Changing Perspective
Changing Perspective
Writing prompts to push you out of your comfort zone
The Growth Mindset
Success as a writer is not about how many books you sell, or how many articles you’ve had published or how many awards you have won. That way of thinking imagines the pinnacle of being a writer as an end point that can be reached. There is no end point. There are goals you can set yourself, but unless you intend on giving up writing when you meet those goals, you will need to move forward from them. In an earlier post I talked about how, as writers we are always in a state of change, because we are human animals ageing, and accumulating more experiences. You can read it here:
This is why to think of becoming a successful writer as something akin to reaching the peak of a mountain can be damaging to your success, and to your sense of self as a writer. To be successful is to be always growing, always seeking enrichment and as you reach your goals, to set further goals based around what will make you happy as a person as well as a writer, what will grow your writing.
I imagine that you, like me, and all other writers, have habits that you are attached to with your writing. I imagine that sometimes you look at what other people produce and see their bold decisions around subject, line breaks, or use of white space, or punctuation or titles or style and wonder why you are being left behind. Be reassured, you are not being left behind. Difference is not the same as less than. You should always write what makes you happy, the creative impulse is crushed by pretending to be something you are not. Your voice is valid. An authentic voice is the core of your own ‘poetry voice’.
But…growth does not occur simply by thinking about it. Growth occurs by pushing out of your habits, pushing away from your comfort zone and making a conscious effort to disrupt your work. In order to meet your goals and get past them, you need to recognise the power of growth. Growth is not always a comfortable experience, in fact it shouldn’t be. Growth comes from challenge. Here are some prompts to help you push away from the habits you find yourself in, push your boundaries and grow your writing.