motivation

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Do Authors Need to “Get Out There”? – aka Are You Afraid of Being Seen?

You have a message to share with the world. And you’re taking steps to get it out—writing your book, launching a bestseller campaign, creating a business, building an email list, being active on social media.

And yet…

You’re harboring a deep-seated fear of having all those efforts actually pay off. You want to make a difference in the world but… do you really have to be a celebrity to do that?

Friend, I’m with you.

For every time when I’m like:

I’m so SICK of being invisible! I’m awesome. My work is awesome! My message matters. I TOTALLY should be serving more clients, having more interviews, and being Out There more! I’m going to be more visible! Post more. More videos. More! More! More!

There’s an equal day that says:

Oh look… my comfy sweatshirt. I don’t want to get out there today—it’s too hard, takes too much time, doesn’t yield results, and I *might* have to comb my hair and put on makeup. I think I’ll hide behind my computer instead.

Being visible is scary. It means that you’re out there in a place where you CAN be judged. (It doesn’t mean you WILL be judged. It just means you COULD be judged!)

So what do you do?

1. Remember your message.

Every time I want to stay in quiet anonymity, I remember MY message:

To help my authors share their messages so that they can be a positive impact on the world.

How can I do that if I’m hiding? So I think about you, my friend, and that if I’m invisible to you, you’re invisible to who needs YOU the most.

2. You’re not as big of a deal as you think.

We’re a big deal to ourselves and we’re a big deal to those closest to us. We want to make a Big Impact on the people we’re meant to serve.

But how many people IS that really?

100? 1,000? 50,000? 250,000?

There are BILLIONS of people on the planet. And the biggest influencers I personally know (not the “celebrities” I’m guessing about) have an honest-to-God reach of well under a million people. Yes, even in these days of Tiktok and Instagram; even with millions of “followers” they can’t REACH them all.

Be a HUGE deal to the people to whom you can impact… and forget the rest.

3. Do the thing that scares you.

I’m not talking about jumping out of planes or getting cozy with spiders! Do the visibility thing that scares you.

If that’s writing your book, then buy one of my courses and get into action. If that’s being interviewed, then get booked on a podcast. If it’s emailing your list, queue up a holiday message. If it’s video, swipe on that mascara.

Me? It’s hands-DOWN video. I don’t have a good reason why it bothers me so much; I LOVE speaking in person so it’s not stage fright.

I’ve worked on this one a lot, and then… if I don’t KEEP exercising that muscle, I go right back to being uncomfortable about doing live videos. It rears its head (again): being fearful of being seen, noticed, judged, commented on.

So what’s a writer to do?

I remembered my tip #2—I’m not nearly as big of a deal in the world as I THINK I am. Whew.

I remembered that I have been seen, and judged, on video. 96,900+ views as a matter of fact. Trolls and thumbs down all over the place. (I turned off comments YEARS ago.) It impacts my day-to-day life exactly ZERO, btw.

And here’s the thing:

Nobody cares!

And (and this is key) I’m letting an old fear keep me from being seen and getting my message to the people who ACTUALLY need me.

4. Remember WHY you want to be seen.

Frankly, this is the most important:

WHY does it matter that you’re getting out there? WHY does it matter that you’re sharing your message?

Doing interviews and Facebook lives and videos (and posts and social media and WHATEVER) is the vehicle – the but heart of the matter is your message. Your message ties it all together, and makes DOING those activities worthwhile.

It’s not about the book or the video or the podcast. It’s about the person who is receiving that information; the person you want to help. The one for whom your message is meant for.

5. What’s getting in your way (and getting in the way of your message)?

For me, back when I was The Outdoor Princess, my brand got in the way. I was so concerned with wearing pink, having the makeup done for the videos, and wearing a tiara, I forgot my message:

Sharing the love of the outdoors (and the technical how to’s) so people could make happy memories.

We often get caught up in the “should” of writing a book – and dive into that heavy energy. It’s the exact same energy that says you “should” clean the kitchen every night and NEVER go to bed with a sink full of dishes. (Hint: that’s a big negative self-talk from external sources.)

Instead, slip into the wonderful feeling of WANTING to write your book. Of GETTING to write it. Of writing the message-driven book that is on your heart.

Let’s make these last weeks of 2023 MATTER. A great place to start is with The Book Idea Workbook. Spend one (powerful) afternoon with these exercises and walk away with clarity on:

  • The book you REALLY want to write
  • TONS of ideas – and honing in on the one that makes you the most excited
  • Forward progress on what goes IN the book (you’ll want to pair this with Outline Oyster) to finalize your outline
  • And more

Get The Book Idea Workbook Now – Just $97

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The Counterintuitive Technique to Getting More Writing Done in Less Time

My dad always says, “Kim we all have the same 24-hours in a day!”

And every.single.time he says it, I just get MAD!

Because me? I want to have MORE time than everybody else. I don’t want rules to apply to ME! I want to create MORE time out of LESS.

Like the alchemists of old who wanted to create gold out of lead, I want to make something out of nothing.

While I can’t create an extra hour on your clock, I can create more writing time in your day.

Here’s the counterintuitive technique to getting more writing done in less time:

You need to turn OFF the inner editor in your brain. That, as you know, is easier said than done! When you’re tying along and mis-spell a word, that little red squiggly underline stops you DEAD in your tracks – it must be fixed RIGHT NOW. (Same for the underline that means that your grammar isn’t spot-on and the computer is suggesting a fix.)

Those are great tools for EDITING. They’re lousy for writing.

And no, don’t go turn them OFF!

Because when you shift from writing the get-it-done draft of your book to a more important, formal piece of writing, you’ll have forgotten they were turned off and THAT is a recipe for a disaster.

Instead…

Go to the COLOR of your text – where you can make it red or blue or green – and turn it to…

WHITE.

Yep, it’ll disappear against the page. As you type you WON’T be able to see your writing at all.

Did I just give you a heart attack? Stick with me!

Now, type. Write. Share. Do it as fast as possible.

Ignore the grammar and spelling squiggles.

Go.
Go.
Go.

When you can’t see your writing, you can’t judge it OR edit it in the moment. When you’re done with your writing session, highlight it all, and turn the font color BACK to black.

Then (this is key!) save it and WALK AWAY.

Don’t read (edit) it in the moment.

Come back after a break. Let it sit.

When you do come back, all you’re “fixing” is anything that is so badly misspelled you won’t know what you’re trying to say if you read it days or weeks later. (We don’t edit AS we’re writing!)

It’s completely counterintuitive to NOT be able to see what you’re writing AS you write it. But it’s also the fastest way to circumvent your inner critic and get more writing done.

I give you lots of other practical (and magical) tricks on getting your writing done in my course, Finally Write Your Book.

Sign up for the free training to give yourself a taste OR grab the whole course here. Use coupon code BOO for 31% off, expires at midnight Pacific on 10/31/23.

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My Art Teacher’s Tips to Writing Your Book

All through high school, I was a regular fixture in Mr. Ward’s advanced art classes. Fifty minutes every day of just… drawing. Since I was in the advanced classes, there was limited instruction and lots of time to create. I’d spend an entire semester working on ONE large drawing or painting.

It was a project.

That meant that there was ZERO room to get it done in the days before the deadline. I had to work on it Every.Single.Day. And not just in class; my dad built me a beautiful art table at home and I would work on my drawing for an hour or more every night too.

When I got to college, I was surprised to discover that it was Mr. Ward’s art classes that had best set me up for academic success. That daily habit of working on my project.

As adults, I doubt we can find TWO 1-hour chunks in our day to write our books. I know I can’t! But I can take the daily lessons from Mr. Ward and translate them to writing your book.

1. Daily efforts add up

Did I work on my drawing (on my own time) seven days a week? Probably not. But I do know that MOST evenings and at least one weekend afternoon would find me drawing.

When you strive to write every single day to write your book, you’ll probably get 4/7. And that adds up!

2. Practice makes improvement

You’re not coming to your book not knowing how to write AT ALL. You’re actually a pretty skilled written communicator – emails, social media posts, blog articles, etc.

By practicing your writing skills, you will improve. And you’ll add new skills that are unique to writing a book, like storytelling.

3. Teachers matter

While much of Mr. Ward’s classes were self-directed, he was a brilliant art teacher as well. I learned more about perspective in his class than in any of my art classes since. And while I “knew” my color wheel, it was his lessons on mixing paint that really allowed me to see how to create rich depths of color.

Your teacher matters. You want a teacher who is passionate about their subject, currently working in the field, and has successes of their own AND clients.

(Yes, that’s 100% me when it comes to writing. I have studied writing my whole life, have a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, written over 20 books of my own, and have dozens of students who have bestselling books!)

A great place for you to START is with my brand-new mini-course, “Outline Oyster.”

This is a quick course to help you write an outline for your non-fiction book – one that keeps you on track, motivated to write, and is ANYTHING but boring or stodgy.

(After all, with a name like OUTLINE OYSTER you know this is going to be fun, right?!)

In under two hours, you’ll learn:

  • How you want your reader to change from reading your book – and know how to WRITE that so it happens
  • Which stories need to go in your book – and where
  • How to take your reader from Hot Mess to Clarity – so their life can change for the better
  • Quick and practical steps to organize your ideas – this ALONE has been responsible for countless authors getting unstuck
  • How to write from your outline so you keep your creativity and motivation high
  • What goes in the book (and what doesn’t!) so your reader gets the maximum transformation without being overwhelmed
  • How to think about your book in terms of larger offerings you may have – like courses or coaching

Use the coupon code OUTLINE1023 for $50 off the course!

Enroll Here.

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My Super-Secret Ritual to Write Faster

You want your book to change lives. You want to Help People. (Yes, with a capital H.)

So it’s only natural to agonize over every single word.

The challenge is that then writing takes forever. And you’ve probably already spent weeks, months, YEARS “writing” your book.

#truthbomb

It’s far easier to edit your writing into brilliance than it is to write every single word brilliantly the first time.

#moretruth

It’s impossible to edit what isn’t on the page!

That means that part of writing your book is getting your ideas out of your head (and heart!) and onto the page. As quickly as possible.

Here’s my super secret Ritual to write faster:

Say this mantra three times:

I have everything I need, in this moment, to write.

These ten POWERFUL words have unlocked authors just like you. And the best part about this ritual is that when you’re reciting this mantra, you can change the emphasis to give you power and motivation for where you’re stuck.

Writing in a waiting room, without your preferred tools, (instead of in your writing space)?

I have EVERYTHING I need, in this moment, to write.

Writing when you’re feeling unsettled and like all your ideas are lacking?

I have everything I need, IN THIS MOMENT, to write.

Writing when you’d rather be scrubbing the toilet – so it feels a touch forced?

I have everything I need, in this moment, TO WRITE.

What I love best about this ritual is that it is ten words that I can do anywhere, any time. I don’t need a candle or silence or a meditation cushion or a singing bowl or any THING fancy.

Me.
Pen and paper.
10 words.

GO.

Need a little extra help to get writing? I recommend The Book Idea Workbook. This mini-course allows you to QUICKLY get the ideas out of your head and onto paper. Then to figure out where you want to start – which is the difference between a “Yes! I want to WRITE THAT BOOK” and a “well I guess I should write that book, since I guess it’s time and I kinda have to.” (Aka a “should” book.)

Get The Book Idea Workbook Here

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My Secret to Writing Your Book Like a Boss

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

You’re used to knuckling down and Getting Things Done. You love a challenge and you ALWAYS rise to the occasion.

So when you set the goal to write a book, you thought:

No problem! I’ve got this in the bag!

And then…

  • It isn’t such a straight path.
  • The lists and checklists and templates feel restrictive.
  • You want to be creative, but you’re worrying about “doing it wrong.”
  • Days are ticking by on the calendar and you don’t feel any closer to writing the book.

What’s wrong with you?!

Deep breath, friend. Writing a book is NOT like clearing out the garage! They are both a project, yes, but the steps to clean your garage are more of a “rinse and repeat” process to figure out what you’re gonna toss and what you’ll keep (and how to store it!) Writing a book needs a better plan.

You’ve got mad skills for figuring things out – and you’re really self-sufficient. You’ve probably had great success in the past with getting a tiny bit of knowledge, applying it, tweaking it, and you’re off to the races – successes raining down!

And it’s frustrating that you can FEEL the book trying to come together – but it isn’t.

Here’s my secret to writing like a boss:

Get Better Help.

It’s not about delegating the writing (ghostwriter) but it IS about tapping into the right system that will allow you to write the book that is on your heart, use your gifts, and do it in your own time frame.

No restrictive templates – but a SYSTEM that has worked for authors just.like.you.

It starts with my free training, “How to Finally Write Your Book (5 Steps) in 2023 – Without Sacrificing Your Life!”

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • All you need for your book is to write down your signature talk, right? WRONG! I’ll explain how your book needs to be so much more.
  • If you do this one thing you’ll be GUARANTEED to get MORE writing done… without giving up Netflix, your kids’ soccer games, or locking yourself in your office. (Hint: I’m a busy mom of three!)
  • My PROVEN system to write a message-driven book… so that you can reach the people you’re meant to reach! This is the system I use myself AND it has helped authors around the world to FINALLY start – and finish – their books!
  • AND debunking the Mental Monsters™ that keep you from even getting started… including my brand of Monster Spray that is sure to work. Get this wrong and you’ll NEVER finish your book.

Save your seat and watch the free class today!

3 Honest Truths About Connecting with Your Divine Calling

1. Everybody comes to this planet with a message to share with the world. Everybody. Even you.

2. Not everybody chooses to share that message.

3. Sharing your God-given message is how you can make the world a better place, help the people you’re meant to help, and honor God.

It isn’t easy to get back in touch with your message. When you do, you can create a heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connection with your reader that allows them to know they aren’t alone.

100% of the people who write their books with me say that they want to help someone. And I know that they are among the minority of people who are not only going to reveal their message, they’ll also do whatever it takes to share it with the world.

That’s you.

And what you need to do, right now, is register for my free class, How to Finally Write Your Book (5 Steps) in 2023 – Without Sacrificing Your Life!, so you can get started writing your book the RIGHT way. After all, the time is NOW to finally write your book and share your message.

P.S. Revealing Your Message IS step 1 in writing a book. And it’s the step that most people skip because it’s not a straight-forward process. (Adults have had a lifetime of practice in hiding their God-given message behind marketing jargon and what they “should” do.) In the Finally Write Your Book course, you’ll learn my “Slide Up Sideways Method” to get back in touch with YOUR message.

Be sure to check out my free class today: FinallyWriteYourBook.com/5Steps

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Steal Bestseller Secrets for Shifting Your Mood – Instantly – to Get Back into the Writing Flow

As a bestselling author (who creates bestselling authors!) I know a thing or two about writing a book. I also know a lot about getting stuck, hopping on the struggle bus, and getting derailed in your daily writing practice.

You don’t HAVE to stay in the struggle. You don’t HAVE to feel cruddy. You don’t HAVE to be stuck. Here’s how to shift your mood – instantly – and get back into the writing flow!

Bestseller Secret #1: Eat. You’ll feel better.

This is one of my “Rules for Life” – and it’s the simplest. When I’m feeling low, my blood sugar rushes to match. So go eat!

While it’s BEST if you eat a balanced meal or snack (duh) this bestseller secret is NOT to eat something healthy. Because when you’re feeling grumpy, sometimes a carrot stick and hummus, while balanced and healthy, aren’t as effective as a cuppa and a cookie in raising your mood (and getting you back into the writing flow!)

 

Bestseller Secret #2: Change how you’re writing.

If you’re on your laptop, switch to your notebook. If you’re at your desk, move to your couch. If you’re inside, head to the porch. If it’s too quiet, go to a café.

Changing your writing tools (from pen and paper to digital, or visa versa) can work WONDERS to lift your mood and get back into the writing flow. And never underestimate the power of moving WHERE you’re writing too.

Even a temporary shift in tool or location can serve to shift your mood!

 

Bestseller Secret #3: Pep talk from a mentor

My students in Finally Write Your Book course have a private, students-only Facebook group where they can come for a pep talk, advice, and encouragement from me AND their fellow authors. That “you can do it” support from someone who is also on a journey to write a book is invaluable.

My most successful authors use this – regularly! Because you’re NOT in it alone.

To learn more about Finally Write Your Book (and get some great tips for your writing that you can instantly put into practice) register for my free class, “How to Finally Write Your Book (5 Steps) in 2023 – Without Sacrificing Your Life!”

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • All you need for your book is to write down your signature talk, right? WRONG! I’ll explain how your book needs to be so much more.
  • If you do this one thing you’ll be GUARANTEED to get MORE writing done… without giving up Netflix, your kids’ soccer games, or locking yourself in your office. (Hint: I’m a busy mom of three!)
  • My PROVEN system to write a message-driven book… so that you can reach the people you’re meant to reach! This is the system I use myself AND it has helped authors around the world to FINALLY start – and finish – their books!
  • AND debunking the Mental Monsters™ that keep you from even getting started… including my brand of Monster Spray that is sure to work. Get this wrong and you’ll NEVER finish your book.

Save your seat and watch the free class today!

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