Subject: What is Your Writer's Stance?

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What is Your Writer's Stance?


March 17, 2018
Oakland, CA

Hi Friend,

When I was first starting out as a novelist, I was excited by my commitment to write my first novel, no matter how long it took, no matter what it took.

But I was also daunted by the prospect.

There was so much I didn't know. My chest clenched. Breath came short. I turned away from my dream of writing my first novel and my heart was sad.

What turned me back to my nascent book was my commitment. No matter how long it took, no matter what it took.

When I peeked at my book and sat down to write, my excitement had me leaning forward, love for my characters in my heart.

Then I would hit a question about plot or conflict by my critique group (the hardest things for me to master) and be stymied, afraid, and back away, head and heart clouded with confusion. And pain.

I sucked at writing. I didn't know what I was doing. Would I ever learn how to write a novel?

Oh, my inner critic had all the words; my writer self had none.

But I persisted, and am now working on my 15th or 16th novel, and have published over 10 books.

I didn't get here overnight. It took me years to learn how to have compassion for this dance -- this back and forth two-step -- this relationship with my creativity and my story. And to have compassion for the confusion and the not knowing and the pain.

One of the biggest challenges writers have is their harsh inner critic. I hear this all the time from my students and clients and workshop attendees.

You can have a different relationship with your writing, if you want one.

I invite you to read about how in this recent lesson I created here, on my blog, Writer's Fun Zone.

Go here to learn more about your writer's stance: 


... and discover what I mean by writer's stance. (Hint: it's about how you relate to your writing and creativity.)




Upcoming Writing Workshops For Novelists

... Sign up by March 31st, for the Early Bird Pricing for this Fall Writing Boot Camp where I'll be teaching ...

I'm highlighting the South Tahoe Writing Boot Camps, Sept. 23-Oct. 3, because the organizer is looking to reserve the location by the end of March. 

So if coming to a 2-day or 3-day writing boot camp in the beautiful South Tahoe area is your cup of tea, check out this event: https://www.livewritethrive.com/tahoe-boot-camps/.

I'll be assisting in both the Plotting Madness Boot Camp and Scene Structure Boot Camp, run by author, editor and writing coach, C.S. Lakin. In between these will be a 2-day Self-Publishing Boot Camp with one of the industry’s leading expert, Carla King.

Sign up for just one, or get a discount for all three and spend 10 days in a beautiful setting working on your creativity. 




Upcoming Live Workshops, Coaching Sessions, and Teaching
I'll be doing coaching sessions at Pen to Published Redwood Writers.

April 21, 2018
Santa Rosa, California

More information and how to register here:

"7 Essential Keys to Planning Your Novel" May 15, 2018, 6-7:30pm. Fremont Library. More details on this workshop at the Fremont Library coming soon.



If you'd like help planning your novel, check out our Plan Your Novel home study course here. You can also add on a coaching session with me and I'll review all your story notes.



If you're stuck on your manuscript and would like some one-on-one support, I offer a manuscript review -- up to 30 pages -- and a coaching consultation. You can learn more about that here: http://bethbarany.com/clients.htm.
Early Bird Rates available to March 31! For more information and to indicate your interest: https://www.livewritethrive.com/tahoe-boot-camps/

Here's to your creativity! Happy writing!



Best,

Beth

PS. Save the date for our next webinar, Tuesday, April 4, 5-6:30pm PT. I'll be featuring my friend and fellow writing teacher, Bonnie Johnston, on the subject of scene openings, suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced writers. We'll also cover scene structure.

PPS. Just in time for International Women's Day, I was recently featured in my first interview as a novelist, “Highlighting Heroines: How Author Beth Barany Empowers Women Through Speculative Fiction,” here: http://www.dailycal.org/2018/03/04/author-beth-barany-interview-scifi-fantasy-feminism/
 

For those who want it all... good news! You can get an All Access Pass to all our courses to help you write, polish, market, and publish your genre novel.


Normally $1,572, now $747
QUIZ from Barany School of Fiction

Not sure which of our many home study self-paced courses are right for you? 

Start here with a short quiz to discover which stage of writing your book you're in and that will guide you to which of our courses can help you at the stage you're in with your book. You can also contact me for a Discovery call.



You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter! 

Welcome!

Now in its 11th year, this newsletter is a service of my coaching and consulting business, helping genre fiction writers write, market, and publish their books through live and home study courses, a 12-month group program, and private consultations

You may share this content intact and with no changes with this attribution:

c. 2007-2018 Beth Barany, Creativity Coach for Writers, www.BethBarany.com


Not sure which program or course is right for you? 


BTW, I'm a working novelist too, with two series published in two genres, and more on the way. :)


ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker,
 who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.

Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment. 

She offers a year-long group program to help novelists edit and publish their novels. See more here.

Want a course to help you prepare to write your novel? Check out the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here.

She's also a novelist and writes magical tales of romance and adventure to empower women and girls to jump into life with both feet and be the heroes in their own lives. 

Check out her Henrietta series here (YA Fantasy) and her Touchstone series here (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance).

Support her mission to empower women and girls with her fiction on Patreon here.

Read her latest book for writers, Twitter for Authors, here.

beth@bethbarany.com

Barany School of Fiction

Writer's Fun Zone blog


Photo Credit: by c. 2014 Vivienne McMaster

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