Novel Writing Made Less Impossible Step 1 - Get Your Head In the Game

Go into the locker room of any professional athlete before the match. Now GET OUT! There are half-naked people in there! Have some respect, willya? Once they allow you back in because you're proved to be somewhat harmless, watch what they do. They pray. They meditate. They go over their strategy in their minds and warm up physically. This isn't just so they're loose and able to move when they're needed to perform ... this is how they psyche themselves up for sporting combat. You are a warrior of words. And you must prepare yourself, even before you sit down to write the first word of your novel.

To do this, you must get your head in the game. Starting this week, I'll be sharing my tips for laying the mental foundation to build your writing game face. Here's your first, and perhaps most important, lesson: 1) START IDENTIFYING YOURSELF AS A WRITER, FIRST AND FOREMOST

I think actors are some of the coolest people in the world. I'm fortunate enough to call many actors my dearest friends. Some of them/us do it just for fun while it's a total obsession for many others and I'm not even talking about the ones who want to do that for a living. The ones who really, REALLY felt the burning need to perform, I noticed that when they introduced themselves to strangers, and received the customary "What do you do for a living?" question, their reply went along the lines of: "I am an actor. During the day, I work at [fill in the blank]."

When I realized I wanted to start earning some money with my writing, I realized that I needed to change my mindset about writing. I needed to treat it less like a hobby and more like a second job. Then it hit me! To be really successful in this field, I needed to think of this not as my second job, but my PRIMARY job ... it's just that the other one paid better, had medical coverage, and didn't drive people to roll their eyes and seek out different company.

So I started telling anyone who'd listen, "I'm a writer. During the day, I work for The Water Utility, but I write articles and short plays." I did this until I believed it so strongly, that I eventually built the confidence to simply say, "I'm a writer."

Practice this in your head. Then practice it in real life. Practice this until it because natural, that this is your default. How do I know this works?

That's easy. I'm a writer.

NEXT WEEK: Study and Do the Research EXTRA: Speaking of acting, that's what I do on occasion. I recently received the great honor of being asked to perform in a scene in a nifty newly-released horror anthology entitled GRAVEYARD STORIES, written and directed by James Ian Mair for Moonlight Films. In the style of CREEPSHOW and TALES FROM THE CRYPT, this film features six short horror stories with the legendary LLOYD KAUFMAN (the genius behind Troma Films) and JAMES O'REAR (horror actor and stunt man extraordinaire). I get to perform opposite the charming and talented TARA BIXLER in a short tale about a goblin that lurks beneath a local covered bridge. So support quality indie filmmaking and reward yourself with a dandy little horror film. You can pick it up here: https://www.createspace.com/850062131 and be sure to give the Moonlight Films Facebook page a LIKE.

#BrianKMorris #Writing #MoonlightFilms #LllodKaufman #JimORear