Just 5 places available!

Designed to be effective at any stage of the writing or publishing process, this powerful, in-depth coaching session will take you directly to the heart of the most important issues around writing your book – even if you haven’t started writing yet!

By the end of our time together, you will know exactly what to do next and how to go about it.

“Thank you for an amazingly helpful session, which truly was a ‘breakthrough’ in every sense of the word.

For years I’ve been stuck with this seemingly solid perception of what’s ‘not possible’, being blocked by it but not questioning it purely as it was so very solidly lodged.

In just an hour you’ve helped me uncover the true origin of that previously unquestionable belief and loosen – or even dissipate – it to the point where suddenly ‘it’ is indeed possible, and even probable!

You say you work intuitively, and yes you do, but even more than that … you’re a truly gifted coach.

I am immensely grateful to have worked with you and I am sure I shall do so again!”
Nikki Highmore Sims, Mindset Consultant and author of The Complete Guide to Designing and Running Brilliant Workshops and Meetings

Contact Julia@JuliaMcCutchen.com to arrange a time for a quick chat about whether this particular coaching option is right for you.

Patience is required at many different levels on the Writer’s Journey both with yourself and with others.

Why is patience such an important quality for writers?

First of all, writing a book for publication is a long term business.

Despite the fact that there are always exceptions to the rule, there are very few books that are written and picked up by an agent or publisher straight away. The norm is for the process to take time.

The stage where patience is most required, and one of the most important for all writers seeking commercial publication, is finding the right people to work with – agent and/or publisher.

The reason that it takes so long for publishing professionals to respond to your approach is that they genuinely do have an extremely long list of other tasks on their ‘To Do’ list. And this is before they even get to assessing new projects from new authors!

Add this to fact that they are almost always in meetings and inundated with material to read, and you’ll begin to get the picture.

Ironically, once a decision is finally made, from that point onwards everything suddenly switches to tight deadlines where everything needs to be completed ‘yesterday’.

With self-publishing, the long term nature of successful publishing takes into account the whole life cycle of the book. In this situation you need patience to nurture your book to success long beyond the launch.

It requires patience to cultivate mutually rewarding working relationships with people who will help to sell, market and promote your book. It also takes patience to build up a strong relationship with your readers that is likely to be rewarded by them buying your next book too.

Life has a way of taking the time required for projects to come to fruition – whatever that may be – rather than an arbitrary timeframe you may have decided you want to impose.

Usually, there is a bigger picture at work – if only you could see it then and there.

Jocelyn’s story

I first met Jocelyn when she came to one of my Writer’s Journey workshops a few years ago. At the end of the event, she came up to me to say how much she had enjoyed the balance of inspiration and practical information we covered.

She explained that she had felt deeply inspired to write a book for several years but had not done anything about it as she didn’t know where to start. Now, she felt fired into action and was determined to find the right way forwards for her book.

Over the years which followed, Jocelyn came to other events that I presented and I coached her through her unfolding journey.

The longest stage of all was when she was finally ready to approach publishers with her proposal. As the months went by, I was impressed by how calmly she viewed the whole situation. Her belief in her project was so strong that she was able to maintain a patient and determined attitude.

One day, over 18 months after I had last heard from her, I received an email which brought tears to my eyes. Finally, Jocelyn’s patience had been rewarded and she was writing excitedly to tell me that a publisher had finally offered her a contract.

Jocelyn went on to complete her journey with that particular book and is now enjoying the process of writing her second.

So how can you develop the patience you need for your Writer’s Journey?

Here are 3 tips to help you …

1. Learn to meditate – one of the most effective methods I know for cultivating patience is meditation. You don’t have to believe in anything in particular and it has nothing to do with faith or religion.

It is proven beyond doubt that simply setting aside 20 minutes a day to still the mind and begin to know the silence of your inner world has profoundly positive benefits in your everyday life. You will feel more patient, balanced and are likely to experience a more optimistic outlook generally.

Bringing these qualities to writing a book for publication will most definitely enable you to enjoy the journey all the more.

Even if you don’t feel like doing a formal meditation practice, just taking some quiet time at the start of each day will also bring you great benefit.

2. Cultivate the ability to be ‘pro-actively patient’ – this involves taking appropriate action to move you towards your goal … and then letting go of your attachment to the end results.

It is all about maintaining your vision of what you are working towards whilst remaining present in the moment and accepting the current circumstances for whatever they happen to be.

If you are experiencing delays or rejections, ask yourself, ‘What’s the bigger picture?’

Imagine yourself at some unspecified time in the future looking back on where you are now and see if you can read the signs of your present situation. Often it is much easier to understand why a delay happened in retrospect.

3. Find your own inspiring story – there are lots of stories around these days of writers who have had their patience tested to the limit … and then finally found a way forwards.

Look in newspapers or magazines, ask at your local library or writers group, and find a story which you find inspiring.

It doesn’t have to be a celebrity story. In fact it’s probably better if it isn’t.

It will help to hear about someone that you know – directly or indirectly – whose patience has been rewarded.

It could be the guy who works in the local bookshop who has just signed up with an agent after wanting to write since leaving college. Or a friend of a friend who’s been writing an unusual blog for a couple of years and has been offered a contract.

Read the story regularly to help you maintain patience if you are feeling stretched and maintain a focused yet relaxed approach to the whole process. This is one of the most important secrets for staying the course on the writer’s path.

What’s your experience of patience with writing your book? Feel free to share your inspiring stories below …

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© Julia McCutchen 2010. All Rights Reserved.

If you want to use this article in your ezine or on your website I’d be happy for you to do so as long as you use the complete article, including the copyright line, and include the following paragraph in its entirety:

Julia McCutchen is the founder & creative director of the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers (IACCW) where writers discover their authentic voice – on the page and in the world. A former managing director & publisher (Element, Random House), Julia is a successful and intuitive writer’s coach, mentor and professional publishing consultant. She has over 20 years’ experience of publishing and a track record that includes UK no 1 and international bestsellers. Julia is the author of The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication and the creator of the How to Write the Ultimate Book Proposal Online Masterclass Course. For a FREE Special Report, Discover Your Authentic Voice – on the page and in the world, visit www.iaccw.com, and for a range of FREE articles, audios and videos for writers visit www.juliamccutchen.com.

1. First of all, think about who you know who might know someone with a connection to the world of publishing.

Before you dismiss this suggestion with the thought that you don’t know anyone who has anything to do with writing or publishing, just stop and ponder for a moment.

Sometimes a friend of a friend may be just the person you need to speak to. Perhaps their colleague at work happens to know someone who’s just had a book published or started a job in the industry? Or maybe they know someone who works in a bookshop and who is familiar with the subjects that publishers specialise in.

You just never know where these connections can take you and naturally if you are able to come up with leads that result in personal recommendations of publishers to approach, this can be one of the best ways of being introduced to the right publisher for your book.

2. Another excellent approach is to go into a few good bookshops – both independents and chain bookstores – and research what books have already been published in your category or genre.

Look on the shelves under the appropriate category or genre as well as on the display tables to find books that are along similar lines to your proposed book.

When you have found appropriate titles, simply look inside those books to see which publisher has published them (usually specified at the bottom of the page which has the book title on amongst other places).

Then you can research those publishers further by looking up their websites and even calling them to request a catalogue. If they are already publishing books which are similar, and assuming that those books are doing well, they will usually be interested in seeing new projects in the same vein.

The proviso on this is that your book offers a different angle on the subject and is not just repeating what has already been published of course!

3. In addition you can use the internet bookshops like amazon to research publishers’ preferences by searching for books in your category or genre and seeing who published them.

Then proceed to find out a bit more about those publishers as outlined above.

Good luck!

Julia

PS Don’t forget that this month we’re inviting you to share your thoughts, ideas, comments and suggestions about what we are offering at the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers. We’re so looking forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for letting us know what you think of the IACCW so far. You can have your say by clicking here …

PPS Our next IACCW Member Event is on Conscious Marketing for Authors with Lisa Cherney and takes place on Thursday 9 September. Read more about what you will learn in this important interview here …

******************************************************
Julia McCutchen
Founder & Creative Director
International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers
Writer’s Coach, Mentor & Professional Publishing Consultant
www.iaccw.com www.juliamccutchen.com +44 (0)1380 871331
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Walking in nature can be deeply inspiring and is a good place to start. You may well find that ideas and creative thoughts come to you along the way. So take a notebook and a pen and when you feel the flickers of inspiration stirring, find a place to sit down for a while to write.

Invite the fires of inspiration to burn brightly within you and brainstorm ideas of other possible situations or activities that could offer you the opportunity to access your feelings of inspiration.

Don’t think too hard about it. Just write as many ideas down as you can – or draw quick images – and aim to capture as muc h as possible. Keep your pen moving on the page as a way of overriding the censorship of the inner critic who may show up and try to steal the show!

Your ideas could include different settings when you are outside in nature such as by the sea, walking along cliff tops or in a forest, as well as different times of the day such as watching a beautiful sunset.

Alternatively …

… allow your ideas to pan out beyond these starting points and think back to when you were younger – what did you enjoy as a child? How did you spend your free time?

And what about connecting with others? In what circumstances have you felt inspired from being with other people of a like-mind?

Once you have captured your ideas, draw up a short list of at least 6 activities or situations that have the potential to inspire you and write a list of these in your journal. If you can manage 10, 15 or even 20, that is even better!

Now schedule time at least once a week, and if possible every day, to engage in one or more of these activities from this point on.

I recommend that you regularly review your list of ideas and continue to update it or add new ideas as they come to you. This way, you’ll always be able to connect in with your inspiration whenever you’re feeling “flat” and access new ideas for your writing when it feels like your current ones are running dry.

Enjoy!

Julia

PS This month we’re inviting you to share your thoughts, ideas, comments and suggestions about what we are offering at the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers. We’re so looking forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for letting us know what you think of the IACCW so far. You can have your say by clicking here …

PPS Our next IACCW Member Event is on Conscious Marketing for Authors with Lisa Cherney and takes place on Thursday 9 September. Read more about what you will learn in this important interview here …

******************************************************
Julia McCutchen
Founder & Creative Director
International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers
Writer’s Coach, Mentor & Professional Publishing Consultant
www.iaccw.com www.juliamccutchen.com +44 (0)1380 871331
******************************************************

This is just a quick courtesy reminder that today, Tuesday 3 August is the registration deadline for the Writer’s Journey Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to check it out, you can read all about it, watch a short video and access the audio recording of the Preview Call by clicking here …

This individual coaching program has been created for writers at any stage of the writing journey to benefit from professional feedback, guidance, structure and support.

My commitment to you is that I will meet you exactly where you are on your writer’s journey and guide you to raise the bar to the next level – whatever that is for you – so that you make solid progress and experience tangible results.

Here are a few details of what you can expect from the Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program:

• Advice on how to choose the right ideas to focus on and how to organise and structure your work.
• Support to start or develop and deepen your writing process to empower your words on the page and find your authentic voice.
• Guidance on what to include – and what to leave out – of your book proposal (even if you are considering self-publishing).
• Information on what marketing and promotion activities to engage with and how to build your author platform.
• Feedback on your progress and an individually crafted action plan so that you know how to stay on track to turn your vision into reality.

You might also be interested to read what Mark Rutterford, author of At My Bravest and Most Vulnerable had to say from working with me recently as an example of the kind of results that are possible:

“A day of coaching with Julia was like that moment when I first logged on after switching from dial-up to broadband. Lots of information, lots of interaction and lots to think about … and it was great fun too!

Julia provided professional experience and insight, supportive encouragement and energy, valuable challenge and honesty – priceless, cloud-clearing, assistance. Market wise and business savvy, Julia explored many aspects of my novel (market, genre, proposal etc) and gave valuable feedback and insight to a developing business proposition as well. I value and trust Julia’s judgement and came away excited at taking the next steps on my journey. I went into the coaching day with a box full of jigsaw pieces … I came out with a picture!”

So if you’ve been thinking about writing your book but haven’t started yet, or are ready to take your writing to a new level, prepare your book proposal or develop your author platform with professional guidance, check out the details here …

All you need to do to apply is email Julia@JuliaMcCutchen.com and tell me what you are writing (or want to write), and what you’d like to achieve by the end of our 4 months of working together.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to let me know and I’ll be happy to answer those for you.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Julia

PS Watch the video and access the audio recording of the Preview Call here …

PPS Free 20 minute telephone consultations with me are also on offer to discuss if this is the right program for you.

If you were to exchange the word ‘perseverance’ for the phrase ‘writing a book for publication’, the remainder of the sentence would still be accurate!

The Writer’s Journey certainly includes many points along the way which demand an incredible amount of determination and tenacity.

It can be a long path from inspiration to publication and how you handle the inevitable challenges will make all the difference to the quality of your journey and to the end results.

At each stage of the journey

For many people, persistence with the intention of wanting to write is required simply to get started in the first place. This early challenge is one which proves too much for some which means that sadly the dream and the reality never connect. However, if your dedication to writing is strong enough, there comes a point when you finally have to stop talking about it and just sit down and write!

Having begun, the next step involves keeping the momentum going and writing regularly. This is where persistence meets the discipline required to complete any piece of writing whether it be an article, a short story or a full length book. So next time you’re not ‘in the mood’ for writing, remember the words of Harriet Beecher Stowe who reminds us that, ‘the pain of discipline is short but the glory of the fruition is eternal.’

When you are writing a book for commercial publication by a traditional publisher, one of the most important stages of all requiring resolution is that of finding an agent and/or publisher. You might be lucky and discover the right people to work with straight away or within a few short months of sending out your proposal. On the other hand, you may be one of the many writers who have to dive deeply into their inner resources to find the strength and steadfastness required to pass this particular milestone.

Alternatively, there may come a time when you realise that this route to the marketplace isn’t for you and at that point, if you are determined enough, you will find alternative ways for your writing to reach your readers.

When your book is finally published – either commercially or through self-publishing options – perseverance is required at the level of supporting your book through marketing and promotional activities. Publishers tend to concentrate their efforts around the time of actual publication. Yet, if you want your book to succeed, you will need to engage yourself over the long term to make sure that your book doesn’t disappear too quickly off the radar of your readership.

So here are 3 Tips to help you develop the quality of perseverance to see you through on your writer’s journey:

1. Take time regularly to reassess your core purpose. Coming from a point of clarity regarding what you are doing and why is one of the key ingredients of success when it comes to writing a book for publication.

But it is not enough to establish your purpose once and then leave it at that. As time goes by, your knowledge and experience of the writing journey increases, and this can change or modify your perspective.

So schedule time to take stock of how you are feeling about your original intentions every few months. Write about this in your journal and then work with the clarity this exercise will bring to strengthen your resolve.

2. Make sure that you love writing and/or the idea of writing a book for publication enough to see it through to completion. It may sound like an obvious point but if you are continually having to force yourself to write, you’re going to find it much harder to see the whole journey through.

That’s not to say that there won’t be times when you find writing some sections of your book more difficult than others. And when it comes to finding an agent or publisher, there will almost certainly be moments when you feel stretched to the limit.

However, if you are passionate about seeing your writing complete and in print, that energy will help to carry you through the challenging times.

3. Celebrate your progress along the way. Resolution is strengthened by positive results. So make sure that you bring your attention to your achievements, however small they may be, as they will undoubtedly increase your capacity to persevere with your writing.

It may simply be the completion of a difficult chapter that you feel is a real achievement or the fact that you’ve finally managed to write every day for a week.

Don’t wait for the more obvious milestones like signing a contract to give yourself the gift of a small reward to encourage your progress. Choose a treat that feels a little special to mark the occasion of finally working out how that story is going to end or the fact that you’ve sent your completed proposal out to agents at last.

Remember, it is often at the 11^th hour when we are just about to quit that breakthroughs happen. So remain flexible about the route you take but stay true to your core purpose and the joy of having persevered will ultimately be yours.

As always, I love to hear your comments on these ideas and how they relate to your own experiences of the writing journey so do feel free to share your thoughts below …

By the end of this interview you will know:

• Why writing intuitively and organically can yield the most surprising work.
• Why relying on the element of chance to galvanize your writing is so important.
• How to interpret I Ching hexagrams in ways that will be useful to your writing.
• Why it is important to use these creative tools with playfulness and humor.

Sarah Jane Sloane is a professor of English and Co-Director of the Program in Creative Nonfiction at Colorado State University.  She has published creative nonfiction, poetry, reviews, and short essays, and has given numerous presentations on topics ranging from how to get started as a writer to the element of chance in writing.  She is the author of Digital Fictions:  Storytelling in a Material World (2000) and The I Ching for Writers:  Finding the Page Inside You (2005).

Date: Thursday 5 August    Time:16:00 BST / 11:00 EST

Want to listen to this teleseminar interview for free but not yet an IACCW member?

Find out about how to do so and discover the other benefits of becoming a member of the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers (IACCW) by clicking here …

Join me on Tuesday 27 July at 8pm (BST/3pm EST) for a FREE Preview Call* to present the Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program and learn the secrets of successfully raising the bar on your writer’s journey.

Click here to register …

I’ll also be sharing with you the details of the * 4 month * Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program for just * 10 writers * starting in September (registration closes Tues 3 August). The Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program has been created for writers at any stage of the writing journey to benefit from professional feedback, guidance, structure and support.

Read about the Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program here …

If you’re ready to learn more about raising the bar on your writer’s journey, why not join me for an inspiring and interactive Preview call on Tuesday 27 July at 8pm (BST/3pm EST).

Click here to register …

If you can’t make the live call, no problem. Register anyway and we’ll send you access to the audio recording so that you can listen any time.

Enjoy the journey!

Julia

(*Usual telephone call charges apply)

Your sense of self dissolves as you become one with music and movement. Energy flows for you to express yourself freely, time is of no significance and your experience is effortless and engaging.

What has this to do with writing you may well ask?

The parallels of being in the zone, including all the benefits of that experience, are clear. Yet there is more to it than that.

At a physical level, writing is primarily a static process. Apart from the movement of hands typing on the keyboard or moving across the page with your favourite pen, there is an inherent stillness to the process of writing (not including the movement and flow of ideas and imagination of course).

Dancing freely to uplifting music releases old or stuck energy in your body and is immensely grounding and liberating. It also frees up the channels for recharged creative energy to flow into your writing and indeed into all areas of your life.

And when you have danced until you’re done, what better way to reconnect with inner and outer stillness than to pick up your pen and write with freedom in your heart and fire in your soul.

Larmer Tree Music Festival*

This weekend I went to the Larmer Tree Music Festival for my annual dip into the colourful and creative mix of music and merriment this fabulous event provides.

Held in the beautiful setting of the Larmer Tree gardens described by Thomas Hardy as “the prettiest site I ever saw in my life”, this is a relatively small and intimate celebration of music and the arts.

As an upmarket festival which is extremely well-organised with excellent facilities, delicious organic foods from around the world are on sale alongside other more unusual items such as real liquorice of all colours and flavours.

The atmosphere is creatively inspiring as ordinary people try their hand at any number of extraordinary arts and crafts, and mix with professional artists including photographers, sculptors, jewellery makers … and of course, musicians.

What a wonderful opportunity for so many people to experience and share joy, freedom and fun. I certainly came away feeling deeply enriched by my time there.

After the event, I am not at all surprised to find myself having all sorts of new ideas for writing and the creative projects I have in the pipeline for the next few months.

Colourful, Creative, Fun!

So when was the last time that you treated yourself to something colourful, creative and fun to spark your zest for writing, open your heart and trigger your appreciation for life in general?

And if it has been a long time since you lost yourself in music and dance, why not give yourself the gift of a this kind of creative release?

You don’t have to go to a music festival to do so (although live music does have more of an impact). On your own with the doors closed and the curtains pulled if necessary for you to feel safe enough to let yourself go for a while can also do the trick!

Not only will you enjoy the experience in the moment, the benefits will be far reaching and almost certainly provide you with fresh ideas and material for your writing too.

Enjoy igniting your creative fire and feel free to share your experiences below …

* Check out the Larmer Tree Festival by clicking here …

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© Julia McCutchen 2010. All Rights Reserved.

If you want to use this article in your ezine or on your website I’d be happy for you to do so as long as you use the complete article, including the copyright line, and include the following paragraph in its entirety:

Julia McCutchen is the founder & creative director of the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers (IACCW) where writers discover their authentic voice – on the page and in the world. A former managing director & publisher (Element, Random House), Julia is a successful and intuitive writer’s coach, mentor and professional publishing consultant. She has over 20 years’ experience of publishing and a track record that includes UK no 1 and international bestsellers. Julia is the author of The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication and the creator of the How to Write the Ultimate Book Proposal Online Masterclass Course. For a FREE Special Report, Discover Your Authentic Voice – on the page and in the world, visit www.iaccw.com, and for a range of FREE articles, audios and videos for writers visit www.juliamccutchen.com.