Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

How to Write a Book

Writing a Book: 5 Tips to Overcome Overwhelm

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How toLisa Tener overcome overwhelm is on my mind because….

Okay, I’m sure you can guess. I occasionally slide into overwhelm in preparing for my January launch for my book titled…well…it doesn’t have a title yet.

So, that right there feels like…

Nope, not gonna go there. Breathe, Lisa.

Okay, from the trenches, 5 Tips to Overcome Overwhelm

  1. Breathe: Reset your brain and body with a nice deep, abdominal breath.
  2. Prioritize Self-care: I have to slap my hand sometimes as it reaches for the keyboard. Qigong or a walk in nature. Then email. What’s your biggest slip up and what’s your self-care superpower?
  3. Prioritize Tasks and Pick the Most Important: Do you try to take on too much in a day? Get distracted? I do. And the thing that serves me best is to figure out the one thing that’s most important to get done that day. True confession: Still working on it. I have trouble keeping my daily to-do list to one page. And some days I forget to consult it. Slowly, I’m getting better at a shorter list.
  4. Stay Focused: Turn off your phone, ignore email. Don’t get distracted by other work.
  5. Take Breaks: Breaks, however, are not a distraction. Self-care breaks like movement, deep breathing or time in nature can keep you energized and sharpen your mind.

I’m keeping the post short today so you can get back to your writing priorities and I can return my attention to book titles and editing.

Enjoy the day and stay focused, keep calm, and carry on!

2 Simple Meditations to Write with Ease

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Lisa TenerWould you like a simple meditation to write with ease and break through your creative challenges?

This morning, I worked on a post for you about New York Times bestsellers but I struggled to finish it. This afternoon, a session with my muse changed everything.

I didn’t ask my muse about my blog post or newsletter. But my muse told me anyway!

During the visualization, we started out in ankle deep in mud and I worried my muse indicated stuckness. But no.

We quickly found ourselves immersed in therapeutic mud baths, easing any and all tensions from my body.

[bctt tweet=”How Earth and Water Chakras Support You to Write with Ease” username=”LisaTener”]

Me: Mud? Are you telling me I’m stuck?

My Muse: Not at all. Earth and water make up mud. Earth, the first chakra and water, the second work together to form mud. These chakras work synergistically in your writing and creative practices.

The second chakra, or sacral chakra, symbolized by water, is all about creativity, symbolism, dreams–all the artsy stuff that supports you to write beautifully.

And the earth chakra is the foundation upon which your creativity rests, making it possible to write with ease.

Me: Foundation? Like what?

My Muse: Think support, groundedness, feeling safe to create. And by the way, congratulations on getting back to your qigong practice this morning. Qigong grounds you and serves as a perfect foundational support for your creativity and writing.

meditate to write

“Keep It Simple”

My Muse: And take a bath tonight.

Me: Okay – should I use mud/clay for cleansing, like in the visualization? Epsom salt? Essential oils?

My Muse: Keep it Simple. Complicating things can take the pleasure out. Enjoy your bath.

Where the Breakthrough Comes From

I wondered about some of the challenges I faced–feeling overwhelmed at times, stressing over the title of the book I plan to publish in January.

Me: What do I need to do to get into clarity and clear the blocks?

My Muse: Let it go. Your creative challenges are shifting on their own. You’ve set it in motion. Now, trust.

Give it time and space. Cultivate emptiness, that fallow period you speak of to your students. When you let go, you’ll be able to write with ease.

You can’t always focus on productivity. Make time for Yourself.

Envision ease. Expect ease. Cultivate ease with ease.

Me: Okay, I get it. Ease.

My Muse: Yes, ease.

[bctt tweet=”A Root Chakra Meditation for Grounding” username=”LisaTener”]

Your first chakra, or root chakra, is all about grounding. The earth provides a foundation on which to build your life and your writing.

A simple way to ground, connect with the earth and clear your first chakra with ease is to bounce without lifting your feet:

  • Stand with feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent.
  • Bounce gently as you bend your knees a little deeper release your shoulders, shake your arms up and down and release the tension in your body.
  • Inhale and imagine the energy of the earth coming through the soles of your feet and traveling up your legs into your body.
  • Exhale and imagine releasing tension into the earth for transformation.
  • Continue bouncing and releasing through the breath.
  • After 5 minutes or 100 bounces or whatever feels good to you, place your hands on your lower belly and close your eyes. How do you feel?

[bctt tweet=”A Sacral Chakra Meditation for Releasing Blocks and Writing with Ease” username=”LisaTener”]

  • Set an intention to release anything in the way of writing with ease.
  • Fill your bathtub with warm water and a cup or more of Epsom salts.
  • Add a favorite essential oil or bubble bath.
  • Relax.
  • Don’t try to solve problems or think about work or writing. Just let everything go.
  • Breathe deeply and enjoy the scent of the oils or bubble bath.
  • Release the water and your troubles down the drain!

Now you’re ready to write!

write with ease

How Will You Write with Ease?

Dear Reader, does the message from my muse resonate for you? How can you create more ease? Try the meditations above or tap into your inner creative Muse for a personal process for writing with ease.

Please share your process or result as a comment below!

Good News About Reading: Here’s the Data

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Check out the Reading Data

While coronavirus has caused challenges from bookstore and library closings to manufacturing lags, there’s plenty of good news about books, readers and publishing. Specifically, reading books remains popular, across all ages. And, in case you were wondering, readers still prefer print books over ebooks.

Krystal McKenna writer
Krystal McKenna shares insights on reader habits across generations

Krystal McKenna of Best By The Numbers reached out to me to share a new infographic which compares data on the reading habits of the 5 generations: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.

Key Takeaways About Reader Demographics

Let’s dig into some of the data on reading so you can see the trends for the audience and demographic you’re writing for.

Krystal shared the following key takeaways–and they may surprise you!

“Millennials read more books than any other generation, closely followed by Baby Boomers. However, Gen Z (the youngest generation) have increased their reading more than the other generations since the start of the coronavirus.”

“Print books are preferred to eBooks by all generations, with 65% of US adults having read a print book over the past year vs. 28% for eBooks.”

When It Comes to Nonfiction Reader Data…

The infographic also delved into the favorite non-fiction genres of the 5 generations.

Krystal pointed out that, “Gen Z prefer reading humor books, Millennials devour health and wellness books, Gen X read about crafts and hobbies, Baby Boomers like to read cookbooks, and the Silent Generation prefer biographies and memoirs.”

Something on the fun side? Krystal shares, “As French readers get older, they are more likely to read sexy books. 58% of French Baby Boomers have read erotic fiction vs 42% of Millenials. That’s what I call aging well.”

“Every generation still likes to read, even the tech-obsessed Millennials and Gen Z. And the appetite for buying books will continue well into the future.”

[bctt tweet=”Find out Which Generation Reads the Most” username=”LisaTener”]

Check out the infographic for further insights into the reading habits of the 5 generations.

 

which generation reads the most?

Writing Deeper in Creative Flow

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An interesting phenomenon came up in the Get Your Writing Done Program last week, when people found themselves writing deeper in creative flow.

writing togetherAfter we did our breathing and movement warm ups, everyone began writing. It was inspiring to witness the concentration and focus revealed on each face as people wrote. After 40 minutes of writing, I asked whether the group wanted more time.

A resounding, “YES!”

Four More Minutes of Flow

Laurie Hunt WriterWhat struck me was Laurie Hunt‘s comment afterwards:

“I’m amazed at what I got done in four minutes! It’s a lesson around ‘every little bit makes a difference.’ I usually think I need a big chunk of time to sit down and write my book, but even in a small amount, so much can happen.”

Writing Deeper in Creative Flow

book proposal for soul of all living creatures
Dr. Vint Virga is a great example of an author who went deeper and deeper with his writing and the exercise has made his book a classic.

As I reflected on the power of that last four minutes, I shared what I’ve come to know, “When we think we’re done, that’s often where the greatest juice is. There’s a part of us that often holds back—out of fear, our ego, or the inner critic. That’s part of being human. Often that extra little bit is where the censor relaxes and suddenly we go deeper.”

Part of writing is leaving the surface of things and diving deeper—whether that means being more vulnerable, exploring new ideas or being more creative in our work. Little tricks like the extra five minutes tacked on at the end of a practice session can often act as a catalyst for this deeper work.

In fact, in class, we take a break after our first 35-45 minute writing session, participate in some reflections and optional sharing, and then begin another 35-45 minutes of writing. Often, the second session is even more powerful.

Connecting with the Inner Muse for Creative Flow

Lorraine SegalLorraine Segal Writing mentioned a particular step we take during class, that of connecting to our inner muse:

“That practice of checking in with the Muse has been just amazing for me. I’ve been doing it every time I write and it’s helping me come from gentleness and trust. I did it yesterday and recommitted to getting my memoir published, because I heard from my Muse that I could trust—and only listen to—experts when my intuition validates it. It’s been miraculous!”

I often encourage people to connect with their inner muse with a sense of gratitude. The more positive feelings you generate for your creative source, the more your writing flows.

[bctt tweet=”Write In a State of Creative Flow!” username=”LisaTener”]

If you’re writing on your own, think about how you can invite yourself to go deeper. And how to connect with your Muse. And if you’re curious about what Get Your Writing Done can do for you, your writing practice and your book, you can read more about the Get Your Writing Done Program here.

Several participants mentioned particular practices we use that helped them get in that state of flow, as well as the accountability partner system (a streamlined and strategic 10-15 minute phone call once a week where partners answer 5 questions about their commitment and follow through). The optional accountability system helps you see what’s working, what’s not and plan your next steps to make your habits work.

My Confession

Lisa Tener Book Writing Coach
Photographer Seth Jacobson took some new photos for my website (the old head shots were 8 years old!). Here I am reading a client’s book. Maybe your book will be in the next photo shoot!

When everyone’s writing in the flow, I’ve been working on my books too—writing or revising. I find, too, that the class puts me in a creative state with ease and forces me to take the time to write. Of all the classes I’ve taught over the years, this is my favorite.

Can I say that? I love the other classes, too. But there’s something about the simplicity and power of this class that makes me look forward to Thursdays!

Read more about the Get Your Writing Done Program here. And consider joining us so that you write from an inspired state, complete your projects with ease and get your wisdom out into the world!

How to Stay Focused—and WRITE!

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stay focused and write
Photo by Brittany Bendabout on Unsplash

Do you struggle with how to stay focused on your writing? You’re not alone. Just a few tweaks can help you break through the challenge and write in a state of inspired flow.

Her Breakthrough in Focus

On a call with a Bring Your Book to Life® participant, she shared her recent breakthrough:

As a busy freelancer she had trouble making time for her writing. When she sat down to write she often became distracted by pressing business activities on her to do list. 

What finally freed her was turning off her phone. “I lost track of time. Two and a half hours later I realized how immersed I’d become. I didn’t want to stop but I had to get some food!”  

She reports that the solid block of undisturbed time helped her get more focused and productive. “I got much clearer on my outline and moved things around with post-it notes like you showed us in class.” Her writing flowed with ease once she had a clearer outline and undisturbed time to write.

[bctt tweet=”How to Stay Focused on Writing” username=”LisaTener”]

writingHaving your phone on, checking email, online shopping (or even research) can distract you from making progress with your book. Here’s how to stay focused on writing:

  1. Identify typical—and potential—distractions.
  2. Take specific actions to prevent these distractions. For example, turn your phone off; write in a place where no one and no device will find you (perhaps writing outdoors); put a do not disturb sign on your door.
  3. Plan your breaks to invigorate rather than distract. For example, set a timer for stretch breaks or even step outside and take some deep breaths, moving your body in ways that energize you. 

Read more: Check out these 7 writing productivity tips;  9 ways to connect with your creative muse and 5 Ways to Get Unstuck in your writing.

What distracts you from writing? What do you do to stay focused? Share any commitments you are making to stay focused on your writing today or this week.

[bctt tweet=”Give Your Writing Practice a Boost!” username=”LisaTener”]

Get Your Writing Done!

One of the best ways to stay focused and write is to create an environment conducive to writing. My most recent program helps you do just that.

Give your writing practice a boost by joining me (and my two amazing colleagues, Laurie Hunt and Sharon Burton) to write Thursdays from 11:30 AM ET to 1:30 PM ET, or Wednesdays 8-10 pm ET:

In the program:

  • You’ll learn my favorite creativity-inducing exercises.
  • You can work on a specific project or just let yourself be inspired by the writing prompts I provide.
  • You’ll learn my secrets for writing in a state of flow.
  • You’ll have the nourishing support and accountability needed to show up to writing.
  • You’ll get writing done, every single week that you show up!

If you’ve been thinking of taking a class with me, but were intimidated by the bigger commitment of my other programs, Get Your Writing Done offers a perfect opportunity to learn some of my best tools for writing, get your questions answered personally on the calls, and make progress on your book, blog, articles or other writing. I’ve also priced this system to fit just about any budget.

I’d love to help you achieve a BREAKTHROUGH in writing with ease—every time.

Click Here to Get all the details.

Your Bonuses

I’ve bundled in lots of extras including my most popular self-study book writing programs and the materials we use in my Bring Your Book to Life(R) Program. I include videos, audio meditations, ebooks on writing, revision and creative flow and much more.

You’ll find all these resources on the program website; yet your monthly fee is just a fraction of what I charge for these programs when sold individually.

Yet, even if you never use these bonuses and just show up for the writing sessions, you’ll receive incredible value — imagine what it will do for your life and/or your business when you complete your writing projects and bring them out in the world!

And if you’re not ready to share with the world, that’s fine too. You can use the program to journal, for personal growth, to explore genres or just write for the love of writing.

Find out more about Get Your Writing Done here.

Amplify Black Voices in Publishing Day 4: Dr. Tiffany A. Love

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Amplify Black Voices in Publishing, Day 5

If you’re wondering where to find Day 4 of the series, we hope to reschedule the interview with Literary Agent Regina Brooks for later in the year.

About today’s Amplify Black Voices interviewee:

I met Dr. Tiffany Love serving on the faculty together of Harvard Medical School’s CME course, Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare and we also serve together on the CME course Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals.  As a hospital COO–and relatively new to her job–Dr. Love has done an extraordinary job making connections within her community so that the hospital was responsive and prepared in the COVID-19 health crisis. As an expert in mentoring, I knew she would be an excellent resource and voice for this blog series.

A note about links to buy books

Note: Rather link to books on Amazon, here is a link to a recent list of Black-owned bookstores that ship nationally. You can use the stores on this list to order the books mentioned in this post.

Recommended Reading and Other Education

Lisa:   When it comes to understanding racism: history/how we got here, uncovering our own unconscious biases, learning what we can do in terms of our own behaviors as well as contributing to societal, legal and institutional change, what books or blogs do you recommend reading?

Dr. Tiffany Love
Dr. Tiffany Love

Dr. Tiffany Love:  For books, I recommend, Where do we go from here? Chaos or Community? by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and  White Fragility by Robin Diangelo.

[I also recommend watching this] Interview with Dr. David Ansell on racial disparities in health that result from unequal distribution of power and resource.

Movies Selma, Harriet, and The Hate You Give.

So you want to talk about raceLisa:  Thank you. I was so moved and inspired by Harriet. The movie captures what an extraordinary person she was and I learned things I didn’t know. I’m in the midst of So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and it’s been a bit shocking to realize how little I know about racism and how blind I’ve been to systemic racism. The book is both brilliant and an accessible read. White Fragility is next on my list (and sitting by my bed).

[bctt tweet=”Using Our Platforms to Amplify Black Voices” username=”LisaTener”]

Lisa: As writers, how can we best use our voice and platform to Amplify voices of African Americans?

White FragilityDr. Tiffany Love:   Share your platform with African American authors. Share the stories of African Americans in a way that a White person who hasn’t been exposed to racial injustice can understand. Mentor and sponsor African American authors.  Amplify African American voices on social media. Share their posts with your audience.

Uncovering Our Own Biases

Lisa:  That makes so much sense. Can you say more about how one might mentor or sponsor African American authors?

Dr. Tiffany Love:  As a mentor for healthcare executives, I have found that many early careerists have the education and talent but are not aware of the resources that are available to build upon their skills. I feel this same void exists with authors. Many African American writers may not be aware of how to find local writing groups. What are the conferences that authors attend? What are the continuing education opportunities that help authors develop their writing style and creativity?

Lisa:  Sounds like it would be helpful for us to put together a resource about this! As authors and bloggers, what can we do better to uncover our own unconscious biases and write inclusively? What questions should we ask ourselves before pressing “publish” on a blog post or submitting our chapters to our publishing house?

Dr. Tiffany Love:   Consider having an African American writer read a sample of your writing. If it’s about a lived experience then ask them if their experience has been different. Ask for the feedback that you would want from your audience to see if unexpected themes emerge.

The question you should ask yourself would depend on the topic. People who don’t have a deep exposure to the live experience of African Americans should not write on or criticize that perspective. Be sensitive to the fact that America may not care about what you’re publishing if it doesn’t relate to the current crisis we are experiencing.

Lisa: That last point is especially pertinent. I think this consciousness raising and lessons on race are inspiring many of us to ask the question, if this post or story or essay isn’t related to the biggest issue of our day (racial justice, racism) then is it important enough to share? Is it pertinent right now? Is it worthy? I think we can obviously publish things that aren’t directly about race but I do think it’s upped our game to ask ourselves, “Is it worthy during this bigger conversation?” And also, without unnecessarily linking our work to this conversation, looking at whether it is linked in some way.

[bctt tweet=”When giving our work to beta readers, are there particular questions we should ask that will help uncover biases and/or racism?” username=”LisaTener”]

Dr. Tiffany Love:   Are your beta readers racially diverse? Make the effort to have people from several different backgrounds. I don’t think there are any particular questions that need to be asked. The diverse backgrounds of the readers should result in the feedback that will help the reader relate to the author.

Lisa: That’s so important. And I want to dive a bit deeper here, because sometimes beta readers provide feedback for free. But this seems unfair in this instance.

As you know, I’ve run some of my posts and emails by you and other Black colleagues for sensitivity. But there’s the important question of not wanting to burden Black people with having to give their time for free.

So I asked how I can give back—and you said you’d like feedback on your chapter.

I think it’s valuable to ask ourselves, “How do we avoid burdening our colleagues of color when it comes to asking for feedback on writing? Especially for something as large as a book?”

Dr. Tiffany Love: I have had colleagues ask me to provide feedback or blurbs for their books at a time when I was already over committed and I had to decline. I have a challenging self-imposed schedule and I limit my commitments to the people I have relationships with. I’m not likely to say yes to someone I don’t have an established rapport with.                                        

If you are approaching someone who you don’t have an established rapport with then it’s important to offer to compensate them for their time. Have a standard rate you would like to offer in mind as a starting point for them to negotiate. They may not be familiar with what a fair rate of pay would be so they would likely appreciate the guidance.

Lisa: That’s helpful. I think our colleagues of Color, especially Black colleagues are being asked for so much right now. We need to make sure we support them and not just add to an already outsized burden by asking more of people of Color.

How to Find a Diverse Group of Beta Readers

Amplify Black Voices
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Lisa: Many of our readers may not have a wide or diverse social circle. If they want to reach out to gather a more diverse group of beta readers, do you have suggestions for how they can find appropriate beta readers?

Dr. Tiffany Love:   There are many professionals on social media. I would recommend an author reach out to professionals who represent their target audience and ask if they would consider being a beta reader for them. You can usually review their posts and determine if they fit your targeted audience.

Lisa:   That’s a great suggestion and again I encourage my readers to think how they can contribute to people they are asking to beta read. Can you return the favor? Can you review their book on Amazon? Can you share their website with your community? Ideally, we should be doing these things anyway—not looking for a commercial barter but more coming from a spirit of generosity on our part before we even ask for help.

Dr. Tiffany Love:  I love those ideas and I would add that you can also offer to share a review of their book or other publications on your social media page. I have done that for my colleagues. It’s easy to do and it helps them expand their audience.

Lisa: Yes!

[bctt tweet=”Mentoring and Sponsorship in the Publishing Industry” username=”LisaTener”]

Lisa: How can the publishing industry do a better job of getting established authors of any background to mentor and sponsor aspiring African American authors and help them get published?

mentoring
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Dr. Tiffany Love: People who commit to mentoring do so because they feel intrinsic value in mentoring. You just need to create the opportunity for them to do so. I typically mentor through my professional society and conferences like our Harvard Medical CME “Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare. ” If you have a platform or educational offering I would suggest that you solicit for authors who would like to volunteer to mentor. Once you have a list then you can offer to connect authors to others who are interested in mentoring.

Lisa:  That’s a great idea. If our readers of color are looking for mentoring, email me about what goals you’d like to be mentored around. Readers who are willing to mentor, please email me about the genres and subjects for which you are able to mentor. We’ll do our best to connect people.

Is there anything you wish I asked? What would you like to leave our readers with?

Dr. Tiffany Love:   As an African American author, I often feel lost when looking for resources to strengthen my writing skills. Are there resources that you can share to support writers like me?

elements of styleLisa: My favorite books are some of the classics: On Writing by Stephen King, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Writing courses can be instrumental. I took courses in college but there are some good independent book writing and publishing courses like mine, as well as bigger organizations like Gotham Writers in NYC and Grub Street Writers in Boston. And I’ve heard good things from my colleague Dr. Janice Harper about Masterclass where you can take online classes recorded by celebrated authors. On Masterclass you can find:

  • Shonda Rhimes teaches Writing for Television
  • Malcolm Gladwell teaches writing
  • David Sedaris teaches Storytelling and Humor
  • Spike Lee teaches Independent Filmmaking and the list goes on!

Dr. Tiffany A. Love, is a Chief Operating Officer and award-winning board-certified healthcare executive, Fellow and former Regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) with over 26 years of healthcare experience. Dr. Love serves as faculty, judge, & pitch coach for the Harvard Medical School CME Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals. She reviews book proposals as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Management Series Editorial Board. She has also been a featured author in Healthcare Executive Magazine and the Journal of Healthcare Management. Dr. Love is currently working on her next book, which will provide advice to healthcare executives on advancing to the C-suite.

Check out her most recent blog post Building a Culture of Caring in the C-suite at the Harvard Macy Community blog. And read our other interviews in the “Amplify Black Voices in Publishing” series interviews with Gael Sylvia Pullen, Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew and Ali Raja, MD.

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