This is the third in a series of three articles: Three Keys to Completing Your Book. If you missed the first two, you can read them here. Key # 1 is Devotion.  Key # 2 is Focus. The third key and the focus of this week’s article is Discipline. Discipline can sometimes feel like a dirty word. It might conjure images of an army base, and the kind of discipline that’s enforced upon a soldier by an irrational external authority. If that’s what discipline is for you, you’ll be forever rebelling. But what if discipline is an act of love?  What if it’s the greatest act of love: the power to let love guide your choices, about what you’ll do with your time, day by day, moment by moment, hour by hour. What if discipline is the way your wisdom gets to participate in your life, by allowing you to discern what you really want to do, with the precious, priceless, finite amount of time you have, while on this earth? Is what you really want to do watch movies and eat popcorn all day?  If the true answer is yes, it might be because you’re exhausted, and need a day to relax and let go of your responsibilities.  If that’s the case, go for it, and enjoy! We all need days like that from time to time. But if what you really want to do is spend two hours on your book, and you’re also scared, because you haven’t been writing for a while, and you’re not sure anymore you really have anything worthwhile to say, and who is going to read it anyway, so why should you waste your time…you’ve been disappointed enough already, haven’t you??? If that’s the kind of dialogue going on under the surface, then you want to call upon the most loving kind of discipline you can summon. The discipline to say, Sweetheart, I know you’re nervous, but that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with being nervous. You’re taking a risk with this book, and I think you’re very courageous for wanting to write at all!  Not everybody lets themselves feel the desire to write, when it calls to them.  You’re letting that call be heard, and I salute you! And you know what, nervousness is also kind of normal. Everyone is nervous, getting started on something they care about. What if you just let it be, and keep going? What if you knew I’m right here beside you, cheering you on, your biggest fan, so excited, every time you make the choice to write? Because writing is scary, and that’s why it matters so much. Writing is powerful and strong and you aren’t always used to thinking of yourself that way, but I know better.  Who am I?  Your higher self, of course. I’m the one who knows you were born for this…you were made to face this moment, or else you wouldn’t have this calling to write at all!  If you were meant to be a concert pianist, you’d have another kind of calling. But yours, my dear, is to write. That’s why it won’t leave you alone…this desire to write your book. So let me be your friend, in discipline.  Let me remind you that discipline is just about taking a stand for this moment, and saying to all the other voices, okay, I know you’re there, but right now, I’m going to write anyway. And then you begin. Yes, there are lots of choices to be made. Problems to be solved, about your book, and how you’re going to pull it all together, but you know what? When you’re in the creative process, you start to trust that the answers emerge, when you need them. Because creativity feeds creativity. And the creative source of all…which is the source of your writing as well…wants you to succeed.  Wants your book to be written. But you don’t have to do it all at once, and you don’t have to figure it all out today. Today, you just have to show up for the next step, put some words down on your page, and remember your dedication to this project.  That’s all. If you do that, one day at a time, your book will start to take shape. And I’ll be here, every step of the way, to guide you, as well as to cheer you on. Does the voice of your discipline sound like that? It can, when you come from love. And that’s what you need to cultivate—the discipline of self love, to write your book. I’ve shared three keys with you. Have they been significant to you? Have you tried the practices I’ve suggested, to work with each of the keys? Here’s one more:  Write yourself a love letter, about the subject of discipline. How can you be more disciplined, in your writing life, in a way that feels like discipline is an act of self love? Write about it, as a love letter to your self. Remember: I’ve got one spot still open in my Soul Writing Manuscript Group. If you’ve got a book or a writing project you’d like to complete, get in touch with me. Send me an email at Debora@DeboraSeidman.com or just reply to this email. Tell me briefly about your project and we’ll find a time to talk. I hope you’ve found something of value in these three keys!  I look forward to hearing from you.   … [Read more...]

In last week’s newsletter I began a discussion of three keys that I’ve found to be essential in the long term project of completing a book. The first key, which I wrote about last week, is devotion. If you missed the article you can read about it here. https://deboraseidman.com/take-complete-book-key-1-devotion/ And, here are a few of the main points: Devotion is a sacred quality. To find the energy that will sustain you through the long haul of completing a book, you need to draw upon the highest reasons—you need to find the sacred nature of your calling to write. Your devotion for your book comes directly from Source.  It’s bigger than your fears and doubts. It’s rooted in your soul’s blueprint for fulfilling your highest destiny. When you make it a practice to connect with that devotion on a daily basis, you’ll start to get momentum with your writing, and make progress on your book. Remember: if you want to finish your book this year, consider joining my Soul Writing Manuscript Group. Just reply to this email, or write to me here Debora@DeboraSeidman.com with a brief description of your project and we’ll find a time to talk. This week I want to talk about the second key:  Focus. Focus is connected to devotion, and it’s the next step.  Devotion is what will get you centered and present to yourself and what really matters about this book that’s yours to write.  Now, it’s time to focus. What will you do today, to get you closer to your goal, of finishing the book?  Will you clear two hours so you can write? Will you organize your office so you have a clear space in which to write? Will you find the last piece of writing you did, and read it, so you remember where you were? Completing a book will ask you to continually return your focus to the next, very specific step, even as you take into account the bigger picture. You’ll be cultivating focused vision, and peripheral vision, throughout the process of writing your book. The focused vision keeps you grounded in today’s task; the peripheral vision helps you make the decision about what today’s task needs to be. Focus is both an art and a skill, and it takes time to sort out how to apply it to your own work. When I first started writing a book, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I could write and write, but that only meant I had lots of pages. They may have been good pages, pages full of good writing, but that didn’t mean I had a book. I had to learn to focus my mind in a different way, for a book to come together. I love writing for its own sake. But writing to create a book is another animal. As I learned how to focus and organize my material, I began to see how to shape a book. This shaping is never an entirely linear process, for me, but it helps if I can bring a certain linear perspective to it, in order for my very non-linear brain to have a structure, within which all kinds of circular ideas can flow. Your turn: try this: take 15 minutes to assess where you are in your book, or other writing project. Are you nearly done a first draft? Do you have lots of odds and ends of writing and you’re not sure what they amount to? Have you already completed a draft and are starting to think about revising? Write down the very practical, nitty gritty steps you need to take to make the progress you’d like to make in a year. Then write where you want to be in a month. This may seem boring and mundane to your wildly creative mind, but it will also be calming, to the part of you that wants to get the book done before you die. Your list may look like this if you already have a fair amount of writing done: Buy manilla file folders Find individual sections, arrange them by themes Put sections in appropriate labeled file folders Start reading sections Make notes on what is in each section Or, if you’re just getting started, your list may look more like this: Write for thirty minutes, four times a week, for the next two weeks Check in with my writing buddy on Sunday, about how this is going Evaluate whether I can write the way I need to in thirty minutes Reconsider my schedule, at the end of two weeks What would focus look like for you? Remember: if you’ve got a book or a manuscript you’re ready to devote yourself to, and you’d love more support, contact me to have a conversation about my Soul Writing Manuscript Group. It’s a small group of committed writers and we’d love to welcome you to the circle! Send me an email with a brief description of your project and we’ll find a time to talk.   … [Read more...]

What does it take to complete a book? While writing a book is a complex, multi-layered project, I’ve found three keys to be essential for myself and my students: Devotion, Focus and Discipline. Today’s newsletter will discuss devotion. Next week, focus. The following week, discipline. I hope you’ll find these keys useful! If you’re working on a book and could use some additional support, consider having a conversation with me about my manuscript group. I have one opening in a small group of committed writers, and I’d love to hear from you if you’d like to join us. So, let’s talk about devotion, and how it can help you finish your book (or any writing project!) A book is a long term project. Even if you have the luxury of an all expense paid sabbatical year, you still need to find the dedication every day to turn away from the many other things that demand your attention, and turn toward your desk. Life is full of endless tasks, on top of whatever you do to earn your living. Cleaning your house, organizing your food for the week, taking care of your body, your family, your animals, your spiritual practice…all those things can easily take all the time you have. Yet, you have this project. And probably, you don’t have an all expense paid sabbatical year, but a very full life in which you also feel this calling to write. You know that it’s time to finish this project that’s been with you for a long time. You want to get your book done! So how do you make that happen? Devotion is the first key. Your devotion is found in the part of you that knows why you’re called to write your book. It may or may not make sense to your rational mind. You may have days when you’re on fire with inspiration, and days when you’d rather watch movies and eat popcorn and sit on the couch. Your mood and your energy will ebb and flow. The constant that keeps you going, that keeps you choosing your desk, no matter what your mood or energy is on a particular day, is your devotion. The devotion comes from a knowing, inside you, that this book is what you’re here to do. It’s a key part of your soul’s sacred purpose for being alive. Devotion is a sacred word. And to find the energy that will sustain you through the long haul of completing a book, you need to draw upon the highest reasons—you need to find the sacred nature of your calling to write. Your devotion for your book comes directly from Source. It’s bigger than your fears and your doubts.  It’s about the big reason you were put here on this earth. Your devotion to your book is rooted in your soul’s blueprint for fulfilling your highest destiny. When you make it a practice to connect with that devotion on a daily basis, you’ll start to get some momentum with your writing. Try it this week:  Consider your book, or a writing project that’s important to you. Give yourself a period of quiet meditation to still your mind and allow you to open your heart to the deepest reason you’re called to do this work. See if there’s an element of devotion in this calling. Do you feel a sacred call at the center of your reason for writing? If so, write it down, so you can name it, for yourself. Then, take some time to write a prayer, in your own words, about the importance of this project. When you write your prayer, talk directly to Spirit…whatever that is for you, and whatever language you use. Write about why it’s so important to you, and why it feels sacred to you. Write about any concerns you have that you’d like Spirit’s help with. Then, see if Spirit would like to write back to you, and write that, as well. Give yourself the time and space to see what unfolds. I’d love to hear what happens, if you do this practice! Remember: if you’ve got a book or a manuscript and you’d love more support to get it done, contact me to have a conversation about my manuscript group. It’s a small group of committed writers and we’d love to welcome you to the circle, if it’s right for you. Send an email with a brief description of your project and we’ll find a time to talk. Blessings on all the songs and stories of your soul, Debora   … [Read more...]

Can Radical Self Care make you a better writer? I always include practices in Radical Self Care when I teach a writing course. Why is that? Many reasons, actually. Here are a few. We live in a stress filled world. To stay balanced in this world, to maintain your physical health and a healthy state of mind, it’s essential to pay attention to how you care for your self. One of the ways stress makes its presence known to us is when we feel overwhelmed. And it’s easy to feel overwhelmed fairly often, in today’s world. It’s hard enough to keep up with what you have to do to get through the week…let alone make time to write. You know you want to write; you feel so much better when you do write. And yet, if you come to writing when you’re frazzled and fried, you won’t get very far. Here’s the paradox: writing itself can be a form of self care. Yet in order to get to the page, you may need to practice other forms of self care. Radical Self Care is not a one size fits all proposition. Nor is it something you figure out, once and for all. It’s a fluid, ever changing inquiry into your own deepest needs, at any-- and every --given moment. Why do I call it “Radical” Self Care? According to the Third Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, the word “radical” means 1. Arising from or going to a root or source. 2. Departing markedly from the usual or customary. 3. Favoring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices. When you practice Radical Self Care, you get to the root of what you need. That kind of self care can lead to profound and fundamental changes in your life and in your writing. When I include practices of Radical Self Care in a writing course, I give a combination of specific guidance and more open-ended questions, so that your own wisdom is always present in the process. Radical Self Care comes in many forms, and sometimes your own writing will be part of it. I’ll often ask a “soul-inquiry-question” to deepen your reflections. Writing also might be the tool by which you determine what form of radical self care is best for you in the moment. Here’s a practice for you to try this week, if you find yourself feeling stressed, overwhelmed, tired or out of sorts. Give yourself 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted time for this process. Here are your steps to follow: 1. Start by noticing precisely what you’re feeling. Try to find words to describe it, even if they only make sense to you. 2. Notice where the stress is showing up in your body. Bring your hand to rest on this part of your body (if you can easily reach it, if not, do this in your imagination) and take a few breaths to settle your awareness there. Bring your attention into this body part. 3. Then, bring your hand to rest on your heart. Take a few breaths as if you can breathe right in and out of your heart. Notice what your heart is feeling. Your heart may or may not speak to you in words right away, but pay close attention to the feelings that are present as you breathe with your hand on your heart. 4. Now, come to your writing. Ask your body, “What’s the root of what’s troubling you now? What do you most need to feel peaceful again?” (or to feel soothed, comforted, nourished…choose the word that’s best for you now, and find your own word if none of these feel right.) 5. Write whatever comes for 2-3 minutes. Let the writing come from your body. Trust what comes, even if it surprises you, or doesn’t seem to make sense immediately. Your body longs to speak to you, and will be grateful to you for listening. 6. See if you’ve gone deep enough in your writing. Does your soul have anything else to offer? 7. After you’ve written, read your writing, and see if there’s an action you need to take. Make a plan to take a step toward this action, within the next 24 hours. 8. Over the next few days, you may find that more insights will occur to you. Jot them down, so you remember them. 9. Be kind, gentle and curious throughout this process!! 10. To complete your inquiry into radical self care, express your gratitude. Give thanks for your ability to pause and listen to your self. Give thanks for the wisdom your body and soul offered you. Radical Self Care doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can provide you with powerful tools to listen to your deepest needs. If you try this practice this week, I’d love to know how it goes! If you’re looking for more support for your Writing and Radical Self Care, check out my 21 Day Soul Writing Journey: Come Home To Your Body. Every day, for 21 days, you’ll receive daily guidance in writing and radical self care. You can do this course in 15 minutes a day, and the exercises will be available forever, so if you miss a day, you can catch up at your own pace. The course launches March 28. I’m offering this course in partnership with DailyOm, and thanks to their generous sliding scale, you can sign up for as little as $10.00. https://deboraseidman.com/21-day-soul-writing-journey/ Sign up to be on my early bird list and you’ll be eligible for some great bonuses when you register for the course!! I hope you give yourself time this week to experiment with Radical Self Care. If you do, notice the effect it has on your writing and on your life! Blessings on all the songs and stories of your soul, Debora www.deboraseidman.com … [Read more...]