5 ways to leverage your new writer status
While cleaning the basement, I came across the remnants of a college writing project: a Dan Brown-esque story–minus the skill–about a cult and lost books of the Torah.
I bet I had some grand plans for that thing. At the time I was so new I didn’t know how badly I needed new writer tips.
What a gift! To not only not know exactly how far there is to go, but to not-know you’ll never really arrive.
It’s just one example of why being new is so freaking awesome!
If being new is so great, then why is it so scary? Let’s explore… and discover how to make it work for us instead.
Why is it so hard to start something new in the first place?
When John and I first started in triathlon the idea of a group bike ride was mega-intimidating. I barely knew whether my bike was a road or tri bike much less how to actually ride it.
My first ride was on the Silver Comet Trail with Atlanta Tri Club. I remember feeling a sense of panic when we passed the highway 278 bridge in Powder Springs, which marked the farthest I had ever ridden. (It was like… ten miles)
The rest of the story is that it was great. I soaked up a ton of helpful tips right away on shifting, nutrition, saddles, and all the other things you wonder about when you’re first starting out.
What I failed to appreciate was that I was in the sweet spot. I was new, but didn’t know how green I actually was. I didn’t know I wasn’t, say, Gwen Jorgensen who just needed a little bit of training.
When you’re new, you’re free.
Why new feels bad
The problem is, no one wants to be new. You don’t realize what you have.
When I first started in sales, I was given the instruction to use my ‘new’ status for as long as possible. The idea was that being new can allow you to get away with more, and help smooth over any missteps.
But I hated it!
I wanted to be an expert–self-assured–the one training the other people what to versus enduring constant criticism and humiliation that comes with trying-to-be-good-at-sales when you’re actually quite ill-suited for sales.
I wanted to know all the answers, or at least most of them.
The issue is we never know everything…we just think we do. And that’s when we get stuck in a fixed mindset.
As soon as I thought I knew something in sales, I got bored with my job. I dreaded every interaction and I stopped learning and improving.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.
– from mindsetonline
A fixed mindset is when everything goes to pot while a growth mindset is the opposite–fertile ground for mega growth and learning.
Nowhere is that more apparent than writing.
Though I’ve been writing for awhile, I consider myself “new” and, so far, have embraced a growth mindset.
It allows me to try new things–like my Camp Nanowrimo 2019 project–even though draft one currently looks like a alphabet train wreck.
Which is partly due to the fact the H and O letters on my Macbook are broken.
Have I learned for good? Probably not. But at least right now, I know the day I mentally graduate is the same one I’ll stop growing.
So cheers to being new and everything we can celebrate:
It’s okay to make mistakes.
It’s okay to suck.
It’s okay to not know all the answers.
People love to teach
In my first author’s panel at Decatur Book Festival, noone really cared about my triathlon life. Instead, they wanted to know how I wrote and published a book. Which was fine with me because writers want to be asked how they got where they are.
You can ask for forgiveness versus permission
When you accidentally do something that goes against group norms, there’s a great built-in excuse at the ready.
You’re constantly celebrating achievements
From your first published article to your first royalty check, new means celebrating small successes.
You can look back at things you wrote last month and see room for improvement
Okay this is good and bad. I hate reading something I wrote because my inner critic is brutal. Still, seeing those errors means you’ve learned something.
You believe the sky is the limit
Who’s to say you won’t be the next Stephen King? When you’re new it’s totally realistic.
What do you think is the best thing about being new? Any embarrassing newbie mistakes to share? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Looking for courage to try something new? I’m here for that. Join 1470 others for a mostly-weekly dose of mojo.
More resources for your write life:
- The secret trick to writing when stuck
- How to stop [endlessly] editing your writing
- How to reset when you feel stuck
- How to get up early [and make space for goal getting]
- My first three weeks of blogging: highs and lows
- How I wrote 500,000 words last year [and why]
- blogging pageviews report: january 2019
- how my pinterest views exploded from 124 – 171,817 views in one month
Ready to start your writing project?
I want to help! Does this describe you?
You’ve thought of starting a blog–or writing a book–yet aren’t sure where to start.
I’ve been there and want to help you avoid the same mistakes and hangups I made while writing Courage to Tri.
Throughout the month, I’ll discuss the mindset barriers that keep us from pursuing our writing dreams and how to start overcoming them today.
You’ll learn:
- How to figure out what to write about
- How to find time
- Finding accountability and community
- Overcoming imposter syndrome
- Tips and tricks for when you get stuck.
Hi, I’m Bethany–coach, author of Courage to Tri, 2x Kona qualifier, and twin mom. I help writers and authors grow their online presence and keep their life-changing message in front of the world.
Other ideas to spruce up your write life:
- Social Media Platforms for Authors
- 21 ways to level up your author website
- Listen to your wip on the go with google docs
- Get Published Podcast- Using Pinterest to Build your Email List
- 21 Online Tools Writers Need to Make an Impact
Next up: 7 reasons your readers click off your website hella fast [and how to fix them.]
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