Writers live a solitary life. That’s a fact.

Writers spend hours planning, writing, rewriting, and editing their masterpieces, only to have them rejected by every agent or publisher who gets a submission. Rinse and repeat.

So then, what about having an on-call writing mentor—a wise and experienced coach—to guide you through your writer’s journey?

We have that for you.

Understandably, not everyone on my list is a writer or even cares to be, but the principles can be applied almost everywhere.

That being said, here, captured (and perhaps somewhat corny) in the timeless wisdom of one of the greatest mentors in storytelling history, the great Jedi Master, Yoda, are:

You must unlearn what you have learned.

When starting anything new, arrive at the front door with a growth mindset and suspend your judgment. More importantly, leave any old training or ingrained ideas about the topic you are studying, completely outside that door. Writing provides no exception to this rule.

It is much easier to teach complete novices—and those with a growth mindset—than trained journalists or graduates of writing courses, especially when it comes to the basics of freeing the imagination or creative "juices." For those of you who think you need to write perfectly the first time: Unlearn that!

For those of you who think you write with the logical, left side of your brain: Unlearn that!

For those of you who think that only a gifted few can write well: Unlearn that!

And for those of you who think you can only write when touched by the muses: Unlearn that!

If you can think and speak, then you can write. Period. No other prerequisites required.

(What’s in there?) Only what you take with you.

Take fiction writing, for instance. It is the world of your experiences mixed with your imagination.

As you venture into this world to retrieve the images, feelings, impressions, and ideas in a way that is unique to you, you will learn that the only things you can encounter there are the things that you take in with you.

No one else on the planet—or in the course of history—is where you are now, has been through what you've been through, or has your own unique view of the world. Honor these views and experiences. Allow them to flow freely through your pen or fingers.

When you write truly, others will then relate to your words. Readers can spot fakes a mile away.

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

This may come as a surprise, but you must never try to write well, or you will never write well. Don’t try, just do.

In other words, capture first thoughts, keep the pen moving, let yourself write complete garbage. Just do it. Just write.

It is only by sitting down every day and writing that one becomes a writer.

A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.

Substitute the Force with the Unconscious or the Imagination, and you’ll have a better idea of this Yoda-ism. As a writer, your strength flows from your own unconscious, as this is where all your collective experiences, impressions and memories are buried, just waiting to be exhumed as challenges for your characters.

The ability to exercise these creative muscles, keeping them strong and toned, is what will power your stories.

There is no why.

One of the greatest leaps you can make in your writing, and indeed in your life, is the ability to stop asking why. Do not seek the reason for anything you write.

Do not seek the reason behind the images you see, the voices you hear, the impressions you get, the dialogue you write. It just is.

And it is, because it’s you, and only you, who can write that at this time. As soon as you stop to ask why, you drop into an analytical frame of mind, and genius is lost. Creativity is stifled. Imagination cannot function.

Let the critics ask why. That’s their job. Your only answer to the question of "why?" need be because it was there.

You must complete the training.

When it comes to writing, or any other art form, talent or genius count for very little. Writing is a craft, and like any other craft, the writer needs to work at it constantly, honing his skills and refining his technique.

Study your craft. Learn from many teachers. As you add to your skill set, it will make you a much better writer.

Michael Jordan, whose birthday it is today (2/17), said, "The harder I trained, the luckier I became."

So, keep studying. Always be in training. As a writer you are like an athlete.

Football players don’t hang out at home all week or spend their days surfing or playing golf. They train, they practice, they work out at the gym, and it is this that gives them the strength, skill and finesse to win games on the field.

You are no different.

Only different in your mind.

Life is lived in the human mind. Some advances in quantum physics have suggested that the universe arose from thought, and that we can influence anything in our lives simply by the thought we put to it. The same goes for your writing.

If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.

If you think you can sell more books than J. K. Rowling, then you’ve got a much greater chance than someone who thinks they can’t.

Anything is achievable for you as a writer, if you put the thought to it that you can and will succeed.

Control. You must learn control.

One of the most frustrating elements of being a writer is finding the time to write. If you hold down a full-time job, run a business, or have a family to care for and an active social life, it can be tempting to say, "I’ll write that novel next year/when the kids are grown/when I retire, etc."

This is where self-control is imperative to your success as you take on creative endeavors. You only need to write one scene a day, which can take as little as 20 minutes, and in a year, you will have 365 scenes, which will be the best part of the first draft of a novel.

Don’t wait. Learn to control your inner voice that says, “You can’t do it,” or “Don’t be so selfish,” or “The bathroom is dirty, go clean it.”

Sit down and write every day. It’s the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Nothing more will I teach you today.

Take your writing lessons, and your writing sessions, in bite-sized pieces. When you are learning new writing techniques, take the lessons at a pace that keeps you stimulated, but not overwhelmed.

Taking on too many new ideas or concepts at once can tend to muddy the creative and productive waters. It is best to learn a new technique, then practice it and integrate it before moving onto the next one.

Pass on what you have learned.

As you travel the writing path, take the time to teach others that which you have learned. Even if it’s only a simple word of encouragement or a tip that helped you when you were just starting out, keeping the flow of information alive is the greatest gift you can give to others. Pass on what you have learned.

So, as you can see, anytime you need him, Master Yoda will be there to help you through. And remember, the only failure is stopping, so keep on writing!

However, there may be a "block" holding you back. An old saying goes, "it is the start that stops most people."

We recently put together an action guide about 4 critical beliefs holding you back from living the life you deserve.

For a limited time, you can get it here, for free:

As always,

Brian