Zero stories vs. seven stories

If you were setting out to build a career as a fiction writer from scratch, what would you do first?

How about writing seven short pieces of flash fiction per week?

Sure, many would see this as a lot, and I haven't consistently hit seven yet… But the volume and variety is what I need most right now. I need practice. I need the small wins. I need to know what ideas resonate with people (and with me).

The volume of stories published is the backbone of my early fiction career.

And seven stories built up over a week is a damned sight better than zero stories.

What's the difference between those who have seven stories to show, versus those with none?

Writing and completing something short every day.

That's it.

It's the accumulation.

Those who succeed in anything understand the gentle power of accumulated action.

It's what helped me become a top illustrator in my twenties by publishing hundreds of online illustrations first.

It's what helped me become a top non-fiction writer in my thirties. The volume of posts helped me improve rapidly and attract attention.

The point is not perfection. It's the number, especially when you're getting started.

The trouble is, many people are too "thinky" for their own good.

They think about writing so much that their bodies think they've already done it.

But nothing gets written. The only difference is stringing together one completed thing after another.

And the key to unlocking this dedication to accumulated wins isn't talent.

It's not being more disciplined.

It's not even having a clearer goal or stronger desire.

You can want something desperately and still never create the conditions for achieving it.

The real block I see in myself and others again and again is…

Worrying about other people's judgments. It's NOT laziness. It's the fear of reputational loss, or 'being exposed as not very good.'

It's the fear of publishing something crap and being judged for it.

That internal pressure is what stops most people from accumulating these vital wins.

But what if you could create something, share it, and just not be all that bothered about what some people think?

One way to fix this is to write, regardless of the internal pressure to perform well.

Even when you feel icky, and you're weighed down by what feels like writer's block.

That helps.

But to go deeper and greatly diminish that internal pressure at its root, you strategically question the beliefs that create it.

Beliefs like: "Other people's opinions determine my worth."

Or: "I'm just not that creative."

And: "I can't allow others to think my work is bad, because that means I'm bad."

If you want to address these beliefs directly, my course:

Let Go of the S#it That Weakens You helps with that.

It's a guided course that dismantles these beliefs so you can finally accumulate wins without the constant weight of judgment.

The course addresses universal beliefs we all carry about judgment and worth.

It's available for $79 (usually $197) for a brief Christmas sale, closing this Friday 19th December at 5pm ET.

Get it done. Experience the lightness. Stack those wins without the fear.

Get Let Go of the Sh#it That Weakens You here →

Cheers,

Alex