Have you been putting off your writing for much too long? Do you have a story you keep meaning to write if you could only find the time, energy or motivation? Does your pesky inner critic rear her ugly head every time you’re about to make a breakthrough?
OMG I so know how that goes! I’ve worked with dozens if not hundreds of writers over the years and they share many common challenges. These are difficulty finding time to write, lack of discipline and motivation, and trouble with self-sabotage.
Every writer I’ve ever met has struggled with at least one of these problems. I myself have had to face all three head on and trust me, it wasn’t pretty. And we often blame external factors—like a busy day job or uncooperative publishing industry—for our lack of progress. Though, while these obstacles might appear to be things over which we have no control, the truth is that they often stem from our own mindset and attitude.
But this is actually good news,
because these are things we can control.
The foundation of DIY MFA is establishing a strong mindset so we can tackle obstacles head-on, and a resilient attitude so we can bounce back when the going gets tough. Because let’s face it, developing a career as a writer and artist isn’t easy, and building these mindset skills doesn’t always come naturally for most writers. It takes practice to develop a strong “mental game” for your writing career.
This is why I’m bringing back the DIY MFA Book Club.
Over the month of January, we’ll go through the foundational concepts in the DIY MFA book together, like a virtual book club. You’ll get exercises to help you put the techniques into action, and there will be a ton of opportunities for community interaction. Plus, it’s absolutely FREE!
Just sign up with your email below.
Why join the DIY MFA book club?
Kick off the year with a more effective and resilient mindset.
It’s easy to put “self improvement” on the back-burner in favor of more urgent or pragmatic tasks. But if you take the time to create those subtle-but-significant mindset shifts, you’ll actually save yourself a ton of headache (and heartache!) down the line. As part of the book club, you’ll receive focused exercises to help you put techniques from the DIY MFA book into action, so you can build strong habits up front to last you the rest of the year.
Learn to set goals for your writing and be more effective in pursuing them.
Efficiency and productivity are inevitably a big part of becoming a successful writer. After all, if you don’t get the words on the page, you’re not going to make it very far in this industry. The problem is most writers tend to work in isolation, but when you harness the power of social accountability, you’re far more likely to stick with your goals and reach them. I’m a strong believer in the power of social accountability, so I’ve baked it right into the book club and made it a huge part of the book club experience.
Make friends and grow your audience.
I firmly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, which is why I’ve created numerous opportunities throughout the book club event for you to share your writing and your readership. If you’ve been craving that community element, this book club will help you find it.
How does it work?
- Sign up with your email. Watch your inbox for book club prompts and other updates. The challenge officially begins on January 21st, and you’ll receive an email every couple of days with a prompt or thought question about your writing. You can answer these prompts as posts on your own blog (if you have one) or in the appropriate thread in our private Facebook group.
- Join the private Facebook Group. Make sure you join our Word Nerds Unite Facebook group where you’ll be able to join the discussion in the dedicated threads for each prompt. If you answer the prompts on your own blog, Tumblr or other social media platform, you can share the link to the post in the designated thread. Our goal is to facilitate sharing your platform with other word nerds so you can find new friends and followers!
- Be part of a read-along for the DIY MFA book. While purchasing the DIY MFA book is certainly not required, you’ll get a lot more out of the book club experience if you have access to the book during the event. You can get your very own copy online via the link above, look for it at your favorite indie bookseller, or find it at your local library.
- Watch Facebook Live broadcasts from yours truly. In addition to joining the discussion for various prompts, I’ll also be doing some Facebook Live broadcasts where you’ll be able to ask me questions and chat with other word nerds.
- Ignite and write! This is your chance to build strong habits, get motivated and get those words onto the page. What are you waiting for?