The Writer’s Mindset
“I cannot see opportunities if I don’t believe they exist.”
William Kenower
The importance of…
Mindset, or How You Think
Writers are blessed with imagination and creativity. Some are endowed with talent and ability. Those who finish one book and go on to write another one also have the gift of being able to persist at a complicated task that requires great skill.
But having your book reach and please its readers requires more than imagination, creativity, talent, ability, skill, hard work, and persistence.
It requires an open mind; the ability to see and act on opportunities that come your way–whether it’s learning exactly what you need exactly when you need it, or getting offered a spot at the residency you applied to so you can finish your book.
Recognizing and acting on any opportunity is far more likely if you operate from a position of optimism and trust. I don’t know why that is, but I do know it’s true.
Writers know a lot about trust. Heck, many of us have trust issues, and for seemingly good reason. But look at it this way: First you trust yourself to write the book. Then you trust someone–writing friends, beta readers–enough to ask for critical feedback, so you can see what needs work and improve it. If you need to deepen your skills or get professional help, you trust yourself to do that.
Then if you’re querying agents or publishers, you trust that the submission process will not kill your faith in the book. If you’re self-publishing, you trust that you’ll find the right people to work with, ones who will serve both you and the book.
Then no matter your route to publishing, when the book comes out, you trust yourself to get excited about it, to participate fully in letting your ideal readers know that your book exists.
So the first recommended step around mindset is to point out that trust is always operating.
The second recommendation is to do an experiment: for the next six months, trust that the hidden machinery of the universe is on your side. Look for evidence of it. All you need to do is pay attention–and as writers, isn’t that our greatest gift?
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