Get Something Written Today

It's time to step-up and step-in. Your writing's calling....

Let’s face it, unless you’ve got insane self-motivation and organisational skills or an abundance of time to work on your creative projects, you’re not going to get your writing done easily.

I am one of the rare weirdos with insane self-motivation when it comes to writing because I approach writing like it’s linked to my literal survival—and sometimes I believe that it actual is.

But I wasn’t always this way.

I know what procrastination feels like. I know that consuming articles on writing and listening to podcasts of authors and signing up to courses on technique only got me so far.

Because there’s a difference between learning about writing and the embodiment of a writer.

Because—when I was avoiding the page—the more I learnt about writing, the more I realised that trying new methods and listening to podcasts weren’t giving me what I truly wanted. What I wanted was to be consistent and show up to the page audaciously. To embody the confidence of a writer. That was what I was really looking for.

When I first started writing my book, I had cognitive behavioural therapy where I learnt more about the thought patterns that were getting in the way of becoming the writer I wanted to be. I discovered that I had perfectionism, a fear of failure (and success!), and that I was self-conscious to a detriment—I really cared what others thought and said about me.

I sat in therapy rooms, and following that, coaching calls with brilliant, intelligent women who helped shape me and give me language for things I was feeling but hadn’t been able to articulate before. I spent months—years—dissecting my inner world, and making small steps towards becoming a version of myself that I began to truly love.

I published more, I pitched more, I was getting paid for my writing—the literal dream. But something was missing. I still felt like I wasn’t really a writer... I felt like a fraud. I had imposter syndrome in every room I walked into—in board room discussions and networking events and team meetings with other writers.

I thought the answer was more coaching, that I needed to fix something, or discover something that I had missed…

But the more I sat talking over my issues, the more I realised that I was just repeating things I had already discovered about myself.

That was when it clicked. There is a difference between knowing something intellectually and embodying it—attuning to it emotionally.

I knew why I had low self-esteem, I knew where I needed to improve, and I knew what I needed to do. Which didn’t come from continuing to sit in rooms talking. It came from taking action.

The next coaching call I had I said I didn’t want to talk about the usual stuff we spoke about. I said wanted to brainstorm ideas for titles for my next article. My coach—open to everything and led by me—agreed that would be the best use of our time. So we sat there together talking about creative ideas and I wrote down every idea we spoke about.

We started doing this in our following sessions together. My coach was creative and brilliant and encouraging. The zoom calls for dissecting chats and working on my blocks were great, but the ones where I was moving towards—taking action on—things that got me closer to my goals were where I felt the biggest shifts. I had laid the groundwork, it was time to plant the seeds.

I had stopped talking about what I wanted to do and started doing it—and with the help of a coach keeping me accountable and pushing me towards bigger opportunities and wilder ideas, I became unstoppable. That year I worked for Disney (!!!) and applied for a role that paid $4,000 for 1,500 words and GOT IT (yep—I told you it was wild). I also spoke on stage (three times!) after working through my fear of public speaking and got a story I wrote published in a print newspaper for the first time (this is a BIG deal for journalists).

And slowly, over time, I became the person that knew I could do this alone. The point of a good coach is to set you up so you don’t need them anymore. I recognised the moment that happened and told my coach I wanted to stop our sessions. I had all the tools I needed to go out into the world and become the person who could do it all. And now? I am that person. Even in times where I feel down or frustrated or my brain tries to tell me “I can’t”, there’s always an unwavering, inner knowing that I can.

This is how you get something written today. You become the person who can. No matter what.

If you’re looking for a push to get you there, I have 4 spaces opening in my monthly writing programme, Personal Story Shaping, starting in July. If you’ve got a big, audacious writing goal that needs a little shaping, structure, and self-belief, I’ve got the tools to get you there.

You can find out more about how Personal Story Shaping is run here. But if you know you’re ready to step-up and step-in, you can apply here.

Or, you can join the Healing Through Writing Substack community for only £10 a month with weekly 20-minute live writing, community chat prompts and accountability, and an extra newsletter a month on writing frameworks to show you how it’s done.

*when you join Personal Story Shaping you get to come into the Healing Through Writing Substack community for FREE.

Write well messy,

Emily