Finding the Inspiration and Courage That Leads to Multiple Genre Success

Finding the Inspiration and Courage That Leads to Multiple Genre Success

Finding the Inspiration and Courage that leads to Multiple Genre Success

This is a transcript of the Writing Gym Podcast. To listen to the full episode, click here.

Today’s Writing Gym Podcast guest is Cristina Istrati. She writes in multiple genres, which is pretty amazing, and we asked her to share her writing process and inspiration with us.

Many writers have dreams of getting published. In Cristina’s case her dream came from a literal dream.

“I’d like to think it’s a bit unusual,” Cristina said. “How I started writing was actually through a dream I had back in August 2007. ​I dreamt myself writing books, and that was it. The next day, I grabbed a pen and some paper, started writing, and the result of that was my first novel.​ I published it in 2009. This is how I started, and like I said, I am working on my third novel in my series, and I am so excited about it.”

It’s a magical thing–to follow that impulse, that dream. And look where Cristina is now. She’s a published and award-winning writer.

How did winning an award immediately after her debut novel impact her writing life? 

“I never expected it, but I was very happy. The first thing is it keeps you confident, and it also stimulates you to keep going, to keep working on your stories, and to keep writing. Because at the end of the day, this is what it is all about. Winning an award was a stimulation for me. I didn’t let it change me, or make arrogant or anything close to that, no, I kept working on my novels, and I didn’t allow it to let it influence me in any negative way.”

I asked Cristina about feedback. One of the things I talk about a lot is the difference between the creative process and the revision process. They’re two very different functions. When we’re in the creative process, it’s important not to let feedback in, or for feedback to only be positive. 

“When I was writing the first novel, I didn’t get any feedback. I was so into writing; I was absorbed by the story and the characters and what I was doing there that it didn’t even cross my mind to actually ask a friend to read through it. I just went for it, wrote the book, and published it at the end. That was it. 

You never know–maybe somebody would’ve told me they didn’t like the story or it’s boring, or something like that, and that might have discouraged me​ a bit. So, I’m happy that I didn’t ask for feedback from anybody. I just did it on my own.”

This is a really valuable tip for writers. Like Cristina, writers must know when it’s time to let that feedback in, or when it’s time to be in that creative zone. 

But what about after winning her award–did it change her writing process? 

“I had some fellow writers read my second novel but, somehow, I didn’t like their feedback. I didn’t take it personally because f​eedback is not about that. You just listen to what the other person is saying, and if something resonates with you, then you take it. That’s pretty much it. A writer should never take it personally.​ It’s not about the writer; it’s about the work itself. Feedback should only be looked at as pure feedback.

“What I didn’t like about their feedback was they were too general. It was like they were talking about a different novel. I realized I just needed to follow my own intuition and to not give anyone the manuscript before it gets published. I wanted to follow my own gut feeling, both in writing and when it comes to feedback as well.”

Cristina’s talk about intuition resonated the most with me. Many writers get so wrapped up in what they’re writing, and many get into this self-doubt, asking themselves: “Is this right? I don’t know.” It makes such a difference when they start to believe in themselves and their writing.

When writers get feedback, they shouldn’t take it personally, much like what Cristina shared. 

As writers, we must be confident about the message we are putting out into the world. I know what is right for my book, and I know that’s what I’m doing. How did Cristina develop her strong sense of writing intuition? 

“This may sound arrogant, and I totally understand if that’s the way it comes across, but when I see what I am writing, when I see the product of my work, I feel confident about it, and I don’t know where this confidence comes from. When there is something so, so strong and so beautiful about the story, it cannot be something random. That keeps me confident.”

“A writer’s story and characters are one. The minute the writer enters their room and starts writing, they become one with the novel and with everything else that is inside the novel. It’s like a universe. When you create something so strong and you feel like it is a part of you, and a part of your soul and heart, how can you not be confident and know? It’s twisting, I cannot understand this but this is what I feel.”

This is definitely a unique perspective, but one that I appreciate very much. There’s a different type of confidence that comes from the power of our piece, different from when we win awards. Where we are writing has its own life, energy, and confidence.

If writers are really listening to and have faith in their piece, then there is a different kind of confidence that can overcome their impostor syndrome. 

“I think one of the reasons why writers aren’t so confident in themselves is because the media created many limiting concepts about the writing industry, and one of of them is that you can’t make a living as a writer,” Cristina shared. “From my point of view, as long as the writers is 1000% committed, there is nothing they cannot achieve in terms of the writing career. There is no limit to what a writer can achieve as long as they are themselves, their journey, and their writing.” 

At the Writing Gym, we have created a group of wonderful writers who are committed to their craft, and get feedback from published and award-winning authors like Cristina.

I asked Cristina if a program like this had been available when she was just starting out, would it have been something she was interested in doing? 

“Any help is more than welcome–especially at the beginning. At the beginning, every writer should get as much help as possible. That’s a bit of a critical point when the writer just starts out, the confidence is not so big. But if the passion, a burning passion, the kind that wakes you up at night and compels you to write, is there, then that is enough. If this confidence is not there, my advice for writers is to follow the passion, to make their passion a substitute for the confidence. As they hold on to that passion they have for writing, the confidence will make its way, too.”

Some people are born writers in the same way that some are born musicians or basketball players. But the rest of us humans on Earth, we have to work at the process over time, unless we are a true prodigy–and that’s okay. It’s part of the process to practice, get quality feedback, and learn the skills that we need. 

Yet, even those naturally born writers, musicians, athletes all have to show up and do the work too. It goes for any kind of gift that people have.

As I mentioned before, Cristina writes in multiple genres. “It was very interesting for me to see that I could actually switch from romance to children’s stories, and then I wrote mystery stories. I think it is a good thing for a writer to play with genres if they have the ability to, because then they wouldn’t be caged into one particular genre. I highly recommend that other writers try to write in other genres. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a masterpiece, it’s an exercise to see what will work and it’s helped me polish my writing skills and gave me that extra confidence.

 

“Another great benefit is it nourishes your imagination. For me, at least, I get bored writing in one genre. I want more excitement, adventure, and switching from one genre to another really keeps things exciting for me.”

Cristina shared another amazing takeaway–the energy of the writer comes through the book and becomes absorbed by the reader.

“The writer needs to be at his best. When he is writing, he needs to be bubbling with creative energy. That will be felt in his things.”

Lastly, I asked Cristina if she had one piece of advice for writers starting out and struggling with writing.

“Firstly, identify what you love to write about. It’s important to play with genres a bit in the beginning and see which one first you best. Without that certainty, you cannot write. And from here comes the lack of confidence. Figure out what genre first for you like a glove, and follow it. The more you write, the more you want to write, and the more the passion will grow. This will give you confidence and you’ll want to keep doing that.” 

Well, there you go–the lovely advice for aspiring authors. Identify what you love to write about, and follow your intuition. Take the time to play with genres, figure it out, find your niche, and your calling, and all doubts will fade away. 

Until next time. Happy writing.

This is a transcript of the Writing Gym Podcast. To listen to the full episode, click here

Annalisa’s Top Book Picks

Annalisa’s Top Book Picks

Annalisa’s Top Book Picks 

 

If you’re writing, then you absolutely should be reading, and not just reading in your genre. You want to be reading widely.

And I practice what I preach.

For the writers over in the Writing Gym, we set goals and we put strategies in place to reach them.

Part of that should be your reading strategy. Because, of course, in order to be a good writer, you need to be reading.

Did I say that already? I think I did. I must mean it.

First, I wanted to share my top three nonfiction books. 

 

  • The Go-Giver Influencer by Bob Burg and John David Mann
    • My top pick. This book changed my life. It was exceptional. This is a book that I had to stop reading and think. So I read two pages and went, “Woah. That’s a big idea. I need to think through that.” There was a lot of journaling that happened. This book is about so much more than business, though it is also about business. This book is about how to live a quality life, how to problem solve, so that people can get along. And I think that this book is particularly important right now, right? We’re in a very contentious political situation. I’m not going to get into the details of that, but there are a lot of people who are having difficulty getting along with each other. If everybody read this book, maybe things would be a little bit better. I highly, highly, highly recommend this book.
  • How to Be Rich by J. Paul Getty. 
    • An oldie but a goodie. And let me tell you what I love about this book. First of all, great title. Don’t you want to know how to be rich? And it’s a misnomer. It’s a really good pitch. Although this book is about getting rich, it’s also really more sociological and philosophical. It’s  about the creation of wealth, the obligation that wealth creates, how we create jobs and share that wealth, and how we contribute to our culture patrimony through wealth to share that. Think Rockefeller. It’s a really really interesting book.
  • Mastering Fear: A Navy SEAL’s Guide, written by Brandon Webb and John David Mann.
    • Many of you have heard John David Mann on the Writing Gym podcast. He had some great thoughts to share on the writing of this book that he and John went through. Brandon and John put a really great book together. I particularly loved their philosophy on mastering fear. A lot of times, we talk about really mastering fear. And he really nips that myth in the bud through this book. We’ve all been afraid of something in our lives. Sometimes it’s big things. Sometimes fear really gets in the way of our dreams. I don’t want fear to get in the way of your dreams, your publishing dreams. 

Now, my favorite fiction picks.

 

  • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. 
    • One of the things we talk about over in the Writing Gym a whole lot is how you integrate your literary devices to augment your theme and plot points. It’s really, really hard to do. And this book did it really well. Not only is it a good, interesting, character-driven story, but the pacing is amazing. She gives you just enough information for you to always be on the edge of your seat, wondering what’s going to happen next.
  • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. 
    • You’ve probably seen this book about. It was a New York Times bestseller. Very popular book. Again, the pacing was really beautiful. Just spot-on, how the author was able to give out the information and it did have a surprise ending. No spoilers here, but the way that the book was able to come full circle in it’s theme but also to have a surprise at the end was very masterful. Really, really loved this book.
  • Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington. 

 

I want to send some shout-outs to some amazing members of the Writing Gym who published as well. I’m really excited for their victories, for their success, for the way that they were able to complete their writing dreams.

My first shout-out goes to Dr. Priya Saklani, who finished her book, The Wounded Healer: The True Story of a Child Sexual Abuse Survivor. She finished this book in 2017, published in 2018. 

This is a really great memoir where she is really honest about some really tough stuff. She and I had some good, tearful moments together as we worked through the contents of this book. This isn’t easy stuff to talk about. It’s not easy stuff to read. But the victory message is here. 

We talked about mastering fear earlier. Here, she’s talking about mastering an experience, moving through something and coming out the other side with positivity. This is a really powerful book from the Writing Gym. 

Next I want to send a big shout-out to our very own Stephanie Scott-Snyder, who wrote this book, not in the Writing Gym, but it was published in 2018. Stephanie works in the field of crime–I won’t tell you more than that. I’ll let her tell her own story. And her novel, When Women Offend: Crime and the Female Perpetrator, is a very compelling nonfiction. Stephanie is certainly an expert in this field who has a lot to share. 

And the last Writing Gym shout-out that I want to give is to Terry Harkin, who wrote The Big Buddha Bicycle Race. We met in New York a few years back and we worked on some of his pages and got his pitch ready. Then Terry got a three-book deal.

He’s doing really great for himself. His publishing company just sent him on a speaking tour, so I was able to meet up with him in Colorado. We had lunch, and we talked about his journey as a writer. I’m super proud of him, super happy for him, really could not be more thrilled for his success and what he’s been able to do with his story and his books.

Please support your fellow writers. Leave a review on any of these books if you’ve read them. 

This is one of the most important things you can do for the authors that you love. Take five minutes on Amazon, or Goodreads, and leave them a glowing review!

Lastly, I want to thank you all for your support of Storytelling for Pantsers. This book has sold so well. Many of you have reached out to me and asked for a signed copy that I’ve sent to you with so much joy in my heart. 

I appreciate you and I look forward to hearing from you all about the books that you love and your plans for the future.

Until next time. Happy reading and writing. 

Get Your Book Published…All Over the World

Get Your Book Published…All Over the World

Get Your Book Published…All Over the World

 

I met Terrence Henderson, who goes by Terri, at a Writer’s Digest Conference in New York. At that time, he was thinking about writing a second book after his latest one, “The Big Buddha Bicycle Race,” but had doubts about how to grab an audience. 

I read his first chapter and gave him some advice, to which Terri shared:

“Annalisa has just given me a lot of valuable and positive feedback, and it’s given me a lot of incentive to go forward. What I’m finding is that once I started getting a lot of good feedback, I started feeling like the future is bright.”

Terri’s future is bright, because his writing is spreading.

He shared that his original publisher in Chiang Mai, Thailand will be doing the Asian release of a book he wrote set in Asia, and he is also in the midst of trying to get some French publishers interested. 

We are so proud of Terri, especially because he pitched to an agent and got an American publisher (Ohio University Press), as well as an Asian publisher. He even received a three-book deal for this series!

The future is bright, writers. 

Terri exemplifies that not only is it possible to publish your book in the American market, but also to publish in multiple places AND get multi-book deals. 

Thank you for your inspiration, Terri.

To find out where you are, where you’d like to go, and how you can get there, put yourself on my calendar

Until then, happy writing.

 

How To Find A Quality Writing Group

How To Find A Quality Writing Group

How to Find a Quality Writing Group 


How to find a quality writing group is something writers ask tome about every single day, and it’s usually about how frustrated they are with where they’ve been, or because they can’t find the right place to be in. 

Writing groups can be frustrating experiences. Writers may not feel a sense of belonging and community, but most importantly they don’t get the help they need, help that is centered around quality feedback. Instead, what they get is a lot of negativity, backbiting, and comparisons. You can imagine how frustrating it is to be in this kind of environment. All these writers want is a place they can go and have a quality writing experience.

And that is why I created this group called Write to Publish.

In this group, we use a structure based on my study of neuroscience–how your brain thinks and creates the best. Let me tell you about one of the things we found. 

Negativity in a group not only feels bad for the receiving person, it also doesn’t work from a neuroscientific standpoint in helping you you learn and create well. So what does that mean here in Write to Publish? 

We stand for a supportive group where you can have supportive interactions with group members.

You can see that by scrolling through the group page. Nowhere in Write to Publish will you see insults, name-calling, criticism, and other negativity I have seen in other groups. That is something we do not tolerate. 

Other writing groups have people who join with a kind of “dump and leave” philosophy.” People jump in there and say “Buy my $0.99 ebook,” but never interact with anyone. All they want is people to read their ebook. You will never see a post like that in Write to Publish. We simply do not allow them. We do sometimes tell you about the programs that are tried, true, and tested in the absolute “know.”

 We are interested in you as a person and as a writer, so all of the programs we endorse in Write to Publish also work from a neuroscientific standpoint. 

People in other writing groups frequently ask for feedback. They want are beta readers, to send you some pages of their book, for you to give their book an amazon review, and more. You will never see people asking for feedback structures in Write to Publish.

So what does feedback mean to us?

Here, we take feedback seriously. It has to be quality, not something you get from just anyone. Our feedback is based on neuroscience, based on interactions that you have around your writing. That means we give feedback in the best way we know how, based on how your brain learns, creates, and revises the best. We want to protect you from beta readers and all the other businesses that happen in other writing groups. 

In Write to Publish, we care about our amazing community of writers.

We have tons of resources in our page, such as videos where I answer frequently asked questions about writing, publishing, and selling your novel. I address questions such as “How do I finish a novel?” “What do I do with my characters? My plot arc?” “What are the different kinds of publishing?” “How do I know that I got a reliable publisher” “How do I market my novel?” and more.

Here, we care a lot about your writing and publishing journey.

We do not tolerate negativity and poor feedback so you can have a space where your brain is functioning at optimal capacity, and you can be the writer you want to be. 

If you want to have a chat about where you are, where you’d like to go, and how you can get there, click this link. And please, do not hesitate to join our Facebook group Write to Publish if anything I said resonated with you. 

The Twin Fears

The Twin Fears

The Twin Fears


What are the weird twin fears? They are the fear of failure and success. These two different fears tend to travel in tandem, you wouldn’t think people would be afraid of success. However, there is something to be said about the fear of success. 

Many people are afraid of getting their name out there and having the career they’ve always wanted. 

And of course, we know the fear of failure. One of the most difficult parts of the writing process and the publishing process is rejection–of getting a no, of people not falling in love with your story in the same way you’re in love with your story.

It’s important to have resources and support to get through both of these very real fears in your life, both your writing and future publishing life.

And I’ll let you in on a secret: they don’t go away once you’re a published author

So if you’d like to talk to me about your fears, and how you can get the support you need to become a published author and to live the author lifestyle, I’d love to chat with you.  

What is the Most Overlooked Ingredient to Publishing Success?

What is the Most Overlooked Ingredient to Publishing Success?

What is the Most Overlooked Ingredient to Publishing Success? 


It’s probably not what you think it is. 

The most overlooked ingredient to publishing success is clarity.

Many well-meaning authors attempt to find clarity by seeking feedback. More often than not, they end up more muddled than when they started.

I was working with one of my clients, Vivian, in some intricate plotting and pacing in her novel. Vivian is a highly intelligent writer. Her writing is very intricate, detailed, and interwoven. 

She told me: “I am so happy you see my novel. I got so many useless feedback before. They’ve told me that I’m writing two books in one novel, to take out a character or a thread that is not going to work. No ones ever really understood my vision clearly before.” What I did in working with her is I gave her the first of clarity. 

What has she done before? She went to free writing groups and received unhelpful and unclear feedback. In short, she was not given the feedback that she needed in order to make progress in her writing. What she really needed was someone who could get the clarity on many aspects of her book and how they are interwoven. 

You only call a mechanic to fix your car and a plumber to fix your sink. If you want quality feedback that gives you clarity and moves you forward, call a professional–someone who understands the intricacies of interwoven characters, plot, and more. The bottom line: If you want clarity, seek a professional.

We are professionals over at the Writing Gym VIP Membership, where we help you finish a novel to publishable. We help you to revise your novel to industry standards, find an agent, and publish your novel at the Publishing Mastermind.

If you are serious about having a long term writing career, I’d love to speak with you about where you are, where you’d like to go, and how you can get there. 

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