Often when I am on Twitter, the links people share grow tiresome very quickly.

But this morning something poetic happened, three perfect thoughts came from three different places to equal aha magic.

So I thought I’d share them with you.

And for the record, I’m not one of these people who is going to tell you that social media is always magic.

It’s not. Some days it’s darn tedious. But when you use it as a tool for aha, when you are just open to what is right in front of you, that’s when something wonderful can come together.

So here’s what I saw today. Read them in a row if you can.

1.

2.

One of my students drew my attention to this blog post this morning. I think this post is so, so, so, so, so true for writers.

Nothing is ever as easy as it seems, especially not that by The Gypsy Mama

3.

Seth’s blog is in my mailbox every morning because he is so consistently brilliant

Clearing the Decks

Do any of these messages go together for you?

I’d love to hear your comments.

Spring forward in your writing career. Take the first step today and purchase The Writer's Workout!

Ready to leap forward in your writing career?

Then I have to ask: have you purchased and read my new book, The Writer’s Workout, yet?

If not, you are really missing out, based on the feedback I have been receiving from readers.

In case you are not convinced, here are ten reasons why you don’t want to deprive yourself of The Writer’s Workout for even one day more.

1. Spring Training for your Career

Spring is almost here! And the first section of The Writer’s Workout is titled… Spring!

The book is divided into four sections by season. Here’s a teaser from the introduction to the spring section:

Getting started and finding a workable writing rhythm are big steps. Just like baseball players go to spring training every year, writers need to recommit year after year to getting into the game. This means getting off the couch and getting warmed up, loose, and strong again. The tips and exercises in this section are designed to help focus your energy and get your writing career off to a solid start so you can eventually write, sell, get published, specialize, and promote yourself. A lot of eager writers never get past the reading-about phase, but you will be different. You will not only be prepared, you will be encouraged. You will channel your wishes into actions. You will get on track and stay the course. You will realize your creative potential. You will be a winner, whatever winning means to you.

2. Discouragement Antidote

Suffice it to say, writers have multiple challenges in this day and age. I have written three traditionally published writing how-to books for Writer’s Digest, but this one is probably the most encouraging of the three. The book covers a lot of ground, which allowed me to address as many challenges that writers face at all levels of career growth as I could squeeze into 366 chapters.

Here’s what one reader shared in an personal message (reprinted with permission):

Today I was blue regarding several things including a recent rejection which I deserved. In the Writer’s Workout, #127, Monitor Your Attention, was on target. All day I tried to write but could not focus. After reading your passage, I gave up trying and tuned into something away from writing. Your message was timely and the shot in the arm I needed today. Thank you for a great book full of wonderful messages.  ~ Lila J.

3. Magic Eight Ball

Writer Nathalie Hardy says that she uses The Writer’s Workout like one of those toy Magic Eight Balls. You ask it a question, you open to a page, you read it, and…we’ll have to see what Nathalie has to say in her blog post on the subject.

4. 366 Reasons to Buy This Book

Every once in a while, we have a Leap Year.

According to Dictionary.com a Leap Year occurs “in years whose last two digits are evenly divisible by four, except for centenary years not divisible by 400.”

Leap Years are why the title of my book refers to 366 chapters rather than 365 chapters.

I think it was conscientious of us to go out of our way to include Leap Years in the book, don’t you?

But who knew that the year following publication would actually BE a Leap Year? Not me.

I was paying attention, but I was not paying that much attention.

So, yahoo! We have 366 chapters for a year that has 366 days. I feel a nerdy sense of pride about this.

If you have ever experienced nerdy pride over something like this, then you should probably buy my book.

5. Get Your Butt Kicked Here!

My reputation started out as “a gentle taskmaster” but I confess, sometimes, and certainly with my most advanced students, I can be something of a butt-kicker. However, I’m not hanging my head in shame because here’s the truth of the matter: sometimes it’s hard for us to recognize our own strengths.

Leading with your strengths is not only good advice for your writing career, it’s good advice for your life. Here’s what #amwriting Twitter hashtag creator and community leader, Johanna Harness has to say about the book in an Amazon review:

The Writer’s Workout provides a full year of tough-love advice. This is not one of those namby-pamby inspirational books that finds new ways to say, “don’t give up” on every page. This is the real thing. If you buy this book and follow Christina’s advice, you will see a visible difference in your writing career. She doesn’t tell you what you want to hear. She tells you what you need to hear. I can’t recommend this book enough.

6. More Thoughtful Than Most

I did not write this book off the top of my head. I took my time and drew from ten years of teaching experience and twelve years of writing-for-publication experience. The book took about two years of work from conception to publication.

You might think that’s old school, but when you really pour your guts into a project, it makes for a better book in the end.

I have been exploring the topics in The Writer’s Workout for years whether through this blog (example), through my feature articles for Writer’s Digest (example), through my books (example), ebooks (example), workbooks (example), classes (example), training groups (example), local author series (example), and presentations (example).

This book was not born yesterday. And neither was the person who wrote it. In fact, according to an Amazon review by Lela Legit:

Katz cracks open many of the often unrealized hesitations and pitfalls that prevent writers from prospering. She offers concrete guidance for focusing and realizing career goals. She emphasizes certain key concepts throughout the book, much like a personal fitness trainer reiterates, session after session, the mantras of physical fitness to clients. The Writer’s Workout constantly leads the reader to return to purity of intention and expertise cultivated by good old elbow grease.

7. NOT About The Publishing Industry (Phew!)

Is anybody else getting weary of the never-ending play-by-play on the publishing industry, besides me?

That’s why The Writer’s Workout is about the state of the successful writer, not the state of the publishing industry.

It will show you how to grow your career regardless of what’s happening out there.

In the big picture, I suggest you work with the industry and independently for a balanced and lasting approach to writing career success.

I think we can safely toss the “indie” concept and the “traditional” concepts in favor for the hybrids that we have already become.

The Writer’s Workout shows you how. I have more to say on the topic here, in the #amwriting community blog, in my post, “Stop, Drop, and Micro-publish!”

8. A Writing Workout With…Soul?

The Writer’s Workout takes a holistic approach to writing, selling, self-promotion, specializing, and professional development and all the other things that go into raising a writing career alongside the rest of your life. This is not another 101 ways you can sacrifice your personal happiness for success. This is 366 ways you can learn that who you are and what you care about is a great place to start growing writing career success.

So, yes, I admit it, I wrote about soul in a writing how-to book.

I have a soul and so do you. We may as well take them into account. I don’t think I got carried away, but you let me know if you think I did.

I believe we will enjoy the creative process more if we are allowed to have a soul while we’re in it.

Maybe that’s just me.

9. There Are No Great Writers

There is only great writing.

We have a tendency to place writers on pedestals and then knock them off when it’s convenient for us.

To make matters worse: I have met writers who have devoted their lives to the pursuit of being declared “great writers.”

You can’t cure low self-esteem with acclaim. Writing will not deliver you from your humanity today or tomorrow. You will be just as imperfect the day after you write something well, as you are today. And this goes for everyone, including me.

I gave up trying to be “great” a long time ago, and a funny thing happened—I started writing well enough to make strides.

People are calling my latest book “great,” “masterful,” “a wealth of practical advice,” and “an invaluable resource.”

That’s not about me. That’s about how hard I worked on the book. It’s about the quality of the work I invested. I am certainly not taking it personally.

So can we can all stop vying for greatness now, and get back to work?

10. Intended To Raise All Boats

Don’t let everyone else read TWW first while you sit back and watch their careers leap forward. There is something to be said for being one of the first to discover something genuinely helpful and then leading others to it.

I wrote this book to raise all boats. However, you have to read it to benefit from it.

I hope you will. I hope you will share it with your writing pals.

I find that it’s a rare pleasure these days to discover something worth a rave recommendation.

I think if you try The Writer’s Workout, you’re going to like it.

Game?

Here’s a list of places where you can purchase the book in paperback or digital formats:

Amazon

Kindle

Barnes & Noble

Powell’s

Indiebound

Writer’s Digest

BooksAMillion

I’ve already discussed that writing is like sex. That’s really just standard creativity talk. Sex and creativity have a lot in common. Not much we can do about it.

However, if you want to have a successful, long-term writing career, than the relationship between you and your work is going to look a lot more like marriage than anything else.

Because marriage isn’t just about love; it’s also about partnership and commitment.

It’s about being in for the long haul, allying complimentary energies, and upholding a long-term relationship based on mutual love and respect.

Some people think marriage is hard. Some people say that it’s work. Others have been burned by marriage or disappointed in love. I realize that this is not an analogy that is going to work perfectly for everyone.

But when I think about serious, committed writing for the long-haul, I can’t help but think of marriage.

Love. Loyalty. Mutual respect. Long-term commitment. That’s what your writing career wants from you. So you’d better get ready to propose if you haven’t already. And after that, you’ll need to figure out how the art of your mutual commitment works.

Because after you commit, you two are going to be stuck with each other. Every day. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. For the rest of your life. As long as you both shall…succeed, I hope.

What do you think? Are you married to your writing career or not?

~ Photo by hjrosasq

It does not need to be x-rated. Heck your actual story can be rated G.

I want you to court your writing, so it will court you back.

Your creative process should be intense, deep, pleasurable, and exhilarating.

You should surrender to your work so that it can take you to places where you have never been before.

This might all sound a little scary. You might be afraid of the intensity of what I am suggesting.

You might find it hard to just let yourself go a little…or even a lot.

It might be hard to let your work consume you instead of you controlling it. But why not give it a try?

Surrender. I want you to write what wants to be written rather than what you want to write. At least once in a while.

I want you to be a little more playful, risky, and adventurous in your writing.

I want you to amaze yourself. I want you to let go and have fun.

I want your writing to be so enjoyable sometimes that you break out of the little prisons you didn’t know you had created for yourself.

You don’t have to do this in public. It might be kind of gross if you did.

And I am not literally talking about combining sex and writing…but to each her own.

I am just saying that maybe this comparison is worth thinking about.

And just to make sure that the responses in my blog stay clean, I’m closing comments to this post.

Talk amongst yourselves! And have a great weekend.

My latest article for Writer's Digest appears in the Writer's Yearbook 2012 on stands and available from WD.com now!

If you have read any of my new book, you know that it focuses on putting your writing at the center of your writing career, and allowing everything else to follow from there.

Yes, you need to learn more skills than ever to succeed at a professional writing career, but the writing must come first and as writers we must return to the writing over and over as we grow our careers.

I have been working with writers for over a decade now and here is what I’ve noticed: a writing writer is a happy writer. And a writer who is doing everything else besides writing, when writing is what they’d really rather be doing, is an unhappy writer.

If you are a writer, everything you are emerges from the writing you actually do. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than that.

Enter 2012. We now have more tools available to produce our own success than ever. But this brings a new dilemma—which tools do we use and when? How do we know what to do? How can we do what we do with excellence? And how can we create consistently positive results?

Well, just as the writing would not happen without a writer’s full engagement, writing success won’t happen on its own or maintain itself without your thoughtful, focused attention. It also helps to have a great mentor and be surrounded by other who behave like professionals.

A challenge for me, as a writer and writing coach, has been how can I clone myself? How can I help thousands of writers without becoming personally drained, emotionally exhausted, and creatively spent on a daily basis?

How do I get my hard-won knowledge about helping writers create writing career success to writers and still take care of my own professional and personal responsibilities?

Well, I’ve worked long and hard to solve this dilemma. And I feel I have finally resolved it. Here’s how you can work with me if you would like to:

I write books and workbooks for a global audience of writers. You may know what books I am talking about (Writer Mama, Get Known, Author Mama, and The Writer’s Workout). I have one workbook out so far, with more to roll out in 2012 (so far, Build Your Author Platform goes with Get Known.) If you want to know what I know, read my books. If you read my books and liked them, I would appreciate your word-of-mouth support any time you want to give it. I especially appreciate book reviews.

I write articles for a global audience of writers. I don’t have to ask people to read my articles, they are widely read and widely appreciated by writers. But hey, if you want to forward links to your favorites or tweet them or post them on Facebook, I am all for it. If you want more depth on subtopics of what I know, please read my articles.

I write articles on topics I enjoy writing about for regional audiences of women, moms and parents. I don’t tend to buzz these much because I sell and resell them year after year. Some day, I’ll put them all in a collection, but not yet. Chances are very good that your regional parenting magazine editor is already on my regular contact list.

I audio coach wide audiences of writers. This is new. I learned how to do this in the “flash class” to celebrate the launch of The Writer’s Workout and it went so unbelievably well that I decided to do more in 2012. In the meantime, my newsletter subscribers have first dibs on the first audio coaching session this year.

I speak to large groups of writers. I give keynotes, presentations, workshops, and I moderate panels. My objective whenever I speak is always to inspire writers to wake up and seize the opportunities that are right in front of us. Listeners tell me they are inspired into action by this focus. If you have heard me speak, feel free to get in touch and let me know what you thought.

I teach small groups of writers on a six-week basis. I have been teaching groups of writers consistently for ten years. My writing classes launch writing careers. I teach five sessions of small classes a year. My students learn skills that they can immediately apply to their writing, selling, self-promotion, specializing, and micro-publishing repertoire.

I train small groups of former students on a half-year basis. I have been doing this for two years and I absolutely love it. Via my five-month training groups, my former students get more support from me, I get to encourage them as a group, and the members encourage each other. The results are so powerful they sometimes bring me to tears.

I produce my own success while simultaneously partnering with trust-worthy others. Don’t skip over the “trust-worthy” part. If I feel that if someone is no longer an excellent resource, I will simply stop recommending them. I don’t just partner with anyone for the sake of cronyism. I am selective, conscientious, and a good judge of character.

I am a writer, a writing career coach, a speaker, and a teacher. I keep writing at the center of everything I do. And I encourage every other writer on the planet to do the same thing.

I help writers get from however they feel today to personally and professionally satisfied with their writing life. There is no reason to wait. Success is not “out there.” It’s right here and it’s always waiting for us to wake up and get back to work.

Writing career success never happens overnight. The job is never done. But you’d better believe that it happens. And it can happen for you in 2012. I hope that it does. And I hope that my work is helpful.

• The people.
• The learning opportunities.
• The connections and ongoing relationships you can cultivate afterwards.

Not to “get discovered.”

In fact, I hope you don’t get discovered. I hope you discover yourself instead.

The problem with a conference full of folks who are hoping to “get discovered” is that very few of them will actually get discovered.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with attending a conference where you get to rub up against some of the top agents in NYC, including mine. This is an incredible learning opportunity, not to mention a chance for you to witness individuals up close and personal.

So, if you come to the Writer’s Digest Conference for no other reason, come so you can see that agents are mere mortals just like you and me. This will improve your chances of being able to speak to them without stuttering excessively.

There is also nothing wrong with attending a conference in New York City where you get to learn from and shake hands with some of the most knowledgeable teachers of writers around. I hope you won’t miss the opportunity to walk up to as many presenters as you can and stick out your hand. I still do this as often as I can.

Because here’s the deal: it’s not about us (the agents and other folks presenting and facilitating at the conference) being ready for you…it’s about you being ready for us.

And I don’t mean killing yourself with preparation. I mean showing up and being present and having a good time. This is what makes for a great conference. So…

Are you ready?

Are you game?

Are you willing?

Because these are attitudes that will help you get the most out of a conference.

If it’s not already apparent that this is one of the premier conferences in the North America, then please read the conference description again. Seriously. Did you see the lineup? It’s awesome and a half.

And please don’t come to cram your elevator speech down everybody’s throat. Unless you are in a pitching context, wait until you are politely asked about your work.

I know I always ask. It’s one of the first things I want to know when I meet a writer. And I don’t need to hear a rehearsed speech necessarily. I just want to know who you are and what your passionate about writing.

Let’s face it, folks, most writers are not yet ready for an agent and traditional book deal. They don’t have the experience (yet). They don’t have the confidence (yet). They have not written their way there or built the platform that they are going to need (yet).

“Yet” is the reason to come, not the reason not to come.

I always say that it’s important to invest in your writing career in order to take it to the next level. You guys have heard me say this a million times by now. This conference is a great way to do that.

I am honored to be presenting on…

Mailbox Full of Money: Micro-publish Your Way from Beginning to Book Deal

I’m also moderating a panel on…

Hardcore Author Marketing – What to Do to Rise Above in the Digital Age

I would go on and on about my fellow presenters, but I think their names speak for themselves. If they don’t, you might want to follow and friend them on social media.

Yes, I have a special speaker discount I can offer you. Just click on the conference badge below and then when you proceed through checkout use the code: WDCSPEAKER12 (this applies to new registrants and the full conference fee only):

And now, cue the New York, New York song!

I hope to see you there in a couple of weeks!

Fear is something that often holds writers back.

And pretty much all human beings experience fear at varying degrees at all times.

You are either a person who has learned to tell your fears to shush up or, to one degree or another, you are a person who allows your fears to run your life.

Over the years, I have become increasingly aware of the difference between the false authority of fear and the deep wisdom of healthy, intuitive instincts.

Often the fears are louder, automatic, and can be difficult to shake off.

But it’s worth weathering the slings and arrows of fear because just past it is the wisdom that is inside each and every one of us.

My commitment to myself and to you in 2012, is to let my choices be guided by wisdom, not fear.

Fearless means feeling the fear and doing the wise thing anyway.

I did this in 2011. When writing The Writer’s Workout, I did not shirk the tough stuff. It’s all in there. I tackled the most difficult issues writer’s face, head on, and I wrestled them to the ground, in hopes that you would be able to, as well.

In 2012, I promise to be even more fearless. Because this is no time for cowards. This is the year that you and I need to be our own best heroes.

So, I’ll tell you what. I’ll be my own best hero and you be yours.

That sounds like the best possible world. I hope you will join me in selecting your focus for 2012. And I hope you will be fearless about it.

When you work on something for almost two years, you get pretty darn excited when you learn that the kind folks who pre-ordered it well over six months in advance will have their copies in time for Christmas. Yay!

So, yes! The Writer’s Workout will indeed be “home” for Christmas (or Hannukah or Kwanza or by the New Year), if you placed an order or if you place one now.

Don’t dilly-dally if you want a copy or a gift to arrive by Christmas. Place your order right away!

A little reminder, given the tight budgets at most brick and mortar stores, I would not necessarily expect them to all have my book (or books) on their shelves. So if you support the indies, be sure to call now and ask them to place an order for you to guarantee arrival by December 24th.

I have been as busy as a little elf with a pre-launch blog tour for the book, but this mama needs to switch into Xmas/Hannukah high-gear prep or this whole holiday season is going to pass the Katz family right by.

So thanks for helping me spread the word about my new book. It’s as simple as sharing your enthusiasm about your purchase. I would love for you to share your enthusiasm about The Writer’s Workout before, during, or after you read it.

Here’s a short phrase you can use to describe the book on social media:

Christina Katz’ third book from Writer’s Digest Books is now shipping in time to put a smile on writers’ faces this holiday season. The Writer’s Workout contains daily career-building prompts addressing challenges contemporary writers face in the gig economy in an encouraging yet no-nonsense tone.

I know you will all shop your values. I’ve listed all the ways to order that I know of here.

And for two more days only, you can order copies of The Writer’s Workout for just ten bucks from WritersDigest.com. Just click on the banner below:

Thanks to everyone who has already ordered and thanks to everyone now ordering in time for the holidays.

Don’t forget to save your receipt! You will need to email it to me to be admitted to the “Flash Class” on January 10th.

Happy Holidays, writers!

I wrote The Writer’s Workout because we are living in confusing, fear-driven, distracted times for writers.

I felt it was important that there be a book in the world right now that would encourage writers to write our way to creative confidence one word at a time, when it might otherwise seem easier to just pitch the whole thing and go do something more “sensible.”

I also felt, and still feel, like there were (and are), an awful lot of mixed messages out there for writers as to how to start, nurture, and grow a writing career, when I believe that the process is simpler, more natural, and more holistic than most of us tend to remember on a daily basis.

I knew that one of the risks of writing a book like this would be that I might be perceived as just another book-thumping guru, trumpeting, “Follow me to publishing nirvana!”

But that’s not what this book says. And if you have become antagonistic about the effectiveness of paper and ink books, you can always access mine using the latest digital technology in the amount of time that it takes to say, “Click.” Digital versions of the book should be available soon.

I specifically kept all of the varieties of technology in mind, while writing this book. That’s just one more reason why the book offers daily career-building prompts addressing the challenges contemporary writers face in today’s gig economy in an encouraging, no-nonsense tone…with a distinct absence of baloney.

I’m pleased with the results of The Writer’s Workout. I know it’s not fashionable to recommend something as old-fashioned as a book, for heaven’s sake, however this one contains antidotes to issues currently paining creatives who are trying to launch and sustain businesses in the arts. And isn’t this a topic that never gets old?

Inspiration, solutions, growth even in challenging times—I hope you will find The Writer’s Workout helpful. I found writing it to be extremely helpful in many ways. My first copies should arrive this week and I am very proud and excited. Thanks for sharing the journey with me.

I will be speaking on Sunday, December 4th at the Wilsonville Public Library as part of The Northwest Author Series. My topic is: The Writer’s Workout: Whip Your Literary Ambitions Into Shape. More info here. Pre-order your signed copy of The Writer’s Workout for this event only. Hope to see you there!

2011 has been something of a mess in publishing as publishers scramble for survival amidst full systems change.

The bottom line is some publishers will work it out and some won’t.

I predict that 2012 will be the year that publishers remember the importance of partnering with authors, rather than merely treating authors like “content” they can “leverage.”

That’s my great hope for publishers, anyway.

Against the backdrop of all of this mess, focused writers have to still be able to ground and gain traction in their writing careers. I know, because I train them.

And when I look around at my peers, other authors, long-time freelancers, and teachers,  I see that it’s the most focused who are still able to flex their writing skills for income.

In other words, those who can flex their skills still earn.

And those who freeze up in fear and refuse to learn…well, I’m not really sure what’s going on with them.

The bottom line is, you either see the changes in the publishing landscape as a challenge to take on or you let your fears lead you into dark places.

The writers who are still writing in 2012 will have faced the dark times and figured out how to thrive anyway.

During 2010 and part of 2011, I wrote a book about how to grow a creative career no matter what is happening in the economy or the publishing world.

I’m not saying that neither matter, I’m just saying you either roll over and die or you roll up your sleeves and dig deeper within yourself.

That’s what the lesson of tough times is supposed to be. If there’s not going to be any growth, then what’s the point of all this?

You either get caught up with the negative Neds and Nellies or you put your creative energy into growth, innovation, and partnering wisely.

You either take your writing career into your own hands and produce yourself (which I have been saying since 2005) or you concede that you have been pretending that this was true, while you were secretly hoping that the publishing industry was going to parent you like a child.

The publishing industry has no interest in parenting writers. (And neither does anybody else, for that matter.) Writers need to man- and woman-up and grasp the opportunities that are right in front of us.

Are you in charge of your writing career or not?

You have a whole day stretching out in front of your like a field of infinite potential.

And you could take five or ten steps today that would insure you will still be around writing tomorrow.

Take those steps, writers. And ignore all the nonsense out there. There’s still plenty of it with more cropping up each day.

Steer clear of the yimmer-yammer—do your work, instead.

Because the writers who are doing their own work, are crushing it.

What can you do?

• Update your professional portfolio.
• Update your online website/blog/portfolio.
• Organize your past work. Look for ways to re-purpose it.
• Figure out your platform dynamic by taking my “Build Your Author Platform” self-study course (coming in January) or my Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform course.
• Make a plan to take your writing career to the next level by leveraging the best of what you’ve done and the best of what you currently offer.

In 2012, I’m leading writers into a bright future. I hope you are coming with me.

~ Photo by JulieRed