You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins (Kindle edition, 2012)
This e-book’s full title is You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One), and Jeff Goins packs a lot of coaching and practical information into its digital pages.
His premise is that writers (and wanna-bes) need to stop waiting for permission or endorsement from someone in the industry. We need to write our passion instead of writing to please the gatekeepers. And we need to do it well.
It begins with showing up. Day after day.
We need to talk ourselves into writing instead of out of it. Writing regularly will train us and develop our voices. If we risk posting that writing on a blog or sharing it with our friends, we’ll discover what works and what doesn’t.
All of this—this business of becoming a writer—starts not with the hands, but with the head. (Kindle location 156)
That’s one of the key messages of You Are A Writer. The other is that it’ll take a lot of work and perseverance. Here again, a large chunk of the battle is mental.
If passion isn’t what drives you, you may not have much tolerance for the pain, rejection, and disappointment of the writer’s life. If, however, you write because you have to—because you can’t imagine not doing it—then there may be hope for you yet. (Kindle location 787)
Once we’ve decided to show up, or to rediscover the joy of writing if we’ve become disillusioned or worn down, You Are A Writer has good advice on things like platform-building, branding and connections.
Jeff Goins’ approach is to “serve your way into relationships” (Kindle location 514). Not in a manipulative way, but as a way of life. Give to others. Meet their needs. It’s the old saying: what goes around, comes around. Or the Golden Rule: treat others the way you wish to be treated.
We all know sometimes this will bite us. But it works. And it makes for a more contented life.
It’s definitely worked for Mr. Goins. He’s served up plenty of free, quality writing advice on his blog, and the gatekeepers are now coming to him with invitations.
My review copy is one of the free Kindle downloads he offered. I’m doing this review, not as repayment or even as a thank-you, but to help spread the word about a valuable resource that could make a difference in your life – if you are a writer.
Visit Jeff Goins, Writer for more about the author and to see what you can learn from his blog. You can also check out the You Are a Writer website for quotes, endorsements etc, or join the conversation on Twitter with the #youareawriter hashtag.
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Thank you for introducing me to Jeff and his motivating thoughts, Janet. I need every nudge I can garner ;}
Good thoughts, aren’t they, Mary? He’s right about so much of the battle being in our minds. It’s a short enough book that you could read it on your computer instead of needing an e-reader.