Writing

Joanna Penn from http://www.TheCreativePenn.com/podcasts/ discusses the Lion's Gate, fighting resistance and mental toughness for writers with Steven Pressfield. Original post with transcript at: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/06/18/steven-pressfield/

Steven Pressfield is the author of screenplays including The Legend of Bagger Vance, novels around the classical wars of ancient Greece and modern warfare like Gates of Fire, and non-fiction works including The War of Art and Turning Pro, which I know are on the desks of many writers listening. His latest book is ‘The Lion’s Gate,’ a hybrid history of the Six Day War.

We discuss:
A brief overview of the Six Day War and the events that feature in ‘The Lion’s Gate’ as well as why Steven wanted to tell this story, after many years of writing books around classical wars.
The concept of ‘en brera.‘ Why the Israelis had ‘no alternative’ at that time and perhaps, still don’t?
Our mutual love for the country of Israel, and the places that particularly resonated with Steven.
Why Steven chose to tell the history in the first person POV, and his interview research technique, plus using the techniques of fiction in writing narrative non-fiction.
“The Lion’s Gate’ as the book Steven has been avoiding writing, and how resistance manifested during its creation.
I have a quote by Steven from The War of Art on the pinboard by my desk. “On the field of the self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon. The battle must be fought anew every day.” How we can fight resistance as authors?
How spirituality plays a part in Steven’s writing life and books, including his prayer to the Muse.
From Turning Pro, “The difference between an amateur and a pro is in their habits.” The habits of a pro writer and the discipline to keep to the path.
Defining success as a writer– after multi-million books sold, being on Oprah, movie hits and more. ‘You have the right to your labor, not the fruits of your labor.’ It’s not about the rewards of writing, it’s about the writing itself. 
How it took 10 years for ‘The War of Art’ to find its audience.
On comparisonitis. Getting a handle on jealousy.
Balancing the demands of ego against fear and self-doubt – and how to stop self-censorship.
Mental toughness and being a warrior as a writer. This is not easy work. It’s a battle, and mostly, you’re on your own.
Thoughts on the changing world of publishing.

You can find Steven at StevenPressfield.com and also BlackIrishBooks.

Fighting Resistance, Mental Toughness for Writers w/ Steven Pressfield. Creative Penn Podcast Ep 186

If you write fiction, or you want to, sorting out your writing process for a book is a core task.

Are you a pantser? Are you a plotter? Or perhaps, you might be a Snowflaker ...

Today I talk to Randy Ingermanson about his book, How to write a novel using the snowflake method, and how it can help those people who fall through the gaps. Plus, how to write 500 words a day as a habit, dealing with panic disorder and how our flaws contribute to our writing.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/09/02/snowflake-method/

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How To Write A Novel With The Snowflake Method With Randy Ingermanson

Mark McGuinness from http://www.LateralAction.com interviews Joanna Penn from http://www.TheCreativePenn.com about how to run a business as an author, how to make a living from your writing and creative entrepreneurship, the changes in publishing and how it is now possible to make a living with your writing.

Buy on Amazon

Business for Authors and Creatives. Mark McGuinness and Joanna Penn

Letting go is one of the hardest things a writer has to do. Here's how to let go of perfectionism, ego, control, & more -- graciously & gracefully.

Letting Go - WN 030

New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn describes her creative process, how she gets ideas, does research and uses synchronicity to write her books. 
http://www.JFPenn

J.F.Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author. She writes the ARKANE action-adventure series described as ‘Dan Brown meets Lara Croft,’ as well as the London Psychic crime thrillers, for fans of Jessica Jones. Her books have sold over 400,000 copies in 72 countries and 5 languages.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

    How I get many of my initial ideas from traveling. How Destroyer of Worlds was sparked by a statue of Shiva Nataraja in Delhi, and One Day in Budapest by a visit to the city and the mass grave there as well as the far right political situation.

    How I use research to delve further into places and cultural history and then synchronicity happens, in that I find ‘coincidences’ in the real world that lead into story. The importance of following your curiosity. How Stone of Fire was influenced by the burning ghats in Varanasi and Carl Jung’s Red Book.

    ARKANE Books x 7

    The ARKANE action adventure series

    Taking notes from multiple sources – books, videos, DVDs and how that leads into piles of notes that I follow down research rabbit holes.

    How some ideas bleed into several books in various incarnations. For example, the Maori aspects of Deviance sparked some of Risen Gods, and tattoos are an important part of Deviance as well as other books. How I love big themes – good vs evil, faith vs unbelief – plus the supernatural world, these keep recurring in every book

    How I plot. I know the first few scenes and main characters. I know the ending and some of the key settings for the London psychic seriesbook, some of the big scenes. Then I use The Story Grid to do a one page ‘Foolscap’ overview of the plot. (See this interview with Shawn Coyne for more detail.) Then I usually write 20,000 words before replotting, so I am a hybrid plotter/pantser.

    As I research, I start a book page on Pinterest. You can find all my boards per book at Pinterest.com/JFPenn. It’s really helpful for book cover design ideas as well as a visual experience of the book, plus marketing along the way.

    Trust emergence as you write.
    How I knew I wanted to be a writer. If you want to decide what to do with your life, consider what you want your life to look like, and what would your days look like. I wanted to spend my time learning, traveling and creating new things in the world, as well as helping people.

You can find my fiction site at www.JFPenn.com and my books in ebook, print and audiobook format on most online stores.


Find out more

My Creative Writing Process by Bestselling Thriller Author J.F.Penn

Many writers wonder whether they need a website. Today I'm answering that question & providing tips on creating a solid online presence.

Do I Need A Website? - WN 033

Sometimes our doubts get the better of us. Sometimes we listen to the voice that asks, "Who gave YOU permission to be a writer?" Here's how to fight back.

Feeling Like A Fraud - WN 034

Balance, clutter, distraction, scheduling, & grace collide as we answer the question: "What needs to happen for you to sit down, focus, and write?"

The Write Now Podcast

De-Clutter Your Life So You Can Write - WN 037

A mission statement is a valuable tool for a writer -- it can help you understand your own story, remind you of your purpose, and guide you toward your goals. Today's episode of Write Now podcast will help you create one!

Crafting Your Mission Statement - WN 046

Do you want to achieve your creative goals in the coming year? Perhaps you want to write your first book, or get another series out? Sell 1000 copies or reach a particular income goal? Do you need help with planning and productivity?

In this webinar replay, I go through:

How to take a step back and decide what you really want for your creative life
How to prioritize your To Do list so you stop wasting time
How to calculate the time you need to achieve what you want and how to find that time in your busy schedule
How to create a production schedule for your writing

I also share my own challenges from 2016 as well as some of my goals for 2017, plus I do a Q&A after the presentation (after 52 mins) with questions from live participants which may also help you on the author journey.

I hope you'll be spending some time looking back over 2016. You can read my round-up of the year here
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/1...
along with the goals I hit ... and the ones I missed!

I'll also be posting my 2017 goals on the blog on 1 January, so you can always come over and add yours to the comments.

One of the most important things for achieving goals is getting your mindset sorted, so if you need some help in the coming year, check out The Successful Author Mindset, available in ebook, print and workbook formats.
All the links here: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/mindset/

Plan To Achieve Your Creative Goals. Webinar Replay with Joanna Penn

Being a writer is not just about typing. It’s also about surviving the roller-coaster of the creative journey.

Self-doubt, fear of failure, the need for validation, perfectionism, writer’s block, comparisonitis, overwhelm, and much more. When you’re going through these things, it can feel like you’re alone. But actually, they are part of the creative process, and every author goes through them too.

This book collects the mindset issues that writers experience, that I have been through myself over the last nine years, and that perhaps you will experience at different times on the creative journey.

Each small chapter tackles a possible issue and then offers an antidote, so that you can dip in and out over time. It includes excerpts from my own personal journals as well as quotes from well-known writers. I hope it helps you on the road to becoming a successful author.

This is the chapter on self-doubt. The full audiobook is available on Amazon, iTunes and Audible as well as direct from the author: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/mindset/

The Successful Author Mindset

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The Successful Author Mindset Sample Chapter on Self Doubt

It is possible to make a very good income as an author these days, but you need to think further than one book, one format or one platform.
In this short, 12 -minute presentation from the London Book Fair 2017, I share how you can make more money with your books.
Slides at http://www.thecreativepenn.com/lbf17

How To Make More Money With Your Books. Joanna Penn Presents At London Book Fair 2017

If you're new to self-publishing, or if you want to revisit the basics, check out this interview with me and indie bestseller Mark Dawson.
We go through what you need to be discovered on Amazon, why print is worthwhile but ebooks are more important, when exclusivity might be a good idea, how to get started with your first book, and how to jumpstart sales on an older book if sales have dropped off.
You can find the video and transcript at: http://www.TheCreativePenn.com/self-publishing-tips/
and the 101 course at: http://www.TheCreativePenn.com/101

Writing

Michelle Kampmeier