The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Motivation

Inspiration to Help You Think Like a Writer

by

Another guest post today while I’m basking in the Florida sunshine on a long overdue vacation with family.

Geary Smith authorGeary Smith recently won the Pewter Plate Award from Highlights for Children. He’s been writing for children and young adults for over 30 years. His work has been published in such venues as Highlights for Children, Child Life, McGraw-Hill, ProQuest and many other publications.

His books include *Spiritual Power: Breaking Free from Learned Limitations, NLP Power: Spiritual Tao for Change Forever, and The Juneteenth Celebration all of which can be purchased on Nook Press and Barnes and Nobles.

Geary has a B.S. in Psychology from Morehouse College and an M.Ed. from Stephen F. Austin University. He is a certified Life Coach and Counselor, Assistant Minister and City Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem.

Inspiration to Help You Think Like a Writer

By Geary Smith

“To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
~Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author David McCullough.

I know from personal experience that even after publishing my first story and while still holding and looking at the check for payment, I had some doubts in my mind that I was a “real” writer. It would take some time afterward before I began to truly realize I was a writer and good at writing. [Read more…] about Inspiration to Help You Think Like a Writer

Three Reasons You Should Celebrate Today

by

Celebrating? That’s something I don’t think about very often, so when I read a recent blog post by friend and author Kim Steadman about celebration, what she said took me by surprise. So much so that I asked her to do a guest post.

Author Kim Steadman and Denver the DogWhen Kim’s not sweeping dog hair, experimenting in the kitchen, or doodling on paper, she is writing, encouraging and mentoring authors. She is a freelance writer, speaker, and ministers alongside her family in Grand Prairie, TX. She’s currently working on a new prayer journal and a new children’s picture book. You can find what she’s up to next at KimSteadman.com. Drop by and say hi!

Three Reasons You Should Celebrate Today

By Kim Steadman

When’s the last time you celebrated one of your successes? [Read more…] about Three Reasons You Should Celebrate Today

Your productivity might be better than you think it is.

by

wood ruler, measuring productivityWith the busyness of today’s world and all the hats a writer must wear, it’s easy to feel like your productivity isn’t what you want it to be.

Productivity can apply to every area of our lives. So don’t look at your entire day/week and make the sweeping conclusion that you’re not being productive. You may be batting it out of the park on your writing, but not making it to first base with your marketing.

Hundreds of apps and programs exist to help in this realm. But first, [Read more…] about Your productivity might be better than you think it is.

Is your brain working against you?

by

word cloud shaped like a brain, mind principlesDid you know your brain can actually work against you without you even knowing it?

To illustrate the point, have you set goals time and again, yet failed to reach them?

Have you ever said to yourself, “Be realistic. You’re reaching too far with that goal.”

How about “How am I going to do that? What in the world was I thinking?”

NaNoWriMo participants might being saying both of the above right now!

You might think you’re the problem, but in fact, more likely it is your brain working against you. Let’s look at how that happens and how we can get the brain to work for us instead. [Read more…] about Is your brain working against you?

How Do Mind-set and Beliefs Help Me Reach my Goals?

by

Mind-set, goat on top of hillAre you feeling stuck or frustrated in reaching your writing goals? Like you’re hitting the same brick wall, but you can’t seem to identify what that brick wall is?

Today I’m going to look at 2 things many people don’t stop to think about, yet have a profound impact on reaching your goals.

Your mind can work for you or against you because your  subconscious mind believes everything you tell it, without question. It accepts whatever you say, true or not. (For more on mind principles, read this post.)

What Is Mind-set?

Many writers are now 5 days into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I hope they are telling themselves “I am writing 50,000 words this month.” Because if you say “I’m going to try to write 50,000,” then your brain is going to find every little excuse to keep you from putting your butt in the chair to write.

Merriam-Webster’s Online Collegiate Dictionary defines mind-set as “a mental attitude or inclination.”

What is your mental attitude toward your writing? [Read more…] about How Do Mind-set and Beliefs Help Me Reach my Goals?

Reaching for Your Dream – It’s Never too Late

by

Editor Debra L. Butterfield
Debra teaching at a writers conference.

You never know how someone else might use you as an example.

I want to relate a quick story that I hope encourages you in your journey.

My daughter lives in another state, but she calls on a regular basis to visit. Earlier this year she called to tell me how she had shared my story with a man who wants to be an author. This man was struggling with believing his dream of published writer was possible. My daughter shared [Read more…] about Reaching for Your Dream – It’s Never too Late

The World of Comic Con: Grandma Befriends Klingon

by

O Comic Con - me modeling an O Comic Con T-shirt
My O Comic Con souvenir.

I’m a homemade cookie kind of grandma not really a pop culture grandma. Nonetheless, I was among the thousands of comic con fans, cosplayers, podcasters, and vendors who descended on the Mid-America Convention Center on July 13, 2018, for Omaha, Nebraska’s O Comic Con.

My first ever comic convention brought a culture shock similar to my move to Germany—a whole new world.

What drew me there? [Read more…] about The World of Comic Con: Grandma Befriends Klingon

Stand Strong in the Message God Has Given You

by

2018 goals affirmationsThe year is half over—as hard as that is to believe.

Now is a good time to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward them.

I like to work in 90-day increments, so I set goals to be achieved within a 90-day period. (I also have long term goals I’m reaching for.) This 90-day period is much more achievable and [Read more…] about Stand Strong in the Message God Has Given You