Protect the Work, Nurture Your Soul

On a personal SIS note... Today is our brother, Bob's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOBBY!!! And many, many, many more!


Now, on to my featured post.


A couple of weeks ago I posted a few phrases I’d heard in various workshops at the RWA Conference. I asked SIS readers what they thought those phrases meant. I enjoyed your thoughts and many of you echoed what I had heard from the conference speakers. Today I’m going to share what I learned as well as a few personal observations.

NYT bestselling author (and a fave writer of mine), Susan Elizabeth Phillips conducted an informal and candid discussion with published authors. I was surprised that only twenty or so people showed. Ms. Phillips was fascinating, funny, and extremely insightful. One of the many topics she covered was: PROTECT THE WORK. This actually entailed a variety of things. Essentially, it means: Do whatever you have to do to enable yourself to write, to create, to finish the dang book.

*If reading bad reviews pummel your self-confidence, if they depress you to the point of hindering your ability to write…. then don’t read your reviews.

*If reading blogs or judging contests or critiquing work or social networking (you get the picture) cuts fiercely into your ‘writing time’.... cut back or cut them out.

*If discussion boards or blogs upset or infuriate you, if they incite negativity or cynicism artistically or professionally… don’t read them. And certainly don’t participate.

I’m sure she offered more examples, but these were a few that really resonated with me.

Agent Stephen Axelrod and author, Julia Anne Long spearheaded a nitty gritty workshop entitled: Why Publishing is Making You Crazy—and What You Can Do About It: The Tao of Publishing.


As it happens, you can read the bulk of this invaluable lecture on Ms. Long’s blog. Click here and scroll up to the beginning of the 12/1/08 post of the same title. You won’t regret it!

A few phrases that impressed me were…

"Give up what brings you anxiety and you will have better control."

"The more you try to make sense of it, the further you are from the truth."

"Stay in the moment.... Go with the flow.... and when something bad happens, rise above."

Again, please visit Ms. Long’s blog for the in-depth and fabulous break down of these phrases. But in short, what I learned, or rather what was finally drilled into my head is that there's simply a boatload of issues that are OUT OF MY CONTROL. Obsessing over my Amazon or Barnes and Noble rankings or my overall sales numbers or on how much advertising support I got from my publisher won’t alter where I am in my career. Spending enormous energy and time, and what little I can afford on self promo, probably won’t boost my sales. So much of the business aspect of writing is OUT OF MY CONTROL. Why waste precious time and energy worrying about it?

Bottom line, the only thing that is absolutely within my power is writing the best story I can possibly write. And the more prolific I am, the better. Which brings us back to: PROTECT THE WORK.

Over the past couple of years, I became so caught up in what I couldn’t control, that I lost my joy of writing. The pressure to succeed, to meet and even exceed expectations—mine and those of my publishers—became crushing. Coupled with the fact that I also work a full time day job, this was beyond my mental and physical capabilities. I wanted to do it all. I thought I was Superwoman. But I’m not.

Attending these workshops, absorbing the wisdom offered... freed me. I am consciously letting go of what I cannot control. I am reexamining my goals, my artistic and monetary wants and needs. I am nurturing my soul. And little by little, I am rediscovering the joy of writing. The joy of living is a work in progress, but I’ll get there.

I do believe that these principles apply to all facets of life, not just writing. I hope this post somehow resonates with you.


Whether you're a writer, musician, sculpter, teacher, accountant, stay-at-home mom... What can you do to protect your work? To nurture your soul? I'd love to hear your take.

SIS Beth