seems as though a lot of people are writing nonfiction these days.

People read fiction for varying reasons, though entertainment leads the list.

However, I doubt most people read nonfiction for [Read more…] about A Checklist of 6 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Nonfiction