EP. 20 STANCE
INTRO TO THE DISCOVERY CALL
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[00:00:45] PODCAST INTRO
Hey, everyone. Beth Barany here. Welcome creatives.
Welcome to my 20th episode of How To Write The Future.
This is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers want to create positive, optimistic stories.
Because when we vision, what is possible, we help make it so.
This podcast is also for readers who are inspired by thinking about the future and about what could be.
[00:01:14] Celebrating the 20th episode of How To Write The Future podcast
Today I want to celebrate by talking about mindset, but maybe a little differently than you have heard.
Usually when people think about mindset, they often think about it as self-talk-- how they talk to themself. Or maybe they think about it as their attitude: do I have a good attitude? Do I have a bad attitude? With self-talk maybe they notice that they speak to themselves poorly. Or they speak to themself kindly.
Those are important. All of those are important. But to be a successful creative and to feel like you have your hand on the drivers wheel of your life, there's another concept I want to bring in and it's called stance.
Think of it this way.
If you are a boxer, you're going to stand a certain way. You're going to physically. I have your feet planted, usually at about 45 degree angle. You're going to have your hands up in fists, right? There's a there's a boxer stance or say you are a sprinter.
You are going to have a certain way of holding your body right before the race. And obviously there's the whole way you hold your body while you run.
Or say you're standing in line and you want to be noticed. But you're not going to raise your arm. You're not going to raise your hand. But you want to be noticed. How might you stand?
Or, if you're just going about your day, you're going to have the normal way you walk around the normal way you sit. But say you are sitting at the table, maybe at a cafe with your best friend, and you're really riveted by what they're saying. How do you sit? How do you hold your body? You're probably leaned in. You're probably putting all your attention, not just your casual attention, but your full attention on the other person.
And when they're putting their attention on you, you're probably feeling their full attention on you. And that feels great.
So when we approach our projects, our creative work, big decisions in our life, even small decisions in our life, we can choose our stance. We can actually physically position our bodies to be engaged or disengaged.
I know when I sit down to write, I create an environment to be fully engaged with my work. Not only does my body need to be positioned a certain way, but my space needs to be a certain way. Usually uncluttered, with my cup over here on the right, my notebook on the left. I'm usually listening to music. So my, my phone is on the left as well, and I've got my playlist all queued up. And I shut out all distractions, turn on my time tracker, which helps me stay focused. And now I'm in the flow.
And there's a lot of things that went into that.
And my stance here is both a physical stance, but it's also the mental stance.
I wanted to bring up this today because I feel like stance is a choice that not everyone realizes they can take, but if you relate stance to how you stand, or how you sit and move your body, then maybe you can realize you actually have more choice here than you realize.
Studies have shown that when you smile, certain chemicals get kicked off in the brain that aid and actually feeling better.
And I notice when I sit up and pull my shoulders back and down and take a deep breath, I can feel better.
When I work with writers, I often support them in finding that ideal stance, the kind of writer they wish to be. And we really explore that.
When you are that writer that you wish to be, I ask them: what does that feel like?
What do you notice is happening around you? What is in your surroundings?
So, what do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you smell?
What do you taste?
And what do you believe is true when you are the writer you want to be? What do you believe is true about yourself, and about your life, and about your writing.
When I was just starting out as a novelist, I realized what was really, really important to me was to be able to hold my book in my hands. That is how I knew I would be successful. So that was my marker of success.
And I realized even spending time visualizing and daydreaming what the cover would look like would start to call up for me this, this reality that will one day be for me, my reality of holding the physical finished book that I can be proud of in my hands. And that became a focus of mine for a very long time until it finally happened. And the weight of holding a book in my hands was just so satisfying.
Now it took me a long time to get there. So I found some interim ways of creating that same experience. And that was to print out my manuscript.
I remember holding my entire manuscript in my hand, and then also handing it to my mom, who held it in her hand. And in an instant I saw on her face that look of realization that this is truly important to her daughter. I don't think it quite landed for her until she actually held that thick manuscript that was about 250 pages, maybe 300 pages. That's a lot.
[00:07:26] Make it Tangible
So, what does it look like for you to be a successful writer? And make it tangible. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? What sounds are around you? What does it smell like? What does it taste like? And what are you thinking in that moment?
So, yes, this will include self-talk like: "Yes, I did it."
Very simple. It doesn't have to be complicated.
For me, it's also making sounds like, Ooh, and ah, oh my gosh, I really did this.
And even today holding a physical book, and also being able to share that physical book with other people is so, so satisfying.
And here I am in the middle of writing a new, and I always hit a bump in the road, where I don't know if I can see my way to the finish line. I don't know how I'm going to move the story from where it is now to where to that finished place of The End.
Luckily nowadays I have friends and critique partners and fans who will say, encouraging things to me and will remind me that I hit the these bumps every single time.
And I think about the finished product. I think about when the book is done. And I know I am somebody who knows how to do that now, even though I don't know all the answers between now and that finished moment.
It's like taking a road trip.
You know how to drive, you know, how to get from here to there. Or maybe you're taking a train, like, you know, the vehicles will get you there, whether you're driving or someone else is driving.
In my case, I love to drive. So maybe I'm going to drive to LA. I know the route. I know how to get there, but I don't know necessarily the conditions of the road. I don't know how I'm going to feel in, you know, a hundred miles. I don't know all the factors at play. I don't know who's going to be on the road with me.
But I do know that I know how to drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.
And that is the stance that I hold what I'm in the car driving down the I-5.
When I'm sitting down to write, I have a deep knowing that I can do this, even if I don't know exactly how the scene will play out until I start to envision it on the writing day in the writing moment, right in the moment I'm writing. I know generally where I'm going, but it's not until I'm doing it that I know specifically where I'm going.
[00:10:05] What is your stance?
But I have learned over the years to trust, to trust this unknown, creative voice that comes out of me.
So I encourage to explore: what is the stance? How would you like to stand towards your writing? And how would you like to be as that successful writer?
What does that feel like? What does that smell? Like? What does that taste like? What do you see around you? And really get into the, not only the emotional aspect of this writers stance, but the physical aspect, how it feels to be in your body and explore that. And let me know.
I am a fiction writing coach, a creativity, coach and someone who helps writers step into the writer's life. Not only can I help you with the craft of writing, I can help you with the art of writing. I love working with writers who are passionate about wanting to develop a writer's life, and they are passionate about their vision for their story, and they're looking for support on how to make this happen.
If this is you, please reach out. I offer discovery calls for writers and a no-obligation conversation. Where we can explore together: what is that ideal writer's life? What is that ideal writer's stance?
And with my writers, I help them with discerning individualized support. I really tailor the process to you.
All stories have a beginning, middle, and end, but they don't all have to be written that way.
I help you discover your own creative process. I help you put it into place. And I offer support every step of the way, often being the first reader of people's work, or the first person they've ever shown their manuscript to after they've gone over it 10 times, 20 times. Or sometimes I'm the first person that they worked on their manuscripts, so that it's publication-ready. Or sometimes I'm the one who seems to really help people unlock the right way for them to market their novels.
[00:12:17] You are unique, you have a unique vision
Recently I heard human population just hit the 8 billion mark on the planet. That's 8 billion unique individuals on this amazing blue marble. I know you have a unique story. You have unique stance. And I'm here to support you in getting your book, your unique vision out into the world into the hands of your readers.
Have a wonderful week, everyone. Write long and prosper.
[00:12:50] OUTRO + SHORT INVITE TO DISCOVERY CALL
Write long and prosper.
Science fiction and fantasy writers, sign up for your No Obligation Discovery Call and get clarity to your writing process and finish your book.