The Zing is a curated weekly newsletter for sophisticated writers navigating the self-publishing journey. Get bite-sized essays, swoon-worthy strategies, and practical how-to guidance from an author and writing publication coach. Whether you're dreaming of writing a book or have already drafted yours, join a circle of high-caliber authors who deserve encouragement, guidance, and kindness on the path to publication. Bonus: Goofy jokes occasionally included.
a "nothing left to lose" writing method
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Hi writer friend, We drove 1,000 miles over the past ten days visiting friends, family, and the bluest lake in Michigan (Torch Lake). We also accidentally walked onto a live movie set, but I'll save that story for another time. Over dinner near the Little Traverse Bay, a friend told me that he learned to overcome self-doubt by pretending to be dead. He used to spend ages writing one poem, and he wasn't sending his work out for publication. By pretending to be dead, he's able to create more good writing. He sends his writing out more often, and more is published. And the increased frequency of his writing means he keeps improving his skills. As I cut into the pound of steak he'd put on my plate, I said, "My takeaway from this is to pretend I'm dead." I know, a little morbid. But think about it. When you write from that “nothing left to lose” place, your words get braver, truer, and freer. That’s the version of you your readers want to hear from—the one who isn’t censoring herself into invisibility. Next time you sit down to write, ask yourself: If I were already gone, what would I want them to know? Then…write that. Next week's free Storytelling Forum will help you write with great bravery. In the Forum, we'll explore a three-dimensional, textural writing prompt that helps to surface memories and turn them into compelling stories. Click here to register or to be informed of future forums. Warmly, Deborah Ager PS: I'll send the Storytelling Forum link this weekend to all who are on the info list already: Click here to register--or to get on the list for future forums. 📣 Invitations for YouFree Storytelling Forum – August 18 at 12pm Eastern Storytelling Circle – Registration closes September 16 (new closing date) Book Editing Openings – 2 Spots in September Book Coaching Openings – 1 Spot in September With care, |
The Zing with Deborah Ager
The Zing is a curated weekly newsletter for sophisticated writers navigating the self-publishing journey. Get bite-sized essays, swoon-worthy strategies, and practical how-to guidance from an author and writing publication coach. Whether you're dreaming of writing a book or have already drafted yours, join a circle of high-caliber authors who deserve encouragement, guidance, and kindness on the path to publication. Bonus: Goofy jokes occasionally included.
To get a monthly summary of these letters instead of weekly, please click this link. Hello there,Lately, several folks asked me about the steps involved in writing a book. In case you're wondering, I'll share a short story below. Arvashni had a story she needed to tell. When I first spoke with her, she said: “I can't even write a long email." That's normal! To navigate around that, we used my Clarify-Storify-Amplify process. Clarify Her story was rooted in her family’s history as part of the...
To get a monthly summary of these letters instead of weekly, please click this link and your wish will be honored. Last week, my husband and I caught an advanced showing of the documentary “LORNE, which is about the creator of Saturday Night Live (a comedy show in the United States). Initially, I was skeptical of this documentary about Lorne Michaels. Yet, I ended up surprised that I absorbed useful lessons from his work life. A lot of these lessons apply to both writing and life in general....
In the Paris Review, the writer Emmanuel Carrère talked about how he drafted a book that wasn’t working out. (That's pretty normal, by the way.) To say goodbye to his project and honor the effort he put into it, he wrote a letter to himself about what he had tried to do with the book. The process of writing about his ideas led him to a breakthrough, and he was able to finish. So, why did this work? My theory is that something called our "reticular activating system" (RAS) played a role. The...