Okay, so dude, I went to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol a week or so ago. And not only was it a fast-paced thriller (just what I like to see), but it taught me a thing or two about writing.
Or at least the kind of writing I want to do.
I need to think bigger--and I'm not talking like Imax bigger, though I did see the movie in Imax.
No, I'm talking THINKING BIGGER. More outside the box. More impossible.
As an author who has a book out and one on the way and hopefully the third the year after that, searching for and finding that next idea (that next series) is stressful and difficult. There are all kinds of worries and variables.
Everything feels too small.
And now that I've seen Mission Impossible, I know why.
I need to think bigger.
Have you seen MI? Or another movie that shifted how you look at your writing? Which one?
Sometimes, when in that deep pit of despair, all you need to do is change the way you think about something. For example:
1. When you get a rejection, instead of thinking, "I suck. My book sucks. This s-u-c-k-s." you might try thinking, "Dude, this sucks, but you know what? S/He wasn't the agent for me."
2. When you get a critique back from a beta, instead of thinking, "Holy crap! They hate me, my book, my dog and the color orange!" you might try thinking, "This will make my book stronger. I'm glad I have people who are smarter than me helping me out."
3. When you see a picture of yourself and you notice that you look like death warmed over (see yesterday's post), instead of thinking, "Holy crap! How do I go out in public like that??" you might try thinking, "I am beautiful, in every single way."
Positive thoughts lead to more positive actions. (So says I.)
What do you think? Can you change your attitude about writing, querying, and/or your perceived level of self-worth simply by changing the way you think? And if so, what positive thoughts will replace those negative ones?
