Nothing compares to you
Hello friends,
I’ve been working with writers for almost fifteen years and in that time I have heard so many of them say they’re not good enough, they’re imposters, their writing isn’t as amazing as (insert whatever name you like here), their books haven’t sold many copies so they must be rubbish writers, they didn't get listed or win the competition so their story is terrible, their agent/editor/publisher turned down their next book so they clearly can’t write. I have thought all these things about myself and my writing too.
But then, after taking up reading the Tao Te Ching and learning a whole load of other great things about what being a human is really about, I realised that none of that matters. What does matter is the act of creation and the stories we write. What matters is that nobody else can write that story in that way, because you have a unique take on things that can only come from you. So comparing your work, your “success”, and your right to write, with other writers is not a helpful exercise. That way madness and sadness lies.
This week
wrote a piece about losing our voices on Substack as so many writers join, some of them big names.
We then had a chat about it and I said:
I enjoyed your post and it was interesting to think about the points you raised and thanks for all the good advice it contains. I'm not afraid of new bigger voices arriving here. I've learned over the years that I just have to do what I do and there are always going to be people out there who it speaks to.
I really believe this. Our relationship with our craft is all about how we think about it and about ourselves as writers. We all have the right, and innate drive, to create. So let’s stop questioning ourselves and start believing in ourselves instead. Whether you’re writing stories, essays, articles, or social media posts, if you write from the heart and be authentic, and keep working on developing your craft, then your words will find the people they need to connect to, when they’re supposed to.
What I’ve also realised is that what you need to say and who it needs to reach changes over time as you and your practice develop and grow. But the universe is holding you and everything is unfolding as it should so trust in it, and yourself, and the fact that nothing compares to you.
With love,
Come develop your craft with me!
As well as offering 1-1 Mindful Mentoring, I teach courses and workshops online. Some are forum-based to work through at the time that suits you best, others are scheduled Zoom sessions where we meet live. There are currently 3 spaces left for A Year of Mindful Writing starting on January 12 2024.
For paid subscribers to The Mindful Writer, there are also new courses starting every month in 2024 to help us dig deeper and take our craft to a new level. Info here.
The following courses and workshops are run through my creative venture, Retreat West.
2023-24 Courses and Workshops
Secrets and Lies - 1 hour Zoom workshop
Start date: 10.30-11.30 GMT Sunday 10th December
Cost £5
Secrets and lies are not only great tools for creating tension, pace and misdirection in our stories, they are great to use as prompts as well. In this interactive and generative 1-hour workshop, we’ll look at how we can use secrets and lies to create new flash fiction stories that can send our work in unexpected directions. Come armed with some secrets and be prepared to be creative with the truth to leave with some new story starters and ideas to develop.
The Writing Transformer
Start date: 3rd January
Cost: £175 or 3 instalments of £60
A 6-week course to take your writing in a new direction and get you out of a writing rut. Content accessible online to work though in your own time, with forum to chat with course mates and share work for feedback. You also get a 1-1 mentoring session after the course has ended to develop a story you write on the course.
Keeping Your Reader Hooked
Start date: 10.30-12.30 GMT Saturday 6th January
Cost £10
In this 2-hour workshop you’ll look at ways you can set your novel up to reel the reader in from the very first page and make sure that they never want to put your book down. You’ll get tools and tips for creating narrative drive, getting the pace right and making sure your story has tension, mystery and delivers what you want, when you want.
Flash Fiction February
Start date: 1st February
Cost: Pay What You Can Afford. Starts at £65
For the month of February 2024 this brand new flash fiction course will be split into two halves of creation and critique. We’ll be using stories that have won prizes as the inspiration for the craft discussion, analysis and prompt, to help you take your flash writing to the next level. (Note: I don’t always enjoy the stories that win prizes! But they are good to dissect as we seek to develop our craft.)
The Short Story Course
Start dates: 7th March and 4th June
Cost: Pay What You Can Afford. Starts at £65
This 6-week course takes place via weekly Zoom meetings and will help you take your short story writing to the next level. Join me for a deep dive into a range of short stories Plus write your own and get focused feedback from the whole group.
Amanda, Your perspective on uniqueness is reassuring. Thank you. D
Thanks for this Amanda. Steven Pressfield's 'The War of Art' is a great book and talks about a similar topic. You're not alone when you're with the work.