Writing a novel length work with the intent to publish demands many things of us as writers: studying craft, practice, hours of typing, deleting, experiencing the world, interviews, research, and the occasional banging of our heads against solid objects.
But regardless of the details of our processes, there are three universal components of writing:
Creativity, Critique, and Consumption.
Each of these C’s embodies a different mindset. Each essential to different parts of the process–drafting, editing, and publishing.
Understanding these mindsets and when to use them will help you stay on track during each part of the process. Let’s dig into each component and their partner mindset:
CREATIVITY aka The Writer’s Mindset
Rough drafts are where we as writers can experiment, follow new threads, play with point of view or timeline or worlds. Drafting is the writer’s playground where nothing is off limits and we can stretch our skills.
The Writer’s Mindset is a safe space made for creation. It should be protected at all costs from outside eyes and your inner doubt monster with the loud voice questioning your choices. When we draft, it’s important to disinvite our inner critic from the page so we can write freely.
Our inner critic and doubt monster are driven by fear. Experimenting on the page inevitably awakens the fear in us. Is this good enough? Am I good enough? Will this work? Will people judge me for how well or not I pull this off? Who am I to even write a story like this?
Fear has no place in the Writer’s Mindset. Fear stymies creative thought by asking us to hold back or edit or question at a time when we need free flowing ideas.
Elizabeth Gilbert addresses fear in her book, Big Magic, Creative Writing Beyond Fear. In her essay “Road Trip,” she shares the speech she gives to her fear before starting a new project.
“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do…but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way.” (emphasis, the author’s)
The Writer’s Mindset embodies creativity, chance, courage, and play.
Tip: It can be difficult to fully embody the Writer’s Mindset. If fear is pestering you during this part of the process, acknowledge it. Name it. And promise it you understand its purpose, and that you will ask it back to the party when the time is right. This takes practice, but keep trying so creativity can flow unencumbered during the drafting process.
CRITIQUE aka The Editor’s Mindset
This is the part of the writing process where you can invite your inner critic back to the table. The Editor’s Mindset is where fear can be put to good use.
When we revise, we need that critical eye. We need our words and story choices questioned.
However, fear and the inner critic are only invited back to the table if they can be kind and compassionate. No negative self-talk here about “whose idea was this?” Think more: “this isn’t working, what could we do instead?”
The Editor Mindset is the part of our brain that has been ingesting stories since we were children and inherently knows when we’ve hit the mark and when our words are falling short. Trust that voice when it says your story isn’t ready yet. Just don’t trust it when it says it never will be (that’s your doubt monster).
The Editor is the necessary part of our writer self that can be critical, challenge our choices, force us to take our words and make them better.
This mindset also can indicate to us when we need to learn more or get help. It recognizes when something isn’t right and wants to help the writer self learn and grow. Latch on to that and find that help–craft books, classes, conferences, critique partners, editors, coaches. Action is your best antidote to the fear and will empower your inner editor.
This is a powerful mindset when you’re revising.
CONSUMPTION aka The Reader Mindset
While we write for ourselves, at some point, the reader will be a part of our writing experience.
Eventually, a reader will read your work and it can be helpful to read our manuscripts like a reader to ensure their experience is what we envision.
I think we don’t harness this mindset enough during our writing process or we mistakenly save it until the end when we start thinking of publication and newsletter lists and engaging with readers.
Envisioning your ideal reader early in the process, will help your writer and your editor.
I encourage writers to read their work like a reader in between writing and editing.
When you start writing, you have a story in mind. Your first read through is important for determining what story you actually put on the page. Drafting can lead us in many different directions and what we intended to write might not be what we actually wrote.
Reading like your ideal reader also allows you to see that draft on its own, without the writer’s expectation.
When you invite your editor back to the page, you can take both your writer’s perspective and reader experience to make choices about how to edit your manuscript to create the story that satisfies both your writer’s intent and your reader’s expectations.
It’s a subtle shift, but one I would argue is paramount to strengthening your editing process. So while I am discussing the Reader’s Mindset third, I believe in your writing process, you should make use of this mindset between writing and editing.
Identifying these mindsets in your writing process can help you stay focused and harness your best self for the job at hand whether you are drafting, editing, or preparing for publication.
Which mindset do you struggle with the most? Let me know in the comments.
This week, I was also on the Broadleaf Writers Write Now podcast talking about book coaching and revision. You can listen here.
I’ll be offering 10-page critiques at the Broadleaf Writers 10th Annual Conference in September as well as talking revision. If you’re in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend this organization and this conference. Hope to see you there! More info.