Hey Writing Etc. Subscriber,
Last time we talked about how to stay on track. Today we’re talking reading.
When did writers stop reading?
OK. Let me rephrase that: When did wanna-be writers stop reading?
OK. Revise again. Wanna-be writers who don’t read, who don’t continually educate themselves and expand their mind will remain wanna-be writers.
Forever.
I’m on a number of online writer groups and while they discuss writing techniques, there’s always a hand full who claim to never read other people’s work because they don’t want to “pollute” their creative waters. Others claim if they read, they wouldn’t have time to write.
To that I say “poppycock.”
Stephen King said it best when he said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.”
But… as usual, everything boils down to mindset.
If you think you’ll “pollute” your creative pool, chances are you will. However, if you switch your mindset and simply enjoy whatever it is you’re reading, your pool will fill with new information, ideas will combine, and you’ll come up with new and unique combinations.
If you think you don’t have time to read, you won’t find it. However, if you flip your mindset and begin to sleuth opportunities to sneak away with a fantastic book, you’ll inevitably find more than enough time to plow through a tome a week.
And if you think you don’t have time to create, you won’t have time to do so.
But here’s the big secret to success:
Simply write. Create. And engage in activities that nurture your talent.
It takes tremendous courage to face that blank, white page every morning.
It takes courage to wear your opinions on your sleeve.
It takes courage to swim against popular current.
But creatives have done so since the beginning of time.
You simply need to acknowledge what you know to be true and go for it with every bit of gusto you possess.
If you think you can’t do it, you can’t.
In fact, if you think you can’t do it, you may as well quit now.
Now, when I talk mindset, I’m not talking about running around reciting affirmations or anything like that.
Quoting random phrases like, “I am a great writer” may have some merit, but they’ve never worked for me.
On the other hand, if you transform that phrase from a group of recited words to an internal, intense belief… now you’re talking power.
And it’s in tapping this powerful belief that you can infuse your mindset with everything it needs to propel you towards your ultimate goal.
If you believe you can’t achieve your dream, you won’t.
Onward and upward!
Beth 
P.S. This was an excerpt from my latest book, Advice to Freelance Writers: Insider Secrets to Effective Shoestring Marketing, Managing a Winning Mindset, and Thriving in Any Economy. We’re talking three volumes of hard core freelance information in one handy download (at a fabulous price to boot). I truly appreciate your incredible support for this project.
