Used to be "Publish or Perish" was a phrase used mainly in university circles, where publishing prestigious articles and books was key to promotion. Now popular fiction novelists are opting into the hyper-pressure to produce book after book.
Several times over the last few days I've read posts about how we need to be super-productive as writers. Each post has been well-meant and well-written, and according to the Law of Attraction, a little wrong-headed.
Whatever You Push Against Gets Stronger
If you feel that you must produce four novels a year in order to keep up sales, guess what? You WILL need to produce four novels a year. The phrase
self-fulfilling prophecy is a pretty accurate description of how the Law of Attraction works!
If your novels sell quickly at first and then sales die off, and that becomes what you expect, that's exactly what will continue to happen. If you give away 90,000 books in order to sell 10,000, you will continue to need to give away massive numbers of your novels. Why? Because you are going to continue to get exactly what you expect to get.
Where the Compulsion to Produce Comes From
Where does the need to write four novels a year come from? Notice, I said
need to write, not take huge joy in writing. If you generally find great joy and satisfaction in writing, then you can skip to the next section.
If writing often feels like hard, begrudging work, here's what may be going on emotionally.
You may be worrying that readers will forget you.
What the Universe hears: I'm not worthy of being remembered.
What you will get: More opportunities to feel unworthy, because the Universe can only reflect back to you your resonant frequency of unworthiness!
You may become anxious when sales are low.
What the Universe hears: I like feeling anxious.
What you will get: More opportunities to feel anxious, because the Universe can only reflect back to you your resonant frequency of anxiety!
You may feel that marketing your novels is a constant struggle.
What the Universe hears: I like struggling.
What you will get: More difficulties and disappointments, because the Universe can only reflect back to you your resonant frequency of struggling!
You may feel you need more money! (don't we all!)
What the Universe hears: I like feeling needy and lacking.
What you will get: More desire for things you seemingly can't have, because the Universe can only reflect back to you your resonant frequency of lack!
You get the idea.
How to Break Out of the Cycle
Since the Universe can only give you what you line up with emotionally, the first and only step to break free from compulsion and anxiety is to change your present emotional reality. Here are a few suggestions.
Suggestion #1
Relax with your beverage of choice and think back to when you REALLY loved writing. Let yourself experience those emotions over and over.
Smile! Feel the joy and exhilaration of putting yourself on paper. Stay in that moment of bliss for as long as you can, and imprint the emotion on your consciousness. This is what you want the Universe to bring you more of!
Suggestion #2
Remember the first happy, encouraging feedback you got as a writer. Maybe it was a teacher, or your father, or a friend who loved your ability to spin words into beautiful stories. Stay in the moment and imprint it. You can actively ask the Universe to bring you supportive readers. When you are truly inside the emotion of feeling appreciated, the Universe will bring you more of the same!
Suggestion #3
Feel grateful to every single person who reads and enjoys your work. Every single one! Even better, thank them! When you let go of the thought that there should be
more readers, and hold onto the emotion of gratitude for those who appreciate your work, you will find that readers flock to your books. Gratitude springs from abundance, and when you feel abundant, you attract more and more opportunities to feel abundant!
Suggestion #4
Imagine one of these supportive readers telling a friend about your novel. Feel how awesome that feels, and how grateful you are for their support. Sit in the moment until you really feel joyful. Now imagine that that friend tells another friend about your novel. Holy schmoly! Gratitude squared!
Now stay with that emotion until you REALLY feel it. Once you've got the emotion, let your mind drift into imagining more and more friends telling their friends about your novel. Oh yes, Universe! Bring me this!
Suggestion #5
Now and only now can you go back to the computer, or desk or couch if you write by hand. Keep the wonder, keep the sense of your work being appreciated person by person, the joy of your words rippling out. If you still feel like writing four novels a year, if that practice embodies your happiness, do it! Not from a sense of fear or need, but for pure joy.
The Universe will bring you more of the emotion you feel now. We always get back what our emotions, consciously or unconsciously, are projecting.
The Law of Attraction can't bring you book sales. If it's money you want, remember that it can come from many different sources. Hold onto the feeling that you are already living and will continue to live an abundant life. Stay inside the joy of writing, and let the Universe take care of the details.
Please share your thoughts on enjoying the process of writing. How do you keep the demons at bay? What suggestions can you add to these five? Have you experienced the Law of Attraction in your life? What was the outcome? As always, I look forward to a lively discussion!
Check out these related posts:
