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

I like NaNoWriMo.

For one thing, I heard the creator, Chris Baty, speak at Tools of Change for Publishing a few years back, and I feel that he has good intentions for writers.

For another, I said in three of my last four posts that writers need to put writing at the center of their careers and NaNoWriMo helps you do just this.

Also, NaNoWriMo is not just for novelists anymore. Any writer can use the premise behind NaNo to accomplish whatever goal they want to accomplish in thirty days.

This gave me an idea of a couple things I would like to accomplish in the next thirty days. So I have decided to use NaNo in a very low-key manner to help me get them done.

I won’t bore you with the details because I’d much rather you thought about what big goal you might be able to accomplish in 30 days if you broke it down into 30 steps and then attempted to do it.

Got any ideas?

Once you do, here’s 21 tips for getting your work done alongside the rest of your busy life:

1. Up and at ‘em! Get up earlier (or go to bed later).
2. Exponential productivity. Consider your most productive time of day and work then.
3. Keep it simple. Don’t make a big “Look-What-I’m-Doing!” festival out of your work. Just feel good about getting it done each day.
4. Stay grounded. Share your satisfaction with getting your work done in a low-key way. Hopefully, it’s contagious.
5. Choose support wisely. Talk to supportive people about your writing success, but don’t mention it to people who have historically proven incapable of cheering you on towards your creative goals.
6. Steer clear of “Crazy-makers.” Short definition: folks who interfere with you getting your work done. Just stay away from them for 30 days. It’s good practice.
7. Team up. The team you want to join is the most focused, committed, productive team. Take care of your own emotional needs.
8. Don’t get fanatical. Be of NaNoWriMo without becoming a NaNo maniac. If NaNoWriMo takes over your whole life, your friends and family might start getting annoyed.
9. Be as social or anti-social as you like. Don’t bow to peer pressure. Trust your gut in all things. If adding writing a novel to your daily routine is as much as you can manage, it’s enough. You can make the decision daily to suit your comfort level and needs.
10. Balance your act. Recognize that big writing goals require communication of your intentions and needs, while still requiring you to be mindful of other’s goals and needs. It’s all a big balancing act—so keep your balance.
11. Have a rough, flexible outline. Remember, that it’s not written in stone. Play with it as you write.
12. Think in scenes. Write the scene or chapter you really want to write today. Who says you have to write the darn thing in order? Nobody. That’s who.
13. Break it down. Break down the things you want to write into 30 parts. Start each section freshly each day to accomplish the maximum number of drafts.
14. Break it out. When you “accidentally” create a new direction in your WIP, just break it out into a new section on your list, jot down what you know you want to say, and get back to what you are working on today.
15. Update your progress. Once a week look over your outline again and tweak it as needed.
16. Be a pro, this might get published. Start considering yourself a writing professional as soon as possible, because if you are working steadily towards a big writing goal, you are acting like one.
17. Check it off. Have a method for noting what you’ve drafted in your outline that feels festive to you. (Gold stars, anyone?)
18. Carry it over. Once you discover you can get and sustain writing momentum, start asking yourself why you don’t stay as productive and engaged the rest of the year. Start to consider that maybe you can!
19. Consider this a practice writing workout. Think about the marathoner. How does he get and stay in shape? It’s all about the daily workouts. So is this.
20. Make NaNo-think part of your daily life. What do you want to keep and what do you want to leave behind? You will know when you are done.
21. Enjoy the writing ride! Whatever you are writing, whether you “win” or not, you are learning things about your creative capacities and they are worth their weight in gold. Walk away with a clearer understanding of what makes your creativity hum, and you will definitely win.

Happy writing!

Here’s how to be the most happily productive writer you can be:

Be imperfect. If you have to be perceived as perfect, or worse, feel like you have to be perfect, one day, with all that pressure on yourself, you might not be able to get out of bed in the morning. Here’s a better idea: get your imperfect self out of your imperfect bed and get going on your imperfect day. Then all that imagined pressure that comes with perfectionism becomes a non-issue.

Organize your career around work you love to do with people you enjoy working with. What a concept! If you are going to work for yourself, then you owe it to yourself to do the kind of work you love and only work with people you enjoy working with. Your work won’t be perfect and neither will your colleagues, but if you basically like it and them, you are on the right track.

Let it grow. Don’t expect your fledgling writing career to become the size of Stephen King’s or J. K. Rowling’s overnight. In fact, don’t expect your career to look like anyone’s career at all. Your career is yours. If you want to find out what it’s going to look like in the future then you have to get in it and grow it. This takes daily effort and patience but so does anything worthwhile, right?

Prioritize the most pressing concerns down to the single next most important thing. You can’t do everything at once, so identify what needs to be done next and just do that. Then do the next thing and the next and the next. I don’t care if you use a list or what method you use to determine what needs to get done, but you need to have a method of recalling your priorities that works for you. You also need to not get compulsive about organizational systems and chasing down the latest hacks because that’s not the same as following the dance of your own creative spark (unless that’s your passion).

Forget shoulds, what others are doing, and advice that runs you ragged. There is no shortage of people out there who would be happy to tell you what you should be and do. There are many others you can waste your time envying. And, you could waste time on the Internet until you die. But you are the only person who knows what matters to you. Figure it out and live by it.

Seek out win-win-win associations and partnerships. Steer clear of draining, negative types and once you figure out how, make it a habit. Do your own work first and then network with other successful, focused people. Only partner with the best of them.

Regularly assess what you’ve accomplished vs. what’s next vs. your future goals. There is a natural tension between where you would like to be and where you are. You have to learn to enjoy this feeling as a challenge you embrace rather than a mental construct your struggle against constantly. There are people who would rather struggle than succeed. If you are one of them, stop being mean to yourself and just take one constructive step every day. Pretty soon, you’ll be in the habit of taking constructive steps and you’ll find yourself happily productive in no time.

Learn from what has worked successfully. Pat yourself on the back for what you have already accomplished. Every time you are successful there is a goldmine of information revealed just for you. Learn from your personal experience and always build on your strengths even as you address your weaknesses.

And remember, no matter how much success you have already had, you still won’t wake up perfect. So don’t waste your time trying to create some pretty picture of what you think success should look like based on how it looks for others. Start doing your own work, your way, and stick with it.

~ Photo by the trial

I subscribe to posts on Google Alerts about author platform development. And most of the how-tos are remarkably generic and uninspiring.

Inevitably, they kick off with the advice to “create your brand.” And I have to confess that I guffaw every single time I read this.

Create your brand? How is a writer supposed to create a brand when so many have yet to even start sharing any work?

Pressure to “create your brand” before you begin writing and publishing your work is going to get in the way. It’s going to make your writing self-conscious. It’s going to make you think that you are “somebody” when nobody has read any of your stuff…because as crazy as this may sound most “writers” get discovered via their writing.

Another thing that makes me laugh is when supposed writers, typically men, take a cursory glance at my work and then pronounce it, “too basic.”

But when I try to investigate further and take a look at their writing, their platform, and the services that they provide their readers and the world…I can’t find anything.

Apparently, if you dismiss my work as too basic, you don’t have to try to get published, build your platform, or take responsibility for putting your writing out in the world —you can just sit around and critique those who actually work 40-50 hours a week doing just that.

I don’t write for people who want to sit around on high and do no writing. I write books for people who are ready to write, ready to get known, and ready to treat writing as a career.

Here’s what happens when you start taking your writing and your writing career more seriously: you start to recognize that there are hundreds and maybe even thousands of folks out there, who have no intention of ever taking their work seriously, and who are scornful towards those who do.

Steer clear of these people. They will take you out of your writing process and into debate-land, a place where little creative work gets accomplished.

The first thing I encourage writers to do is to take their writing more seriously without taking themselves too seriously. If you take yourself too seriously, you have already decided in advance how others should regard you instead of earning their regard. That’s ego, by the way, not creativity.

When you take your writing seriously, you start to grow a career, which is risky and daring and a long, exciting roller coaster ride with no immediate gratification. Hopefully this helps you know when you are on the right track.

But you can’t create if you hold yourself aloof. You can’t do it if the only way you will try is if there are quick shortcuts into an elite club. You can’t create if you are not willing to face your own inner demons. You can’t create if you think your primary job is to be a critic, because criticizing is not the same as creating.

And although you can learn a little from intelligent, thoughtful reflection of other writers’ work, you can learn ten times as much from actually doing your own work.

So get out of the debate club. Get out of the wannabe club. Get out of the branding club. And get back to your writing.

It will take you everywhere you want to go.

Read more on writing and platform-building in the brand-spanking new 366-prompt book, The Writer’s Workout, available for pre-order now at your favorite book retailer now! And yes, you can even get it in time to call it one of your holiday gifts.

I have been a writer and a writing instructor for a long time. And over time, I’ve come to realize that writers (and maybe even all people) can  be broken down into three kinds:

• Can Do People (These folks just do it)
• Can’t Do It Yet, But I’m Working On It, People (Even if they are a little frustrated at times)
• Can’t Do It, Won’t Do It, I’m Frustrated About It (And they like to blame others)

I coach writers in groups called Dream Teams and these teams tend to attract the first two kinds of people—the Can-Do People and the Can’t Do It Yet, But I’m Working On It People.

These are the kinds of folks anyone would appreciate having around. They really own it and don’t make excuses or project their responsibilities onto others in their pursuit of what they want and need.

For me, positive attitudes are like healthy people and negative attitudes are like people with viruses.

I try to remind myself that a negative person has a virus and not throw the person out with the black cloud.

But when I feel negativity coming at me again and again, I definitely take a step back.

Negativity is contagious. Just like a virus. And we all need to be reminded sometimes that others can be impacted by the kind of energy we put out into the world.

For my own sake, and the sake of my family and business, I try to steer clear of consistently negative people and I gravitate towards people who are consistently positive and pro-active…without being over the top.

Groundedness is a really important quality that I value in myself and others.

It’s taken years of practice but I am still sometimes tempted to jump in and try and help a person who consistently broadcasts unhappiness or helplessness.

But these days, I can pretty much let them be and choose to hang with the positive, proactive folks, instead.

And this one choice has an incredibly positive impact on my day-to-day life.

How about you?

Can do, can’t do, or somewhere in between?