Hi all! If you’ve enjoyed some of the craft-focused and inspirational posts I’ve done on this blog, you should check out my November 19th webinar with Writers Digest, HOW TO BE A WRITER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND: Balancing Work, Life, and Craft. There will be a Q and A as well as query critiques for all attendees. You should check it out!
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
Being a writer can make you crazy. The writer’s life is at once invigorating and exhausting, it can be isolating and wonderfully social, inspiring as well as demeaning. As writers we bring our deepest, most sensitive selves to the page, and often the world can feel like a hyper-critical and uncaring receiver, where competition, criticism, and even the success of others can make writing feel like a chore, or worse-utterly terrifying. And yet, we’re driven to return to the page and express ourselves despite the uncertainty and the demands of day-to-day life.
How do we deal with all these contradictions, the isolation, the rejection, the irrational joys and sorrows of being a writer? In this live webinar you’ll learn many ways to kill the fear, or, as Robert Leckie said, shoot that old bear under your desk between the eyes.
With practical tips and tricks, examples from dozens of famous writers, and inspiration culled from years of experience as both an author and agent, instructor John Cusick provides the tools for tackling the writing life with gusto, enthusiasm, and balance. Learn healthy, productive techniques for combating the inner critic, utilize envy envy, and summon motivation. With humor and insight, this webinar will give attendees the skills to conquer the maddening uncertainties of writing and publishing, and to create a space for one’s writer self in the world.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Techniques for balancing writing time and your day-to-day life
- Tips for staying focused when distractions demand your attention
- How to set up a mental and physical space for your writing
- Tricks for staying motivated and inspired
- Techniques for coping with insecurity, uncertainty, and rejection
- How to deal with your internal critic
- Daily practices and meditations specifically designed for the writing life
- How to take the measure of yourself as a writer, and keep writing!
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Anyone looking or inspiration and motivation to KEEP GOING
- Writers feeling hounded by their inner critic
- Sufferers of “writer’s block”
- Long time authors in a rut
- New writers looking to form strong writing habits
- Writers with day jobs and families, in school
- Writers who feel distracted
- Anyone who feels they “don’t have time to write”
- Writers who feel they’re on the verge of “giving up”
- Writers who find it difficult to get started
- Book lovers who want to pursue writing seriously
- Any writer seeking an agent, a publisher, a first book deal, that break out novel, or feel they are ready for their craft and career to take the next big step
ABOUT THE CRITIQUE
All registrants are invited to submit a query letter to be critiqued. All submitted queries are guaranteed a written critique by Literary Agent John Cusick.
If you’re busy November 19th, no worries– the webinar will be recorded, and you can re-watch it for up to a year. So sign up today!
Courtesy of Alex Thayer Stewart, who took these notes during a live version of this talk 🙂
John M. Cusick 
