I’d like you to ponder your vision for your writing life. (You know you have one, even if you’ve been too afraid to articulate it.) I’m going to lead you through a guided visualization, but first I’d like you to provide more answers to the following questions:

  1. What is your story about?  I would like to write a book about…
  2. Who is the audience for your work? What type of reader do you envision? What common characteristics do your readers share? My readers are…
  3. Why are you drawn to having an impact on these particular readers? What do you have in common with them? I am drawn to these readers because…
  4. How will readers feel while reading your work? What will readers learn? My work will help readers by…

Now that you’ve taken time to briefly connect, on an intellectual level, with your book, I’d like you to more thoroughly envision what your life will be like when you are finally writing and publishing the book of your dreams.

To do this, I’d like you to listen to this visualization. It will take about five minutes so before starting, get comfortable in your chair. When you are comfortable, relax and listen:

 

Write down the details of your visualization, starting with the words  I am…

Now that you’ve visualized—and written about—your perfect writing life, let’s go one step further and put your vision in the form of affirmation about your writing and the stories only you can write. Your affirmations might include things like (these were my affirmation for the words you are now reading):

I AM…

  • Helping readers understand, honor and express their ideas and stories
  • Energized and in flow when I write because I am writing about topics I am passionate about
  • Writing a book that will expand my coaching and speaking practice and allow me to reach even more people who are driven to tell their personal story
  • Grateful to be fulfilling my spiritual purpose
  • Eagerly sharing my belief that writing is a sacred act and that our ideas and stories are meant to be shared with others
  • Happily working on my book from 9 a.m. to noon every workday
  • Bringing together in one place the wisdom I’ve gained through 30 years as a professional writer, and 10 years as a writing coach and teacher

Write your list of affirmations. A few guidelines:

  • Write them in the present tense, (“I feel energized,” rather than “I want to feel energized.”)
  • Use only positive language
  • Are at least 50% believable (“I am writing a book that will touch many people,” rather than “I am writing a New York Times #1 bestseller.”)
  • Include emotionally energizing words: “I am happily writing one thousand words each day,” rather than “I am completing one thousand words each day.”

Write at least ten affirmations for your writing and your writing life, starting each with the words I am…