Subject: Feeling Stuck with Your Book? Time to Hit Reset! ♥️

View this email online if it doesn't display correctly


Feeling Stuck with Your Book? Time to Hit Reset! ♥️

March 26, 2021
Oakland, CA

Hi Friend,
Marla wanted to edit her rewritten novel, but she'd start the day with the intention, have her coffee in the morning full of hope. Then turn on Netflix to watch a little bit.

When she looked up from her Netflix, it was already 3pm. Where had the day gone?

She was frustrated, upset at herself, and feeling a bit hopeless. How was she ever going to get her book finished and out into the world this way?

We'd been working together for a while (she'd taken our 60-Day Novel course and joined our Group Coaching program). So when I offered her an NLP session in lieu of editing+coaching/consulting on her pages (because what next pages? she was stuck!), she jumped at the chance.

We started our session and I asked her the question I always start with:

What would you like?

"I want to be working on my book every day," she said.

As we worked together during our session, I explored with her all the things that were supporting her, like learning. 

  -- "I love learning," she said. 
  -- And "Words are everything to me." 
  -- And "I have a really good message (with my book)."

And all the challenging things: 
  • "How do I know when I've learned enough? 
  • "Maybe I'm not even doing it right. 
  • "I don't want to be spinning my wheels. 
  • "Am I even doing my story justice? I don't know what I'm doing."
  • And: "I keep getting distracted. Squirrel! (or Netflix! Youtube! A craft project!)"
Oh boy! "I hear you," I said. 

After we explored the above, I moved into the resolution phase of the session and offered her multiple resources, tailored to her situation.

Those resources included: 

-- Connecting with her future self who has finished her book, published it, and is signing books for eager fans. (Wow! What a feeling!)

-- Reconnecting with her love of words and writing

-- And the idea of the Reset. I shared with her how I reset every day sometimes, but certainly weekly, monthly, and every 6 weeks (cross-quarter days to be in line with the seasons), and quarterly. I'm always reconnecting with my goals and asking myself:

— What am I doing?

— Why? Why am I bothering working so hard on my novel, on being a novelist?

— What does my heart say? What does my highest self-connection to the Great Mystery / Life Giving Force / the Divine say?

— What would I like today?

Marla really liked the Reset tool as well as re-connecting to her love of writing and words and learning.

We talked about integration and how change takes the time it takes. I saw her soften and be more be gentle with herself and breathe in the shifts she was experiencing through our session.

After our work together — about 90 minutes on Zoom — she reported in the next day:

"I’m excited to get writing now! I love my new schedule of learning and writing, and am completely open to a reset at any time. And of course, my future self is waiting in the wings to answer any questions I may have!

"After learning and writing in the morning, I spent the afternoon watching Netflix and Hulu and doing chores! No icky guilt about being unproductive."

Hurrah Marla!

If you're curious about working with what's got you stuck in your wring and would like an NLP session, go here to schedule yours: http://bethbarany.com/nlpsessions.htm.

Or write me directly.

SOME INSPIRING RESOURCES

Ezra Barany (my husband) participated on an online choir last year that produced a beautiful and uplifting music video of three songs, full of hope and emotion: https://youtu.be/0djYBbUlxRY

Since you're subscribed to this list, you're also invited to our Weekly Writing Sprints every Sunday and Wednesday. All are welcome! No need to register; just watch for the email reminders that arrive early on the day-of.




Have a happy and creative week!

All my best,

Beth

*** A request! Please support my cousin's work with the unhoused relatives along the creek in Rapid City South Dakota. I have supported them and hope you can lend a hand too, in whatever way is right for you.
  • Camp MniLuzahan & Creek Patrol offer care and protection to our cherished unsheltered relatives here in the Black Hills (He Sapa) of South Dakota. There is an active and ongoing effort to provide consistent care through offerings of shelter, food, cold-weather gear, and protection from local harassment/violence. Camp MniLuzahan & Creek Patrol is a vital coalition effort to offer mutual aid for those in need, and your support is needed.

*** 


You never know what may happen when you put your work out there!

Last year I won an audio book contract for my first sci-fi mystery novel in the Janey McCallister series, Into The Black! (More news on that as it unfolds.)

Unpublished and published novelists can apply.

Check out their prizes here: https://pageturnerawards.com/2021-award-prizes


Top Posts on the Writer's Fun Zone Blog
You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!

Now in its 15th year, this newsletter is a service of my coaching and consulting business, helping genre fiction writers write, market, and publish their books through courses, coaching & consulting, NLP sessionsa 12-month group program, and books.

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

c. 2006-2021 Beth Barany, Creativity Coach for Writers, www.BethBarany.com

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. 

Along with her husband, Ezra Barany, 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? Discover the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here, I teach alongside with award-winning, bestselling thriller author, Ezra Barany.

Yearning to publish your manuscript, but not sure if it's any good? Schedule a chat with Beth here to explore your next steps.

She's also an award-winning novelist and writes magical tales of romance, adventure, and mystery to empower women and girls to be the heroes in their own lives. 

Uncover her Henrietta series here (YA Fantasy) and her Touchstone series here (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance). And her new Sci-fi Mystery here.


beth@bethbarany.com

Barany School of Fiction

Writer's Fun Zone blog


Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany

Here be the legalese: In connection with the operation of this newsletter and business, Creativity Sparks includes affiliate links, including links to Amazon.com (“Affiliate Links”). Barany Consulting earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of users of the Newsletter clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service. Thus endth the legalese.
No longer want to receive these writing and publishing tips? I totally understand. Blessings on your path. You can unsubscribe below. However, please do not report us as spam. This negatively impacts our ability to send emails to your fellow subscribers -- the 3,600+ people who enjoy these tips each week -- and I'm sure that's not your intention. 

https://app.getresponse.com/unsubscribe.html?x=a62b&m=BBOuct&mc=VA&s=E&u=Shp&z=Et4XRSI&
Barany Productions, 771 Kingston Ave., #108, Piedmont, California 94611, United States
You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.