the easy way to achieve writing success

The Easy Way to Success of 75

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© Rob Parnell www.easywaytowrite.com

The Easy Way to Achieve

Writing Success

Rob Parnell


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Welcome to the:

Easy Way to Success

Dear Fellow Writing Success Achiever,

Welcome to this new method for achieving writing success. I apologize in

advance for the views expressed over the coming pages. They're personal!

Probably like you, I spent a lot of my time over the years exploring and

practising theories of success - from writers and coaches with all sorts of

backgrounds. It's easy to feel discouraged sometimes reading these things -

especially when you try all the techniques and strategies and they don't seem to

work - for you.

You know how it is. Most systems seem to work in the short term. They

can raise your self esteem, or make you feel positive and full of energy for a

while - even put you on a course of action because it feels so right!

But then normal life intrudes and the excitement wears off. You begin to

wonder about the validity of the methods...

Because what you really want to see is results!


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Most Success Systems Will Fail You

First, you simply get bored of having to be a certain way. You realize after

a couple of weeks or months that the advice you're getting is all very well for the

success proponent but that person isn't you. You simply can't keep up the

apparent energy or 'righteousness' of this or that guru. You feel inadequate

because you think, "Great, all I have to do is to stay like this guru and success

will come to me." But to stay in that groove is surely superhuman and if not,

certainly beyond most of us!

Been there. Felt that way.

Another reason why other people's systems don't really work is that, well,

it's like trying to wear someone else's clothes.

For years I failed to grasp that what most of these success gurus were

saying might have worked for them but really, everything they said was

aspirational - that it didn't really apply to me as a person at that time, only to

some idea of a person I might become in the future which of course, I never did!

It was only when I realized that while yes, the information about achieving

success was useful, the only way I could make anything work was by being true

to myself - accepting my faults (and I have plenty of them) and making the best

of who I am - instead of constantly trying to change myself into a some kind of

success machine!


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I spent many years in a kind of wilderness - a thousand and one things I

wanted to achieve but with no clear, obvious way for me to escape the life I'd

created and, metaphorically, unfurl my wings.

But all that changed when I came to Australia. It wasn't the country or the

people that did it. No, just a new sense of who I was.

And So It Begins

Some years ago, on a road trip to Darwin and back which took nearly

three weeks to complete, I began a course of activities that created huge

success. Within a couple of years I got all the things I'd been dreaming about for

the previous fifteen - and it came about largely because of small yet powerful

alterations to the way I felt about who I was - and what I was capable of doing

and being.

Okay, I made some seemingly dumb decisions - but one's that turned out

for the best because they were based on my instincts rather than my intelligence.

Over the coming pages, I'll detail a process that Robyn and I have

developed - albeit casually! - that seems to work. It doesn't take commitment or

great changes in you as a person - but does seem to propel you towards your

goals very quickly.

Stay tuned for A.S.P.I.R.E - the R&R Method for writing success that

won't expect you to change who you are or wear you out! Hopefully it will be far


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more useful to you than many other so called 'success systems' because it's

practical, doable - and, as you'd expect from me - EASY!

(BTW: R&R stands for Rob and Robyn as much as Rest and Relaxation!)

Rob Parnell 2010 - Part of the Easy Way to Write Group - All Rights Re

Now we look at the first prerequisite of A.S.P.I.R.E, the R&R Success

Method - and it may pleasantly surprise you to learn that:

A is for Attitude

Moving Towards Happiness

It's important to establish the ground rules by emphasizing that it's how

you feel about yourself that will determine your effectiveness in any given year.

It's all very well setting lots of goals for yourself but if the thought of them

fills you with dread you're not going to get very far. This is why most New Year

Resolutions are doomed to failure - what seems like a burning conviction on New

Year's Eve can quickly turn into a damp 'maybe' a day or so later!

The trick is to set 'aspirations' that make you smile and fill you with a

warm fuzzy feeling that will last.


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Born to be Mild

This is what Robyn and I learned on that road trip to Darwin. We were

filled with love for each other - high on travelling and having fun when we sat

down and drew up a list of 101 things we'd like to do in the following year.

There were good, noble things there like finishing manuscripts, submitting

stories and book ideas to publishers - all the things we knew we had to complete.

But alongside, there were less serious, even silly things like meeting Johnny Depp

and visiting the pyramids together.

We wrote things down that made us laugh - like arriving in a limo at a

movie premiere for our own movie!

And we think that's the trick - to give yourself writing goals that seem like

fun. When you tell yourself you need to get a novel finished, don't stop there. See

the book in stores. Imagine yourself at the signing - chatting to your publishers,

your fans, the press.

Imagine the reviews and the Hollywood options that will come your way.

Why not? You may as well enjoy yourself - even if it's all a fantasy.

Because the subconscious mind seems to like fun. We already know the

subconscious likes images - real or imagined, it's all the same. And if you plant

fun images of your future into your subconscious, your every day actions over

time will pull you closer to this new, fun reality.


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Are You Ready?

In order to be successful, you need to be ready for success. Too often, just

at the point at which success is about to come bounding down your hallway, a

little voice inside your head says, "I'm not ready for this." And, as much as you're

sure you deserve a break, that you have every right to get more money and

perhaps a little fame, that little voice will stop you from reaching out and taking

the success you're offered.

Moving towards happiness may mean you have to think about your life.

We're told often when we're growing up that we should be responsible,

that we have duties and need to make sacrifices - that this is all part of being an

adult.

But really, is this true? Do really we have to go through life miserable just

because our parents, teachers and bosses say we should?

Pah! Look at it this way.

Say you're a father, bent on providing for your family. You work hard, all

hours, to bring home money. You're always tired. Your wife rarely sees you and,

despite all the apparent comfort in their lives, your children resent you for being

such a workaholic.


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You'd like to be there for your family but your work, your sense of duty,

compels you to work harder - to imagine you're indispensable to your job. You're

busy, stressed and miserable most of the time.

How much better a father would you make if you were happy first? What if

you decided that being happy was the most important thing? What would you do?

This happened to me:

At one point in my life I decided I should settle down, get a secure office

job, a profession, and climb the corporate ladder. I trained as a corporate buyer

and moved into contract management. My glittering future seemed set...

But having children changed all that.

When the boys came along I asked myself, "What kind of father do I want

them to have?" Did I want them to see me as some boring office type that was

unfulfilled and who whinged about the sacrifices I'd made for them?

What sort of role model would that make me?

Would they rather see me as a happy, successful artist that felt proud of

his life and achievements? Wouldn't that make me a much better role model -

someone who showed them, through his actions, that compromise was not the

only option in life?


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Of course I decided on the latter, despite any and all of the consequences.

It wasn't easy but I made the change. I began writing full time, on a wing and a

prayer - because I knew that my being happy would be what was ultimately best

for the boys. And it's worked out just fine.

Now, when the boys are on holiday from school, so are we. They get to

spend days with us that other children would die for! We work from home so

we're always there for them. We can be their friends and guide them in a way

that would be impossible if we had 'proper' jobs.

Being Selfish is Okay

Moving towards happiness is about being selfish I admit. But being happy

makes you a much more productive and useful human being. Being unhappy

doesn't help anyone - least of all yourself.

So, think about what makes you happy. Think about how you can get rid

of all the things - and people - in your life that make you unhappy. Seriously

consider changing your circumstances to create your perfect life.

If you need more time to write, make it so.

Why not? It's your life.

And you have a duty to yourself to be happy.


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S is for Skillfulness

Be Good at What You Do

...but don't go beating yourself up about it.

The relationship between your internal world and the external

manifestation of it is a complex one. You've heard the phrase, you get what you

focus on?

Well, this is true but it also has a down side. If you have a habit of

berating yourself over your failings and beat yourself up over your lack of

success, guess what you're more likely to create in your life?

Uh-huh, more failure and lack.

I never thought this was true until success started to happen to us and I

began to look back over my life with a more dispassionate eye. And I realized

that all too often when things weren't going well, I got depressed and beat myself

up. For all the right reasons of course - I was trying to do something about it,

examining my tactics, whipping myself back into shape... but to no real avail.

Have the Courage to Let Go

Success began to happen when I let go. When I realized nothing really

mattered that much - and when I had faith that things were going to turn around,

they began to.


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I guess because I was focusing more on the positive, which sent different

messages to my subconscious, which enabled me to make more effective

decisions about how to spend my time.

Nowadays I have Robyn to remind me not to dwell on the negative. It's a

hard habit to break but well worth the effort.

Time spent hating yourself, your lack of talent and your failure to achieve

the things you want is wasted time. No-one's ever going to know about, nor

benefit from this state of mind. You owe it to yourself to consciously and

deliberately turn your mind to the positive.

Okay, when you're stuck in a low gear it's sometimes hard to change but

it's trying that counts. It's cumulative. The more times you force that change in

your thinking, the easier it becomes - until it becomes automatic

Pride Shows

Feeling good about yourself and what you do has a terrific impact on your

writing. I've seen thousands of manuscripts in my time and I can tell you one

thing. A MS that is alive with thought - even if there are technical errors - is far

more compelling than a dry, perfect MS from a dull writer.

It's about engagement. If you are fully engaged in your writing, a state

that occurs naturally when you're excited and happy, your mind can grasp the


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whole concept, the wider perspective and that somehow transfers itself to the

page.

When you're low and struggling over every word, your vision becomes

narrow, critical and often, self defeating. And that too shows on the page.

You can be good at what you do if you let go of the critic. Believe in what

you do and believe that you are giving your best and your writing will begin to

soar.

Practice

Apparent skill in writing is brought about by practice. You have to get used

to seeing and hearing with words. It's a knack you can train your brain to do.

After a while, you no longer receive impressions about the world and people in a

nebulous way - your brain starts to order the impressions into words and

sentences that you can pluck from your mind and put straight onto paper.

Studying writing is good, up to a point. But I don't mean sitting down to

analyze words, writing style and writing conventions. I mean merely being open

to how words are used all around us to convey meaning.

Reading everything, writing, keeping a diary, it all helps. Even watching

TV and movies is good - as long as you're thinking about words and how they're

being used to convey fiction or facts - and how you might use them yourself.


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Ideally you should practice writing every day. Get used to ordering your

thoughts through words on paper.

Deliberately put off thinking about things until your writing time. Thinking

achieves little when it comes to writing.

Thinking about writing or being a writer is not actual writing - to state an

obvious but often ignored fact with would-be writers.

Aim to be good at what you do, yes, but also believe that what you do is

good - and your writing, and your writing based life, will begin to prosper.

P is for Persistence

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Wrinkly rocker Mick Jagger once said, "The longer it takes you to get

there, the longer you'll stay." And I guess he should know!

Persistence is not just about picking a course of action and sticking to it,

month after month, year after year. It's also about keeping your focus on the

outcomes you desire.

Humming the old Fleetwood Mac song title above is a good way of

reminding yourself of this concept. Projecting your mind forward is so much more

healthy than dwelling on the past, even the present sometimes!


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As I mentioned in the previous pages, it's about creating an image of a

glittering future in your mind that is so strong and compelling that the Universe

somehow pulls you towards it - so sure is it that this is your reality.

Sometimes success can seem a long time coming but Robyn and I have

discussed this and we've come up with a theory...

How the Universe Works

Here goes. First you have to accept that at some basic, fundamental level,

the Universe strives for order and wants all of its inhabitants to benefit. (This is

part of the philosophy behind The Secret - and to some extent science is on its

side: Chaos Theory predicts order and prosperity are mathematically inevitable.)

Once you accept that the Universe actually conspires to make you

successful - and it's you that fights it when that doesn't happen - then it's clear

that lots of things have to happen before the Universe can get that success to

you.

Think about the last time something good happened to you.

I'm guessing it was through someone you met - right?

Usually good things happen because of a series of meetings you've had

with people. This person led to that person and so on until you meet the person

who changed your life.


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Now imagine how hard that must be for the Universe. Not only does it

have to get this person to you, it has to shape events so that you meet at the

best possible time for both of you. But hardest of all is keeping you in the right

frame of mind to recognize that this new person may be the one.

Now, if you're a writer and not quite in the right frame of mind or you

haven't reached a good, positive and productive state yet, how many times will

the Universe have to do this before you're ready? Once, twice? A hundred times?

It's probable that the right people are out there constantly but, either

because you won't or can't accept that or don't work towards finding them every

day, you never get to meet them.

Given all those myriad possibilities, it's no wonder success can be such a

long time coming!

On Writing

Writing success depends on persistence in all sorts of ways.

Writing every day, seeing writing as a constant learning experience and

source of fascination. Sending out your writing into the world consistently.

Coming up with new ideas all the time. These are all things that a writer must do

to remain fresh and most pertinently, stay writing.


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Because of course, if you don't get work accepted on a regular basis,

you're not going to be able to continue writing full time - or anywhere near as

much as you'd like.

You have two choices when it comes to writing - and most professional

writers I know juggle them. The first choice is to write for pleasure - that's a

given. But the second choice involves 'following the money'. So when we get to

putting together your writing goals for next year, remember that striking a

balance between writing that pays and writing that gives you pleasure will keep

you writing for longer.

Our experience is that writing for publisher's advances and future royalties

is pleasurable - at first. But it can seem like work during the rewriting stages

when publishers, editors and movie people want changes made to manuscripts

(as they always do!)

But, really, it's a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to

continue to write for pleasure, every day.

As we journey further into the R&R Method, you'll learn how to create

writing goals that become instinctive to you and will propel into an active, writing

future.

I hope you're enjoying the ride!


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I is for Inspiration

Invest in Yourself and Your Ideas

All writers are asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" as though

there were some secret repository hidden away somewhere to which only 'real'

writers have access.

The truth is, when you write all the time, ideas come easily and naturally.

They pop into your head unbidden. I think it's something to do with the writing

process. By writing, you're teaching your mind to string together words. The

brain understands that this is a very similar process to the way ideas get strung

together. That is, logically, if you take this notion, add this, you get something

else - usually an idea for a story or a project.

Far from being hard to come by, the working writer is inundated with ideas

- and will probably never have enough time to work on them all.

Personally I have hundreds of plot ideas for stories and more come to me

every day. My problem is choosing which ideas to focus on. And which ones to

exploit.

Exploit is the Keyword

There's no point in having all these ideas unless at least some of them will

make you money in the long term.


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Which is why you must 'invest' in them, hold them as precious and see

them as a resource - like gold - that you will one day mine, refine and sell on the

open market.

You may feel uncomfortable with the idea that words and ideas, like any

other resource, are there to be exploited, sold etc. But this is the reality. The very

fact that some authors and screenplay writers are paid so well should be an

indication to you that words can be very powerful and have the ability to make

many millions of dollars - for everyone that is touched by them.

Why do you think there was a writer's strike in Hollywood a while back?

Why did it cause so much havoc with the TV stations and the movie studios?

Because without writers, the entire entertainment media would collapse -

and writers are offended that they, the creators, are treated with such contempt

by the people that make an awful lot of money from their words. Hopefully this

will change in the future and writers will command the respect - and the money -

they deserve.

Responsibility Equals Power

I remember once Sting said that by the time he was writing the songs to

the Police's third album, he realized he wasn't writing songs for himself anymore.

He was writing songs to support an entire industry that the band's success had

created. Everyone from the CEO of A&M records down to the shop staff who sold


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the CDs and the merchandising were relying on the next Police album to sell

millions of copies.

Quite a responsibility for an ex teacher with a bad haircut!

But that's the way of the world now.

With great talent comes great responsibility - to misquote Spider Man -

and if you take yourself seriously as a writer, you should be prepared to one day

take on that responsibility and realize your words may represent great power -

and will end up literally funding the lives of many people you don't know and will

never meet.

Just ask J K Rowling what that's like!

You may think that sometimes writers and musicians and actors 'sell out'

at some point in their career - they start just 'going through the motions' for the

money. But once you understand the responsibilities of fame and celebrity, it's

not hard to see why. An artist who deliberately jeopardizes their own career, also

jeopardizes thousands of others too - and that's not a decision anyone - artist or

not - should take lightly.

Cherish Your Ideas

Keeping track of your ideas and constantly thinking about how you might

use them to your benefit is the lot of the working writer. But it's also important to

look after yourself - the vessel that creates and nourishes those ideas.


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Keeping healthy, eating sensibly, avoiding drugs and too much alcohol are

things the responsible writer should take seriously.

In a world where there's a medical term for the slightest of ailments, it's

unfashionable to say that most illnesses (barring viruses) are self inflicted. But

there is much evidence to suggest that this is the case. And writers especially

seem to be prone to this phenomena.

Stay Healthy

I've met many writers who complain they're ill - therefore they can't write.

I often wonder which came first. Did, perhaps, their inability to write somehow

bring about an psychosomatic illness that prevented them from writing?

The relationship between the mind and the body is a complex one. And

though I risk criticism I'm sure, I will say that I'm tempted to believe that, in

most cases, you're about as healthy as you think you are.

Therefore you have a duty to believe yourself well.

Not just to protect your mind and body but your ideas too.

Because your ideas - and you're writing talents - are most likely as good

as you believe them to be.


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R is for Reflection

Dream, Fantasize and Order Your Mind

Here's the cute non-reality that people generally believe:

Writing is more than a skill, a pastime or a way of making a living. It is a

vocation - like being a nurse or missionary. In order to commit yourself, and

impress those that would read your work, you have to want to do it for nothing.

Indeed this is how many of us become writers - it's something we feel

compelled to do, whether asked to, required to or not!

Certainly I've noticed that when you first start dealing with publishers,

your enthusiasm, commitment and talent are of primary concern. Any talk of

money too early in the process will see you ostracized very quickly. You're

supposed to want to write for yourself - for Art's sake - first.

I guess it's about trust. The people that would help us get our work seen -

in other words, published - need to be sure that our motives are sincere. That we

write for some purpose other than just to make money.

Tosh!

Robyn and I have discussed this aspect of the writer's dilemma many

times - and we have a counter argument.


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Writing is time consuming, hard work sometimes and almost impossible to

sustain a good living at for most writers - 80% make less than $10,000 a year

according to the last survey I read.

It's clear that if writers don't get paid, they can't continue writing - at least

not without considering poverty as a career choice.

Given the vast millions that publishers make, I've always thought that

they should pay new writers to submit work - but of course that's never going to

happen! There's simply too many would be writers who are willing to chance it

based on nothing more than a vague possibility of success.

But This is To Your Advantage

Because for every one hundred writers that try and fail - either through

discouragement, the apathy of publishers, or the sheer force of having to pay the

rent - there's one, like you, that ain't givin' up!

But how do you sustain the momentum - the will and the courage to

continue?

Easy. Get obsessed. Dream about your writing success. Fantasize about it

every moment of every day. Create a compulsion within yourself that cannot be

undermined.

Be insane. Be illogical. Be unrealistic!


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Because...

Over the years I've noticed something very telling. The writers with the

most talent don't always rise to the top. But the writers who don't stop and won't

take no for an answer, and just keep going regardless of criticism and bad

experiences, are the ones that make it - every time.

Reflection Strengthens Determination

Actively thinking about your writing is not just about trying to improve or

responding positively to feedback, it's about organizing your thoughts and

reactions to what people say about your writing. You can take criticism well or

badly. It can fire you up or destroy you. It's your choice.

I used to think I wasn't good enough to be a professional writer - and my

lack of success reinforced that view.

But I had it all wrong. What I failed to understand at the time was that, if

you just keep going, respond to feedback and keep plugging away at new

projects, you become good enough over time.

Your technique may improve. You may begin to write more effectively or

tell better stories. But none of that matters if you don't have the single minded

drive to overcome the apparent obstacles to your success.

It's too easy to get discouraged. The system is designed for that to

happen - to weed out those that are not determined.


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Take heart, if you are fully committed, there are no obstacles that cannot

be overcome, there are no barriers - real or imagined - that you cannot triumph

over.

In the words of a very old cliche - and things become cliches, remember,

usually because they're true:

"There is nothing you can't do once you set your mind to it."

So, now you know, go for it!


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E is for Excellence

Do Your Very Best to Help

I have news for you. Your writing success is not about you. It's about

helping other people.

Think about it. There are people out there that need writers to help their

careers - agents, publishers, TV and film producers - they all need good writing to

create books and movies, whatever, to sell in the marketplace.

Therefore it makes sense that you as a writer would want to help these

people achieve their aims.

I know that it looks as though most of the literary community are bent on

saying no - to you, to me, to every aspiring, even successful writer - but this is to

misunderstand what's actually going on.

Most Writers Don't Know What's Any Good

The fact is that 99.9% of everything writers come up with is unsellable. It

has no value to readers, viewers and consumers. The writing may be good - but

really this is irrelevant to the needs of the market.

Often I've come across writers that get so close to success it can make

you want to cry. They tell the same story. "They wanted me to change my book -

and I just couldn't do it." These writers are usually convinced they made the right


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decision - for themselves. But they are also often filled with a bitterness towards

the people who were trying so hard to help them - they just don't see it that way.

They complain that they would have had to compromise their 'art', their

vision, their principles...

It's such a shame.

Good writing can always be improved. A good idea can always benefit

from a new perspective, a new angle. It's up to the success focused writer to

understand that changing your manuscript to suit the needs of the market is a

positive thing, and never an attempt to quash you, the writer. Far from it. By

helping you make the changes, they are ensuring your success - if you have

courage to be flexible.

Compromise is Good

It's a mistake to believe that unyielding adherence to your artistic

principles is a good thing. It's not. It just marks you out as immature. Even the

most precious artists must undergo public scrutiny. In a way, that's the whole

point of art - to be out there, enjoyed, debated.

But if your work never sees the light of day because you can't accept

criticism or take on board suggestions, you're shooting yourself in the foot. All

great artists have had to make compromises during their career - especially when

getting that first break into the public arena.


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Don't fight change. Embrace it. You can be as difficult an artist as you like

but only WHEN you've made it!

Helping Others is the Secret

Let's look at making a movie.

It's well known that most screenplays are written and rewritten several

times before shooting begins. Is this some fickle process that is designed to

frustrate writers?

No, though it may seem so sometimes.

Most movies are made by around 200 people, all working towards a single

aim. And the point of rewriting a script is to make sure that all of those people

can do their job. If there are places in a script where the meaning is not clear or

the motivation of the characters is unconvincing, it becomes harder for certain

people, and ultimately, everyone to make the movie work.

Your job, as a writer, is help everyone involved - all 200 people in this

instance - to make your movie. We all know that egos do not have an appropriate

place in a committee. Nothing ever gets done when someone digs in their heals

and won't compromise.

Indeed this happens all the time. Film projects stall and crumble often

because someone won't budge on an issue.


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The same concept applies to books. Publishers have jobs to do. They have

many conflicting agendas - the needs of the marketing department, the editorial

staff and the requirements of the directors of the company to ensure results -

profit in other words.

So when a publisher asks for changes to a MS, it's not because they want

to annoy and frustrate you. No, they're just trying to create a product that

satisfies the needs of everyone in the publishing house. And when a writer

refuses to make the changes, they become a problem. They become a rock in the

road that stops the traffic - and blocks the success of everyone.

Don't you be that immovable object!

Flexibility is just as important as talent - and the more you try to help

people do their jobs, the more successful you will become.

Now that we've got the A.S.P.I.R.E acronym out of the way, we need to

focus on creating those success goals for the coming year. Here's how Robyn and

I put together:


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101 Fun Things to Do

How to Get the Most Out of a Year

At least once a year you need to take some time out to write down 101

things you'd like to do or would like to happen in your future.

The accent is on fun but the sky's the limit. You can be as outrageous or

as simple as you like. You can start by writing down a few easy things to

complete like growing a tomato plant or buying a gerbil. But then move on,

brainstorm and be more adventurous. See yourself at an award ceremony, losing

fourteen pounds, flying in a space shuttle or being interviewed by the next Oprah.

Now, when it comes to writing, Robyn and I may have an advantage here

because we generally want the same things and like to occupy ourselves with the

same kind of activities.

But not everyone's idea of bliss is sitting in the front room writing all day.

Of course we do a lot of other things too (honest) but having a good chunk of

writing time set aside every week is the central focus of our lives - as we believe

it should be in any professional writer's life.

So - when it comes to around 90% of our goals, they're pretty much what

we both want. Which is good.


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Ya Gotta Be Specific

But as I say, the accent is on fun. Instead of just writing "Get novel

written", we're likely to be much more specific, as in: "Get Bear Tracks published

with Random" and to reinforce the idea, we'll spend a few moments discussing

the realities and practicalities of that goal.

If we're determined to see a film project go ahead, we'll list the producers

and directors we want to talk to - then we make a goal to shake hands with those

people (at least), if not visualize a time when we might actually work with them.

When it comes to places we want to travel, we'll be equally specific.

Instead of writing down "visit the pyramids" we'll write "Kiss under the stars on

the Giza Plateau." It's the process of creating more concrete goals - with a

playfulness that appeals to the subconscious - that I think takes us further

towards our dreams - easily and more quickly.

It's All Part of a Package

Running possible scenarios through our minds, seeing how we might make

things happen, imagining them as real future events - and enjoying it - I think is

the key to this process.

A hundred and one goals is a big list. Robyn and I will generally put aside

an entire evening to compile it. But it's a great fun evening where we spend a lot

of time laughing at ourselves and marveling over possibilities.


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Current mythology states that there are only six degrees of separation

between everyone on the planet. There have been numerous studies done to

prove it. When you bear this in mind you realize that no matter who you are or

where you're based in the world, you're only five people away from anyone you

need to meet - and that's meeting them in person!

The Internet has created a world where you are possibly only one email

away from everyone else! Okay, so not everyone is on the Net (like my Dad and

a few million other people) and not everyone returns your emails (come on, Mr

Spielberg - just a quick note would be nice) but I think you know what I mean!

The Courage to be Creative

And if the idea of fulfilling some of your dreams scares you a little, I think

the element of fun can go a long way to help get you over any fear of stepping

out of your comfort zone.

After all, your job as writer is to come up with ideas and get them out

there - in the form of the written word. You can do a lot of this from the

sanctuary of your home - via mail and email. But there generally comes a time

when you have to meet people face to face - and if you've already done it several

times in your mind, it'll be easier when it actually happens!

Over the next few days, promise yourself you'll compile this list of 101

things to do in the next twelve months. Be frivolous, be crazy, be specific but,

most of all, have fun!


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In the coming pages I'll let you know what to do with the list when it's

done - and how you can hone it down into a realistic plan of action.

Do you have your list of 101 things to do in the coming year. Now we have

to make sense of that list by:

Sorting Through Your 101 Things to Do

Getting Your Priorities Right!

You know what they say - getting things done is about prioritizing. And the

trouble with most people is that they attach importance to all the wrong things.

We spend an inordinate amount of time eating, sleeping, traveling to and

from work, socializing, watching TV, doing housework and generally lazing around

getting nothing in particular done. It doesn't feel as though we've moved all these

things to the top of our priority list but by the simple act of doing them instead of

writing, that's exactly what we've done.

Giving something a priority in your life means doing it first. This is an

important aspect to remember when it comes to giving a priority rating to your

"things to do" lists.

Many would be writers fall into a trap.


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They promise themselves they will do some writing when everything else

is done and they can find some spare time. But of course we all know that when

we do this, the spare time never comes.

No, this is not the way. Writing - if that's your priority - is what you need

to do first - in preference and instead of everything else. This is the only way to

get it done!

Anecdote

Many years ago I lived with a girl that didn't approve of me writing. It

irked her considerably that she had to work 9 to 5 - actually more like 8 till 7 -

and that I, as far as she was concerned, just sat around and did nothing all day.

It didn't matter to her that writing was my chosen career and that it was

how I made a living. To her, that didn't make it a proper job. She thought of it as

one long holiday that she would one day 'fix'.

At the beginning of each work day she'd create lists of errands to run, DIY

work to be done around the house and leave notes to me about the washing,

ironing and cleaning.

Fair enough. I'm a domesticated soul. I actually don't mind housework. I

find it relaxing and I'm able to think about my writing while I'm cleaning. So

that's what I would do. Write in the morning from 9 till 12, take two or three

hours over the chores and then get back to writing.


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But of course, this was never going to impress my then girlfriend. My

writing was a constant source of irritation to her and she would do everything in

her power to thwart my writing time - for reasons I'm actually still unclear about!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, we split up after a short while but not

before I'd gotten used to renting a caravan down on the coast whenever I had an

important writing project to finish. I loved it there. No phones, no TV or Internet

access. Just me and my computer and my writing - ah bliss!

I tell you this story to highlight the importance I attach to writing. I'm

lucky now that I have my beloved Robyn - who understands this completely and

is the same herself. The writing comes first. Every time.

Look at Your List

Bearing all this in mind, take your list and write down a priority score

against all of your 'things to do'. Use the number 1 for items you think are the

most important and 2 for those slightly less important, all the way down to 5 for

the least important.

By the end you should have about 20 items that scored 1, 20 that scored

2, and so on.

Really look at your list and re-prioritize items if you need to. Remember

that you will be working on the items that are marked '1' in preference to many

other of your daily chores. You don't need to be realistic at this stage - you don't


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even need to worry about where you're going to find the time - all those practical

decisions come later.

For now, attach importance to the things you really want to happen in

your life. Do this consistently and you'll find that the rest will take care of itself.

In the next part of this book, we'll be looking at what to do with your list

once you have prioritized it.


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By now you should have a list of 101 things you'd like to happen in your

life, prioritized according to importance. If you haven't - go back and make one -

it'll be fun!

Then, in order to turn that wish list into a reality, you need to follow the

next seven steps in the R&R Method.

The first of these is:

1. Making a Success Plan

Write to the Top

At last - a chance to do some real writing! It may take a couple of hours

but it'll be the best investment you ever make in yourself and your career as a

writer.

Trust me, the writing you create after reading this message will help

define who you are as a person and a writer - and, if our experience is anything

to go by, will change your life for the better, forever!

Read Through Your List

Take some time out to read your list in chunks. Read through all of your

number one priority items and see if there's some continuity - some theme that

would define the life you'd like to lead.


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Imagine the kind of days you would have in your perfect life. As I've said

before you might not think the way Robyn and I live is your idea of paradise - you

have to decide for yourself what you want.

But if you like the idea of freedom - the ability to choose what you want to

do with your time on a consistent basis, then you need to think about the

implications of that - and ask yourself, "If I could do anything I wanted, at any

time, what would I do with myself?"

At a party the other day (see, I told you we get out sometimes!) a guy

asked me in all seriousness, "Don't you ever get bored?" His viewpoint of the

world was that a life without a 9 to 5 job was an endless vista of lazy days with

no real sense of direction.

But get this. When you work for yourself, nothing could be further from

the truth! Sure, you can get up when you want and take time off whenever you

choose but the point is, you shouldn't want to!

Robyn and I approach our work with all the gusto, integrity and

enthusiasm of professional artists. And, although the hours are unpredictable

sometimes, we're dedicated to our projects, whether that be another book,

screenplay, pitch, writing course or whatever.

Learning how to organize yourself and your time are skills we will be

looking at later but for now it's important that you take onboard the significance

of writing for a living - what it will actually mean to your day to day life.


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And with this is in mind I want you to write a page or so on your goals and

dreams. Describe the life you want to live - warts and all.

Warts and All

One of the challenges of writing for a living is that you're in a constant

state of flux - good things happen but there are disappointments too. There are

times when Robyn and I are floating on the ceiling, hugely excited by an advance

or a great meeting or the possibilities for a new project. But other times we feel

let down, disillusioned and fretful. It's all part of taking control of your destiny:

life can take on a clarity, an intensity you weren't expecting.

So when you're writing about the future you want, remember that you will

also need to be tenacious, flexible and in a sense, aloof. You will need back up

plans. You will need to be able to juggle lots of potential sources of income. The

phrase "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" should take on a profound

significance to you.

Fantasy Break

I say all this because I think this was what was wrong with the future life I

used to fantasize about - it really had no basis in reality. It emphasized all the

good and wonderful things that I wanted to happen to the extent that it had no

credibility. My subconscious mind couldn't make the connection between my real

life and the one I so desperately wanted until...


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Robyn and I got together and realized that sustaining a writing career was

as much about practicalities as it was about the dream. In the early days of our

journey towards the life we have now, we did consider every and all possibilities -

whether to give up and go back to work - as well as thinking about all the other

writing opportunities there were out there.

Thankfully we always decided to work on what we were best at - writing -

knowing that would see us through in the end.

And we realize now that it's that practical outlook that helps us juggle

priorities now. We're always involved in several projects at once - and there's

always somebody who needs us to complete something. But that's okay. We love

writing, it's our life - and we prepared for it by writing it down, just as I'm asking

you to do now.

Imaginate to Facilitate

Success doesn't happen in a vacuum, though it usually appears that way

to the outsider. Success is a series of decisions that you make every moment of

every day.

You decide now what you want for your life and from that moment - the

forever now - you are living the life you create. Success is not in the future, it is

with you now - and it is inextricably linked to the very next decision you make.


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As you write about your future, as you make plans for the writing career

you want to lead, bear this in mind. You are not writing about some distant,

impossible reality. You are changing the present to facilitate a new you, a new

and successful you in a new future, one that you can achieve - easily - by simply

writing it down.

This is how writing works - and always has done.

Writing is an act of creation.

Use it. Benefit. Give.

We've looked at planning what to do to achieve your writing goals in the

future. The next step in the R&R Method is:

2. Making a Map

X Marks the Spot

It's clear that if you're about to set out on a journey you need a

destination point and some markers along the way.

Most of us go through life with only some vague idea of where we're going

and can even fail to recognize our arrival point when we get there!

But seasoned adventurers have more concrete goals.


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What would be the point of climbing Mount Everest or journeying to the

South Pole if you didn't know the exact point you can turn around say "Mission

Accomplished"?

You need to know where you're going. And you need to know how long it

will take you to get there - otherwise you'll run out of resources along the way.

You need several markers too - not only because you need to be able to

acknowledge how far you've come - but also as re-fuelling stops, places to

examine your progress and determine your next course of action.

For all that, you'll need a map or, in more practical terms, a calendar.

Letting the Days Go By

Take the top twenty items on your goals list and place their completion

dates on a calendar, or in a diary.

Use your instincts and your intuition. Don't think too hard about breaking

down your writing goals into manageable steps - we'll look at that soon. At this

stage just think about the dates by which you'd love to have things done.

It's too easy to get bogged down here and start wondering whether you're

capable of seeing out a project or completing everything associated with a goal.

As I said earlier, setting writing goals should be about fun first. You're trying to

appeal to your subconscious, to give it plenty of reasons to succeed, plenty of

positive, emotional feedback about why these goals are important to you.


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It doesn't matter that you or others might think they are impractical. It's

your own sense of excitement that is important. Because excitement means

motivation. And motivation is what makes you sit down and write.

What We Do

Robyn and I expect a lot from ourselves. During any one year we might

expect to have around 20 to 25 writing projects to work on - each. That's about

right for us. We'll have others, say 4 or 5, we'll plan to work on together.

We also know there will be others that come along and take up our time

and energy, necessarily squeezing out the ones we'd planned to do. That's okay.

The issue is that we know what we're planning to do - and have

completion dates. We know that we must get our heads around certain projects

that will deserve thinking and writing time. We know that without time spent on

writing projects with completion dates, we won't be able to carry on being

working writers!

That's why it's so imperative, like any other business, to have targets and

measurable outcomes like completion dates to keep us focused on the work in

hand.

Your Own Treasure Map

Your calendar should feel like a treasure map to you.


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When you look down at your coming year with the all the things you

intend to do written down, you should be filled with a sense of anticipation and

wonder.

It's easy to get frustrated over what we can achieve on a day to day basis

but it's just as easy to underestimate what we can achieve in a year - especially

when we put our minds to it.

If you take yourself seriously as writer, you have a duty to remind yourself

that you wouldn't have the privilege of calling yourself a writer (and it is a

privilege) unless you are committed - by virtue of your enthusiasm - to seeing

your writing projects through to the end. And the way to start this process is to

first of all get excited about what you can achieve.

Become convinced that all your dreams can come true if you complete the

tasks you set yourself. Fantasize about the life you will lead when you have a

portfolio of work you can begin to send out and get published.

While you're at it, celebrate that coming future, that inevitable reality.

Now.

Enjoy what success feels like. Use it to fire you up.

The practicalities come later.


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3. Finding the Target

Setting Your Sights

Hopefully, if you've been carefully following the R&R Method, you now

have some idea of where you're going. In the last section we located exactly

where you're heading and got a rough idea of how long it may take to get you

there.

Now is the time to get a little more specific.

You need to start working on your goals on a day to day basis and to do

that you need to sit down and make a plan. You need to start allocating time in

your day to your goals.

Most people never do this - and then wonder why they never get any

closer to what they want. I did them same for years.

My Story

In between my two creative careers, in what I call 'the dark age', I worked

in an office as a buyer - or in what some people call 'procurement'. I even took

tedious exams to get, at least partly, qualified for the job.

I should have been happy.

I was newly married (the first time round), we had a gorgeous house in

Chelsea (London) with a garden. We had cable, a big car, a massive stereo TV


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and computers. I had a recording studio built into one of the spare rooms and

after being a musician for over a decade I'd managed to do what everyone told

me was impossible - that is, get a proper, high paying job in the City of London.

Trouble was, despite all the toys and smart suits and holidays, I was

totally miserable.

As the years went by I grew increasingly frustrated with my lack of

creativity. Books and screenplays went unwritten. Projects fizzled before they'd

started. Self loathing replaced optimism as I grew more and more convinced I

would live out the rest of my life in quiet, stultifying desperation.

But then, when my first son, Sebastian, was born, I took stock. I realized

that the last thing I wanted was for my boy to grow up knowing that I was a

failure - that I'd given up on my dreams for middle class ennui.

So I began to do something about it. From January 1998, every day, I

made a list of five things I needed to get done in order to propel my creativity.

Little things mostly like writing a page of a novel, finishing an article or mapping

out a screenplay. I used lunchtimes and stopping off at the library or pub on the

way home to write.

I took writing courses and read everything I could find on the craft of

writing. I sought out directors, agents, book and magazine publishers and

submitted ideas, articles and stories to them.

Rarely did anything major pan out - but to me that wasn't the point.


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My friends and family thought I was crazy, wasting my time - some were

even angry that I was 'arrogant' enough to believe I had a right to be creative!

But none of that mattered.

What mattered to me - and still matters to me - is that we should all live

doing what we're supposed to do. And in my case, that is to write - and write full

time, as a living and as a way of life. That was my dream ten years ago, that was

my goal, and it was only when I sat down and started actually doing it, a little at

a time, day after day, that it began to happen.

Of course a lot of other stuff happened along the way (some of it ugly and

painful I admit) but I believe my whole life has turned inside out and upside down

in the last ten years - in ultimately a good way - because I never, never ever, let

go of my dreams.

And now?

Everything's perfect. Robyn and I have over 100 published books to our

name and two major movies in the pipeline. We write, we give talks, we invent,

we brainstorm, we love each other and the boys, we have fun all the time, we

live a full and wonderful life...


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Now, It's Your Turn

Take a good long look at your goals and imagine the kind of activities you

will need to do on a daily basis to create your dream life.

If you're filled with dread at the idea of doing these things, it's likely you

don't really want those long term writing goals. But if the idea of doing little

writing challenges fills you with joy and a sense of excitement, then you're

probably on the right track.

Make a list of five things to do today that will help your writing career in

the long term. Even if it's just making a phone call or buying a two ring binder.

The trick is to make the five things easily doable - so that you can tick them off

when they're done on a daily basis.

Make sure you do this tomorrow too - and the next day.

Sometimes you'll find you give yourself too much to do, or too little. That's

fine. What's important is that you find a balance - and do something positive and

writing based every day. Not only will this discipline help you write consistently in

the future, it will educate you on how to stay motivated and focused when you're

totally in charge of your life.

Because that's the real goal - to be in charge, not only of your writing but

also your life, your career and your destiny.


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Nothing Gets Done Without Taking Action

It seems like an obvious thing to say but I wish I'd had somebody to tell

me this, every morning, during my 'dark age'. It would have saved me a lot of

pain - and time!

It doesn't have to be massive, life changing action. But it does need to be

consistent. You need to turn writing into a habit, something you can't live

without, like a daily fix.

And the way to develop this most gratifying of habits is to start writing -

even just a little - every day, ticking off those five 'things to do today', from this

moment on.

Got that?

Good!

In the previous section on becoming a full time writer, it may have

seemed like I was suggesting something that smelled like work. Gasp! Heaven

forbid!

Writing as a way of life should not be considered work - far from it.

Thankfully now I can introduce you to a more pleasant aspect of the R&R

Success Method, namely:


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4. Take Five & Let Go

Give Yourself a Break

The importance of relaxing within the context of goal setting cannot be

underestimated - however its purpose can be easily misunderstood.

It's Tempting to Find Excuses to do Nothing

I like the bits in self help programs that tell you to relax and do nothing -

so much so I'll skip over all the 'take action' advice to get to them! But of course

I realize this is a mistake because 'letting go' can only work if you've done the

requisite amount of goal setting, visualization and planning exercises beforehand.

Spending a lot of time reinforcing to your subconscious that writing

success is achievable and even inevitable can take a lot of energy. After several

weeks spent convincing yourself throughout the day that you are capable of

anything, it can actually be quite hard to let go.

But letting go of your dreams and goals at some point is an important

component of success.

It works for me but, to be honest, I'm not sure why, although I do have a

theory.


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Here's My Theory

You know the phrase, you get what you focus on.

Most times this is good. Focus on creating wealth, getting a book finished

or a securing a date with a potential new lover can all lead to good results. But

focusing on failure and ill fortune can attract more failure and ill fortune into your

life.

Have you noticed that the people who most often complain they're not

well, never seem to get any better?

Obsessing over a problem will bring ever bigger issues to light that

compound that problem. You've seen this in action I'm sure. People who grumble

that their lives are awful and a mess seem to facilitate ever more disaster and

heartache in their lives.

But, as we all know deep down, good, happy, positive and powerful people

effortlessly attract good luck.

It's more than just an attitude thing. It's to do with what your

subconscious expects. Your subconscious assumes you want more of the same,

whatever it is you're living with.

Wanting something desperately, with a passion, can be stressful to the

conscious mind. The subconscious picks up on this stress and begins to associate

your ambition with stress. Continuous stress will cause your mind and body to

break down. This is not good for you - or your dreams.


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You need to interrupt the stress cycle every now and then - preferably

once or twice a day.

Here's Another Trick I Learned About Success

On the first day I began working on becoming a full time writer, I held The

Great Tie Burning Ceremony in the back garden. I got a metal bucket and set

light to around fifty of my ties - old and new, ugly and smart, I got all of them,

doused them in lighter fuel and watched them burn.

It was a hugely symbolic gesture for me. It was my way of telling myself

that I was never going back to an office job. How could I? I didn't have a tie!

I knew that I was making a commitment I couldn't then back down on.

But that's not all.

From the beginning I decided that whatever happened, I would enjoy my

new life. I worked hard on writing and drumming up business for four or five

hours a day, five days a week.

But I also made sure I took a good long lunch and watched the X-Files (it

was on cable at lunchtime then.) I also joined a health club and went there for a

couple of hours two or three times a week. I went for long walks in the local park

(it's huge) or at the beach and regularly went for coffees with my laptop in

remote cafes.


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It was my intention to consciously associate my new writer's life with

pleasure and to this day, I'm sure it was a great way of relaxing my mind and

spirit - which then enabled me to work harder and more effectively.

Why Letting Go Works

It's about putting things in context. An obsession with anything - writing,

fame, money, religion - is unhealthy. An obsession can turn your mind inside out

and get you so wrapped up in the past, present and a possible future that you

lose sight of what's important.

So what is important? Family, friends, flowers, love?

Nope, not really. That's all just stuff you have to deal with.

What's really important is you. Only you.

In order to take charge of your life - especially a writer's life - it's

important that you are balanced, especially mentally; that you are objective and

that you are, let's face it, sane - or at least appear to be!

Too many people get so wrapped up in the every day nitty gritty of

existence they forget that, really, nothing much matters in the great scheme of

things. The world's been around for a very long time and will be around for eons

after we're gone. The average lifespan is three score and ten - not much time to

really make a difference, right?


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And what ever you think is vitally important now - well, it'll most likely be

irrelevant within just a few years - and dust within a millennium.

So, the next time you're embroiled in some encompassing dilemma or

activity, take some time out, get some space and ask yourself, "Does this really

matter?"

This is not an act of fatalism. It is an act of realism.

Letting go of seemingly important goals and ambitions every now and

then, frees up the Universe to do its work. It also frees up your mind to be open

to new perspectives and new possibilities. It enables you to see more clearly and

evaluate more effectively.

It helps you work out what you really want - and not just what you think

you want - or what others might say you want.

Letting go makes for a more centered you.

And if you're centered, you can make a difference.


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5. How to Ensure Focus

What to Do on a Weekly Basis

Writing for a living requires commitment. Not only to the writing itself but

to its consequences - not all of which can be expected.

For instance, as much as Robyn and I would love to spend all of our time

writing fiction and books and courses, there's other stuff too. You wouldn't

believe the amount of words we need to expend on emails to lawyers, agents,

editors, publishers, film producers and who knows what just trying to help the

writing along.

Every new project requires communication - having to talk to people, call

people, meet people, having to make deals, negotiate contracts, explain concepts

and proposals over and over.

And this doesn't include the amount of time we spend on admin, writing

up the accounts, filing tax returns - and did I mention the personal mentoring for

authors that both of us pursue? The work never ends.

How do we - should you - cope with all this every week?


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The Sunday Night TTD Listings

Once a week, we list our 'things to do'.

I'm not going to tell you we do this religiously every week - I don't want

you to think we're so dedicated as to be almost saintly! No, we do this when it

seems like the work is getting out of hand.

Okay, on Sunday nights we review the work for the coming week. We

make a list. Then, we prioritize the list by importance or urgency. Then, we

allocate time during the week to do that work. We have an Excel spreadsheet that

is our calendar for the week. We use it to slot in our 'things to do'. Then, we print

out the spreadsheet and place it somewhere we can't miss - like next to the

laptop or on the fridge.

It's in two halves so that each of us knows what the other is working on -

or should be at least! This helps me to know when Robyn is working on fiction -

so that I know not to interrupt her with my inane observations about celebrities,

for instance (one of my favorite preoccupations!)

Of course other work comes along all the time that changes what we work

on but we've found that simply making lists of our 'things to do' somehow frees

up the mind.

Have you ever noticed that? You think you're stressed from all the things

you need to get done. You feel you can't cope. So you make a list and...


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...there's only three or four things on it and you think, Is that all? How can

I have been getting so stressed over just three or four things to do?

On The Failings of Men

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I've heard it's a bloke thing. Women can

apparently juggle many thoughts and concepts at one time but men, bless them,

can only focus on one - or two at most. Any more and their minds go into

overload and like a cheap computer, they break down.

It's like the old joke about sending a guy out to the shops. He can just

about remember three items but calling out to him to remember just one more

item, knocks one of the original items off the list!

I know this is true because it's happened to me.

Back on Topic Please

It would be nice if there was nothing to do but work on a novel all day,

every day, until it's done.

I guess this is the dream, the fantasy that we aspire to. We imagine our

favorite authors tapping the keys, stopping occasionally to gaze out of the

window, acquire inspiration and then go back to the job in hand. Ah bliss!


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But the reality is different. Even when we have the luxury of being able to

write all day, other projects and writing duties tend to intrude.

But that's okay. Personally I find having to concentrate on just one writing

project at a time to be very tiring - and counter productive. I need to be able to

do different things. I set up my weekly 'things to do' so that in the morning I'll

write an article, say, and in the afternoon work on another writer's manuscript.

Other days I will allocate to a piece of fiction in the afternoon and

answering emails to the morning. It's a constant juggling act designed to make

sure progress is made on everything.

We use the Sunday night sessions to plan a varied week of writing that

doesn't result in writing blocks or excessive inactivity or wasted time.

The Purpose of Lists

Again, it's all about focus. You get what you focus on. Therefore it's

obvious that if you want to get things done, you need to list them, allocate time

and then work on them systematically, consistently, until you've completed them.

As writers, our greatest ally - and enemy - is time.

Squander it and you'll live a life of regret.

Use it wisely and you'll achieve writing success.


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6. Staying Write on Track

Don't You Let The Days Go By

You gotta start somewhere.

It's no good promising yourself that you will write your book, your life

story or your magnum opus one day. Because, guess what, that day will never

come.

To your subconscious, one day is not now - it's some distant time in the

future, and will remain that way until you change your priorities to reflect what

you really want.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

It used to depress me when I read about other writers that seemed to

have so many writing credits. I couldn't imagine how I was ever going to have

the time to write that much. And I imagined (wrongly) that only writers with lots

of credits could compete for writing jobs and win them.

Now I realize that when you write every day, it's hard not to have a huge

portfolio of work within a reasonably short space of time. When I look back now I

can't quite believe how much I've written in the last five years - millions of words

probably. To think, I used to worry about finishing an article or whether I'd ever

have enough time to write a short story!


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It seems absurd now - but only because at a particular point in time, I

simply changed the instructions to my subconscious from 'Write One Day' to

'Write Now!'

And by deliberately not comparing my writing or my output to any other

writer, I freed myself of anxiety and enabled my talent to thrive.

Writing Makes You Better At Writing

This is the reality I've learned in the last six years as I've watched my

subscribers grow and, in many cases, become professional.

It's simply the writers that write, and keep writing, that improve and make

it - hence my 'keep writing' catchphrase!

But many writers make the mistake of thinking that lots of writing in

erratic bursts will cut it. Generally it doesn't. You have to write every day.

So, as well as the 'things to do list' you create every week (that we

discussed last lesson), you also need another that you create and adhere to on a

daily, even hourly sometimes, basis.

I have to admit that writing is a habit with me now. Actually more of a

vice - an addiction even. Unless I've written around a thousand words a day at

least, I can't function. A sense of dissatisfaction begins to enfold me and I yearn

to begin writing again - just to purge the hollow feeling I notice welling up inside

me.


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In almost any other arena, this might be considered a bad thing. But when

it comes to writing, it's your secret weapon.

Five is a Magic Number

Five things to do at any one time is about right I think. I've tried working

to lists that include everything I have to do but they're too long - usually two or

three pages. And, quite frankly, a list greater than five things long usually

depresses me - and can actually stop me from wanting to do anything.

Less than five things to do and I start thinking I can bunk off - or watch

some TV for a while (luckily daytime TV in Australia is bad - and I mean the pits -

apart from Judge Judy, which we watch at 3pm religiously every weekday!)

Five things to do is enough to get me going. I first make a list of

everything then ruthlessly cut that list down to the five I want/need to do that

day. Then I number them, putting the easiest and quickest jobs at the top. I print

off the five things to do on a sheet of paper and put it next to my laptop. Then,

usually before I do any thinking, pacing or sitting around in the garden, I start on

Number One.

You should do the same.

It's an extraordinarily productive way of going about things. It allows you

to focus on just five small jobs that would normally go undone. In this

technological age, it's just too easy to spend loads of time answering emails and


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surfing the Net. Many times I will deliberately unplug the modem connection and

answer emails offline.

Don't get me wrong, I do waste a lot of time too. Sometimes I'll surf

aimlessly in the name of research - or simply because I'm interested in other

people, the news or certain websites and blogs. (I think I've already mentioned I

have an obsessive need to know about celebrity relationships. I want to see how

certain famous couples are getting along - to see how their careers affect their

lives - and how long they can tough it out before the inevitable break up. It's a

foible I know - but I enjoy it.)

But if I notice I'm avoiding work, I'll take up my things to do list again and

study it. If I can't face the next item, I'll rewrite the list, print it off and start

again. I will do this sometimes half a dozen times a day. I believe, despite the

fact I'm probably beginning to sound obsessive, that it's what keeps me so

productive.

Make Promises to Others

By way of finishing off this section, I should alert you to another secret to

success. According to one self help guru - I forget his name - it is THE secret, the

only one that matters. And I agree. It is 'Keep Your Promises'.

Never use the word 'promise' lightly but always keep your promises to

others and most importantly, keep the promises you make to yourself.


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So that when you tell yourself you're going to do some writing by a

particular time, make a solemn promise to yourself to see it through, no matter

what.

Then, as Nike say, just do it.

7. Don't Be Afraid of Change

Plans are Made to be Amended

Despite all the best laid plans and the actions you may take to ensure

specific outcomes, there is no such thing as certainty. Life is about change and

expecting the unpredictable.

Most people never learn this. They hang on to their lives, grasping for

security, reluctant to leave their comfort zones, trying oh so hard to keep

everything under control.

This is a delusion, futile essentially because the Universe doesn't work this

way. The Universe - all life - is dynamic. Just as you respond to stimuli, the world

around you responds to you - each second of your life opens and closes a myriad

of possible futures. You cannot know for sure where you will end up.


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Look at it This Way

Think about where you were five years ago. Could you possibly have

predicted what you're doing now?

Chances are you are nowhere near the place you thought you'd be back

then (even if it's exactly the same place!)

But this is good. It means anything is possible. Whenever you're worried

about where your life is heading, you can't possibly know what's coming in the

long term.

If this is so then how can you be comforted that the future holds good

things for you?

There's a famous quote from Douglas Adams that I think he meant in jest

but is actually quite profound. It's from the Dirk Gently series. He says: "You may

not always arrive at where you wanted to go, but you can be sure you'll get to

wherever you needed to be."

I guess what Adams is saying is that in the future you'll find a place that's

right for you, even if it's not exactly what you wanted.

But really, who's happy - and for how long - when they get everything

they want?

Ask any celebrity for an honest answer to that!


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The Future is Perfect

As a species, we're designed to be flexible. It's the reason why we've

lasted so long. It's why we have hope - that we can change ourselves, our

environment and our destiny.

Elderly people often bemoan the present as though things are getting

worse. I don't see it that way. I think things are getting better - and always have

been. This too, may be a delusion - but I think it's a necessary one to keep us

lively, optimistic and resourceful.

There will always be bad people - there always have been. But it's the

good people that make a difference and pull the world into better shape and

create more peace, more order, more prosperity and more creativity. The trick for

all of us is ignore the bad people and thereby take away their power: on a global

scale - and a personal one too.

How Does This Relate to Writing?

During your writing life you may come across many people who will try to

hurt you and your writing. There will be some who will try to steal your ideas -

and profit from your work and ingenuity.

Don't let them. Don't let them learn that dishonesty and corruption can

work.


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Defend your copyright as though it were your first born child. Don't do any

deals with companies - Net based or otherwise - that suggest your copyright,

your concepts and your intellectual property is anything less than totally yours.

Be calm and assertive (as Cesar Millan says) in all things. Don't give away

your power to those who would have you believe you are the little guy - or gal -

and they alone hold the keys to your success.

When you try to forge a career for yourself in writing, it may seem odd

that you tend to meet the bad people first - the ones who want to exploit your

enthusiasm and naivete.

The Net especially is full of such people and companies. Exploiting writers

has become an industry. Be mindful of this as you begin to feed your writing into

the community. There are sharks everywhere.

This is why it's okay to change course, alter your heading and reassess

your plans - as soon as you are thwarted, misled or deceived. Don't hang on to

situations you know are bad, hoping things will turn around.

Most bad people just stay bad because, as Dr Phil notes, it works for

them.

If you find yourself in a bad deal or your writing is being held to ransom,

renegotiate if possible. But if that fails to achieve a result, then be sure to

extricate yourself - or at least threaten to, in order to get what you want.

Genuine creativity is rare. Nurture and defend your own at all cost.


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Change is Growth

Having the courage to move on is a virtue. Sometimes the best thing you

can do with a piece of writing is to let it go. The same is true of a plan.

It's a well worn notion that for every success there will be at least a dozen

failures, if not a hundred. The trick is to learn what works and go there instead of

'flogging a dead horse' as the saying goes.

Recognize that not everything will work out - in fact that the odds are,

most things won't.

But do keep working on what does work and you won't go far wrong - no

matter how long it takes.

Show the bad people out there who's really in control.

And, for the sake of writers everywhere, keep writing.

8. Let Go

Write for the Right Reasons

You've probably noticed that this book ebbs and flows between two

distinct philosophies - one, plan and visualize your writing success and two, let go

and write for all the right reasons, regardless of outside pressures, constraints

and criticism.


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New writers often ask me questions like, "What's up and coming? Where

should I focus my writing? What's going to be the next big thing?"

I guess this is about writers not wanting to waste their time on work that

may never see publication. But this is to misunderstand what happens with

writing. Attaining writing success is a long term series of operations that is most

likely different for every writer. It's hard to generalize. But, simply put, if you

write about what is important to you and do it well, YOU can become the next big

thing when you become a successful writer.

You, your inner philosophy, your writing, is what defines who you are. And

if fate shines upon you, it's who you are that will create and define your success.

New writers often think their role is to be the NEXT ------ (insert your

favorite author here) but this too is to misunderstand what happens when you

become successful. There may never be enough room for another blah, the new

blah or the next blah but there is always enough room for YOU.

Promote Yourself

This is why you should never be afraid to use your own name - and

promote yourself. After all, it's not actually you that you are promoting, merely

your name - as a brand, as a writing philosophy, as a way of seeing the world.


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It's quite common that new writers are nervous of putting their names out

there. They're afraid of criticism, afraid of standing up in a crowd and saying, I

did that.

Understandable yes but in reality, hardly worth noting, let alone struggling

with yourself over. You need to learn to let go of your writing when you put it out

into the world.

The reality is that there are two possibilities when you put yourself and

your name out there. One, you'll most likely be universally ignored by almost

everyone (sheesh, that's cold). Two, you'll find people that identify with your

writing and like it.

The fact is that mindless criticism does not seem to be all that prevalent

out there. No one sane is going to bag you just for the sake of it.

And if they do, there's always a good reason, unrelated to you, that

they're doing it. It's only strange and psychotic people that criticize you in public.

The vast majority people have better things to do. Plus, whenever I personally

receive criticism, I remember my favorite maxim - one that should be constructed

in huge neon letters and bolted to the moon for us all to see:

"People accuse you of their own faults."

The next time you receive criticism, consider who it's coming from and

you'll see this is true.


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People Envy Writers

It takes courage to stand up and be counted, to have the often perceived

'arrogance' to suggest you might have something important to say. To be loved,

loathed and talked about is the writer's lot. But that's okay. It doesn't seem to

bother Stephen King or Dan Brown or JK Rowling - and if it does, they don't let it

show.

You have nothing to fear from being yourself.

Indeed, you have everything to gain from being only that.

To be yourself is to be original.

Unique.

Important.

Learn to write from your heart and put your writing out into the world

without fear - and you'll be successful before you know it.

Are We Wrapping Up Yet?

I sincerely hope that this book is a source of inspiration to you. Not everything I

say will help in your particular circumstance I'm sure. But I hope that hearing

what our writing success is like 'from the horse's mouth' will at least give you

some idea what it's like to write full time and for a living.


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After reading all these lessons, you might not like the sound of full time

writing too much. It does require some degree of obsessiveness after all -

something you may not be ready for - yet.

But you can be assured that writing for a living will at least fill you with a

sense of purpose - and give you control over your life and destiny - a power that

is unavailable to most.

Feel free to offer me your comments and suggestions.

Helping writers has always been my goal.

Help me to help you.


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Welcome to the final section in the R&R Success Method:

9. Have fun, fun, fun!

Enjoy the Process of Writing

If you decide to become a career writer, it will be the simple joy of writing

that will most likely end up sustaining you. Long term writers agree on this.

If and when you get famous and rich through your writing, no matter how

much that may change you and your circumstances, you will need to have one

soft, safe place to fall. That one place you can go to find comfort - whether it is a

physical writing space, or the secret spot in your own mind reserved for yourself -

your internal writing space.

Your internal writing space will not only be a source of comfort to you. It

will be a source of strength - and power.

Writing is a formidable tool. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a

cliche for good reason! When all around you are absorbed in trivialities, fighting

each other and their own demons, the writer stays in control of his or her life,

and transcends them.

When others try to attack you, you - the writer - is able to make sense of

an argument, shape it and relate it with a power that is beyond the non-writer.

Be aware that the writer can destroy enemies with a stroke or two of the keys but


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that, wherever possible you should use that power wisely, with caution and

always for good.

As a Writer, You are Self Sufficient

We're surrounded by technology that makes demands on our time. Cells,

the Net, TV, the advertising industry. We're bombarded with it - to the extent

that you'd think that to be alone and sit and think was some kind of crime.

But that's how writers would prefer to spend their waking hours. Enjoying

themselves!

Whereas others seem to crave company and need the empty bustle of

companionship to feel validated, the writer does not - at least not to the same

degree.

Writing is for the most part a solitary activity - and years spent alone

writing can teach you much about the peace that comes from within - and the self

confidence that can arise from ordering your thoughts on paper.

This is all part of the fun of writing.

Not only is it a great way to spend your time - it's cathartic too. Writing

heals us and makes us whole.


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Seek Out Writing Buddies

Writers need to know other writers - they alone understand the trials and

tribulations of the writing process.

Non-writers will stare at you blankly if you talk about writing. They don't

understand your apparently self imposed problems. They often see your anxiety

over something as whimsical as writing to be a luxury to be scorned and rejected.

Most people think that calling yourself a writer is pretentious - unless

you're famous for it. A strange attitude if you ask me. Since when did you have to

famous to call yourself an actor - or a plumber? A title is just a description of

what you do, after all.

I guess it's because 'writer' carries the implication that you are also an

observer, a student of the human condition - and perhaps some kind of self

appointed judge.

But only writers know what it's like seek order and meaning and then

organize their vision into words on a page. That's why you need other writers

around you to help show you that you're not wasting your time, you're not fooling

yourself or avoiding real life. Far from it.

To write is to really live - and to understand what life is all about in a way

that does not occur to those more shallow and self absorbed.


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Do your best to attract into your life people that will help, nurture and

encourage your writing. There may be times in the future when you need them to

remind you why you began writing - and need to keep at it.

A Curious Aside

For the last six weeks I've written around a 1000 words a day on this and

other related projects - all with one aim in mind. I had a vague idea that I would

compile this last six weeks' musings into a self help book for writers.

The interesting thing to me is that, in the course of the writing I realize I

have crystallized my personal philosophies on success - and writing success in

particular. It's been very revealing and a lot of fun - and has really taught me

what I think about this stuff. In a very real way, I've made sense of my life and

my experiences by working on this book.

This book has helped me evaluate mine and Robyn's success - and see

there were steps, attitudes and compulsions that created our success that can be

taught.

A part of me thinks this was perhaps its real purpose. Of course I enjoy

teaching - and hope that you enjoy my musings - and sincerely hope you benefit.

But perhaps the real education was for myself. And perhaps the best advice I can

give you is that you, too, should do the same.


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Use your writing to make sense of your life, your experiences and your

opinions. A famous writer once said she liked to write to find out what she

thought about things. I think this says it all.

But the really fascinating part is that recently I've been feeling an

overwhelming urge to get back to fiction - where it all began for me. It's as if my

subconscious is saying, "Well, you got all that off your chest, now's the time to

get back to telling your stories."

And, truth be told, I'm very much looking forward to it.

I'm sure it'll be fun.

Conclusion

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me throughout

this book - I realize that I have imposed on you a lot. By reading, you've actually

been patient, kind and supportive, for which I am eternally grateful.

May your writing make you prosperous.

Till next time,

Keep writing!

Rob Parnell

The Easy Way to Success

the easy way to achieve writing success

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