Steven Barnes

Excellent question. As we come to the end of the year, we can all stand to get re-focused:

WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY DO YOU WANT IT? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IT, ONE DAY/WEEK/MONTH at a time?

Start with the “what” and then power it with the “why” and you’ll transform your life.

If you don’t know, then you can’t care, and you won’t act. Star with WHAT IS YOUR OUTCOME? Then WHY DO YOU WANT IT? Only then do you bother with “How do I do it?”

You cannot be grateful and fearful at the same time–that shift in focus makes the difference in the quality of your experience and life. Can you think of a film or book where a character learned to shift focus?

Great offer, Tom. I’ll put an email out to the community and let them know you’re available!

So we’ll be working on ways for you to send messages directly to a member. If there is a story you’d like to swap work on, tell the writer that by posting after their story. If they don’t respond send us an email at support@masteryplus.com and we’ll forward your email to the appropriate person.

What doesn’t work? Blaming and shaming and guilt. What does? Focusing on blessings, taking action, and helping other givers. We cannot feel gratitude and fear or depression at the same time.

It makes sense, in the sense that that is the common answer. I want to stress that it is also the slower path: short work is where you learn your skills. Long work is where you get your paycheck. Until you are published multiple times, I strongly suggest that you keep the work short, as a short story contains all the skills and qualities you…[Read more]

Tom, you are rockin’ these submissions! Right after we do the show Saturday, you need to offer to exchange critiques with other members. This will be the beginning of the next level of this site–you guys helping each other. I then coach you on how to coach each other…and we’re cooking with gas.

What is your writing output these days, Scott? I’d like to encourage you to write at least a story a month. Make it very short if need be, but that minimum is highly recommended.

Is there a reason you cannot write a story a month? Even a very short one? If there is, fine and we will support you! But I want to encourage you to look at that output and see if you aren’t underestimating your capacity.

And that’s all wonderful! now: CHANT those gratitudes while walking or moving dynamically, as well as speaking your goals and what you need to do TODAY to make them happen…and you are motoring!

It would not be marketable as general fiction. On a specifically liberal-slanted political site, possibly.

that sounds great. Our suggestion is “short stories” so the ideal thing is to keep it under 5k. Makes it more focused, and allows readers to contribute to you without a large time investment.

Look, you have different issues here. The first is that you are insecure. The second is that you are deriving your self-image from others, and the third is that you are very judgemental.

Your key to all of this is self-love. Do you use the Ancient Child meditation?

let us know your progress. Self examination is a wonderful thing. uncovering the belief: “I’m not a real writer unless I”m full-time” leads one to asking a foundational: “is it true?” “according to what values?” “who taught me this?” “were they themselves successful?” “If not, why was their opinion important?” and so forth.

Great! I know a lot of people who have participated in this contest, and it has an excellent reputation. Keep us posted, and let us help!

You might try writing a fantasy or SF version. Exaggerate to the absurd, or create metaphors. A time-honored way of distancing discomfort.