Category: Writing

The 7 habits you need to become a successful writer

by Maria

A literary agent reveals the 7 habits you need to become a successful writer: these are the everyday things anyone can do to become a successful writer and author.

Here’s one of the toughest questions in the world: how do I become a successful ___________? As a literary agent, I’m constantly asked by aspiring writers how they can not only get published, but also become a successful writer.

And we all know who the successful authors are: they get all the sales, all the reviews, all the fame and fortune. But how did they become a successful writer, and how do they stay successful? Is their success the perfect confluence of writing skill, platform savvy, and maybe some pure, dumb luck?

Yes and no.

Yes, there are an extraordinary amount of whacky, weird breakout hits in the publishing world. (Um, adult coloring books?) But there are also some underlying principles — an operating system, really — that runs on autopilot to help some people become successful writers. They know how to do the right things, because they’ve done them over and over and over again.

How I learned what it takes to become a successful writer

become a successful writer

When I started out as an editorial assistant at a big NYC publisher, I didn’t know a foreword from a preface. I had a full tank of enthusiasm and an empty skull, waiting to be filled with publishing knowledge. At the time, I was pretty sure I knew nothing about publishing.

And I was pretty right. But what I didn’t realize was that I did have a few things going for me. (Other than a knack for pestering the hell out of people until they would give me interesting work.)

I had four things:

  1. An obsession with following up and deadlines. (This from a brief stint as a paralegal at a law firm.)
  2. A stubborn desire to be over-the-top nice so every single person would like me. (This is not always a good thing, let me tell ya.)
  3. An annoying amount of curiosity about how publishing worked. (I think I abused the “any questions?” prompt more than anyone can reasonably forgive me for.)
  4. No other options.

Publishing was IT for me, and I was going to have to make it work or go back to that law firm. And I was not going back to that law firm. People shouting makes me want to puke.

Quickly I realized that there were about a thousand other skills and habits I needed to develop if I was going to do a little better by my authors each year.

I also began noticing the habits that were holding certain authors back, as well as the habits that were most helping others become a successful writer. It turns out, these were many of the same habits I was trying to develop (and still am, because these are BIG and IMPORTANT).

These habits won’t guarantee you’ll become a successful writer. But they will push your chances of success as high as humanly possible. And that? That gives you the sweet blissful knowledge that you did everything in your power to make your dream happen.

The 7 habits you need to become a successful writer

become a successful writer

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A simple writing prompt for every day

by Maria

My favorite daily simple writing prompt–this simple writing prompt is so much fun and perfect for journaling!

Every once in a while we play a little game around here called CURRENTLY. It’s my favorite because it’s a simple writing prompt that doesn’t feel like a writing prompt. It gets your thoughts flowing while also capturing a moment in time in your life. And those little moments are priceless, especially when you look back on them a year or two from now.

You could fill a whole notebook with weekly or monthly CURRENTLYs, or just keep this simple writing prompt in your back pocket for the next time you want to hone those observation + reflection skills.

Want to play? Fill out whatever pops in your head for each category—the less you think about it, the more fun this simple writing prompt will be.

LOVING // Train rides. I love, love, love riding the train. And I know it makes me crazy, but now that we’ve moved just north of Richmond, the long train ride to NYC is the very best. The scenery, guys—you’ve got to try it.

simple writing prompt

READING // I’m not sure exactly how it started, but Jarrett decided to get back into mysteries, and now he and I are on an Agatha Christie kick. I started with And Then There Were None. (I guessed the killer! My crowning achievement in life.) And I just started The Mysterious Affair at Styles. They are a ridiculously fun yet mind-bending break—perfect if you want to traipse into a genre that isn’t your norm.

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Here’s how to crush your creative goals in 2019

by Maria

Best word count tracker printable: a word count tracker printable to help you crush your creative goals in 2019!

I love this time of year. The decorations, the gifts, the parties, the cheeriness, the promise of a deep exhalation and some time off.

In just a few days, Jarrett and I are going to sit down together to do our Year End Review. It’s a tradition that started with my Monthly Review system, but it’s been completely eye-opening in helping us see the year past and the year ahead.

We review our finances, celebrate accomplishments, pinpoint problem spots, and set our goals for next year. I like order (correction: I crave order), so my goals fall into a hierarchy:

  1. Faith + Service Work
  2. Health
  3. Relationships
  4. Work

word count tracker printable

So with just a few days left in the working year of 2018, my mind is already turning to 2019. And I’ve realized my big Work goal is simple: I want one hour each morning to create.

To write, to design, to edit, whatever. For clients, for you guys here at c&b, for me, whoever. But I want just one hour in the day where emails, notifications, and small to-dos can’t infiltrate.

What’s your big creative goal for 2019?

If it’s also to get That Big Project done—you know, the one on your bucket list—but you just can’t wrap your mind around how you’ll find the time, I have hope for you.

I created my new Literary Paper Co. membership to work specifically for writers, artists, and creators who are ready to make big progress on their big projects—things like writing a book, or launching a blog, or brainstorming a business.

Even if you feel like you’re barely keeping up with your life now, this is the way to carve out a few precious minutes for your creative work.

Each monthly package is designed to help you establish a creative routine that takes just 7 minutes. But by giving your best energy to your creative work, you’ll start to see how even 7 minutes a day can add up to major progress toward your major goals.

I don’t want 2019 to be one more year where we let the things we care most about slip through our fingers because we can’t find the time. One more year where the demands of the world drown out the demands of our creative souls.

word count tracker printable

So if you want 2019 to be different—if you need it to be different—come join our happy family of creators who are getting it done with Literary Paper Co.

The last day to order is this Sunday, December 16th!

All January packages will be sent on Monday, December 17, so the cut-off for placing your order is this Sunday, December 16th.

I can’t wait to share these products with you and to hear all about the amazing things you’ll be making in 2019!

 

I’m ready to crush 2019—sign me up!

 

Tell me more about what I’ll get in the subscription!

 

 Questions? (I love questions.) Head to the comments section of this post, and hit me with ‘em!

 

What I’m reading this week

  1. I can’t wait to put this to use. (And yes, Polly, Rachel, and I are making a book on this!)
  2. Kristen always has wise words on the writing life, but I especially like this thought: “The simplest way to circumvent resistance is to make an action automatic, to turn it into a habit, a consistent practice.” That’s what a Literary Paper Co. subscription is all about!
  3. So much beauty here…
  4. And even more beauty for your day.
  5. All the writing retreats for 2019, in one place.

What we’re eating this week

Here’s what I want: a drone that follows me around while I travel with a packed cooler of delicious, homemade, healthy-ish food. And while we’re at it, let’s build a wine fridge into it, too. I’m sure Amtrak wouldn’t mind this if I slip them some hush-money that is actually just a hoagie. I’d cover up most crimes for a hoagie, personally.

word count tracker printable

(We had a beautiful snowfall in Richmond on Sunday.)

Monday: I’m home, and I MacGyver together a very inauthentic, only loosely Vietnamese pho from some leftover homemade stock. Luckily, sriracha is the great equalizer.

Tuesday: You know, I still love my Instant Pot. Do you, or have you gotten tired of hearing about them? I’m just getting the hang of making pasta in it, and now I’m hooked on a Chicken Pesto Shells concoction that is sort-of-ish healthy-ish.

Wednesday: I’m in NYC, so just hangin’ with my drone full of hoagies and wine bottles.

Thursday: Jarrett is in NYC for meetings, too, and we’re going to wine and dine my Yaya at Ye Olde Smashburger.

Friday: It’s the Stonesong holiday lunch! I’m so excited. Trading in my drone for merriness and feasting with the very best work family around.

Cheers!

 

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

This is the thing I’m most excited about this year

by Maria

It’s morning. I have a few minutes of quiet before the alarm goes off and Jarrett wakes up and the house comes to life. But these few minutes of quiet with a blank sheet of paper and a steaming mug of coffee—they make my whole day.

No matter what else happens in my day—the chaos, the surprises, the worry, the dishes (oh, the dishes!)—I always feel better if I start my day by doing something creative and making headway on a big project. From there, the rest of the day feels like downhill skiing.

printable writing tracker

Moments like that are precious, and I know we’re all craving more of them. More time to write. More space in our schedules for creativity. More quiet in our homes so we can think, for pete’s sake. And much more energy for the things we want to bring our best selves to.

But if I’ve learned one thing it’s that having a creative life of your own isn’t a luxury—it’s a need. It invigorates you. It brings you to life. It makes you feel like you again. 

That’s why I’m so proud to share with you something special I’ve been working on. Over the past 5 years of writing this blog, I’ve been listening to your stories of feeling squeezed in your creative lives, feeling uncertain about publishing, feeling doubtful you can do it at all.

At the same time, I’ve spent the past 5 years as a literary agent (and 5 more as an editor) watching the people who are doing it all—the bestselling authors, the career writers, the artists, the cooks, the bloggers who finally got to make that book they’ve always dreamed of.

And here’s a secret: they’re struggling with the exact same fears, doubts, and scheduling snafus as you are. We all are.

But after 10+ years of what I jokingly refer to as Author Adventure Academy, I’ve learned some of the tricks, tips, and most importantly, foundational habits, that have helped the most successful creators power through anything to get That Big Thing done.

Now, I want to teach those habits to you—not as a course, not as a book, not as any online program. (Those are all great, but they have their limits.) Instead, I want to give you the actual items and the actual plan that you can start using every single day to make big progress toward your creative goals.

I really want 2019 to be the year we all stop saying “I want to write that book” “I want to make that thing” “I want to take that risk” and start doing it. Because spoiler alert: the doing is insanely fun once you get past the whole scared-poopless part.

Sound like the kind of 2019 you want to have?

 

Click here to find out more!

 

 

What I’m reading this week

  1. Oh, the drama.
  2. 17 inspiring gifts for writers (I want #16 so desperately).
  3. Click for the adorable graphics; stay for all the amazing book recs (I spy Season, by my author, Nik Sharma)!
  4. Stuck? Here are 252 ways to get going again.
  5. Vacations are really just an excuse to create a travel reading list, aren’t they? Yes, yes they are, I tell myself.

What we’re eating this week

Guys, we are just hanging on. I’ve been working so hard on my Big Thing (see above) that meal planning, cooking, and even grocery shopping are kind of nonexistent around here now.

Current state of the fridge: 4 eggs, 8 florets of boiled broccoli, one prosciutto butt that I don’t know what to do with, almond milk, and…SCENE. (I feel like there’s a Chopped challenge in there, but not even I would watch it.)

printable writing tracker

And apparently, Pepper feels the same.

Monday: Rooted around in the freezer and found drumsticks, ground sausage, and Trader Joe’s frozen root vegetables. Cooked them, ate them, then it was over. I give this show a 1-star review.

Tuesday: Rooted around in pantry and found a bag of Rancho Gordo beans I’ve been saving for a week juuust like this one. Cooked them plain because I just cannot with the chopping this week. Yelp review would read: “Great ingredients and menu items, but the chef sucked.”

Wednesday: Jarrett’s in DC, so yes, I will eat Trader Joe’s frozen ravioli alone on the couch while working. Trader Joe’s gets a 5-star review for literally keeping me alive.

Thursday: OMG I don’t know. We might die.

Friday: Sweet Mary please let us go out to dinner; I PROMISE I’ll cook SO MUCH next week.

Cheers!