91. Five Essential Truths for Your Writing

Struggling with self-doubt or writer's block? Discover five essential truths that will transform how you approach your novel or memoir. Learn how to write authentically, believe in your manuscript, avoid burnout, and embrace the right opportunities for your book. Essential advice for fiction writers at any stage of their writing journey.

🎙️Find more on Nicole Meier here.

Transcript

TWW EP 91 - Five Truths

[00:00:00] Nicole Meier: The writing journey rarely unfolds the way we plan, and sometimes the detours lead us somewhere even better than we imagined. I am asking you to trust the path, trust yourself, and say yes to the opportunities that make your heart say yes. Even if they're not the ones you expected,

[00:00:25] Nicole Meier: welcome to the whole writer. A place where we talk about what it means to show up as a writer, not just a better writer or a more productive writer or a published writer, but a whole one, someone who's grounded in their voice, in their community, in their creative path. Even when the world tells them to hustle, compare, or conform.

[00:00:46] Nicole Meier: I'm Nicole Meier, a multi published author and book coach who believes that nurturing the person behind the page is just as important as refining the words on it. Each week we'll explore the terrain of riding life with honesty, warmth, and practical wisdom, creating space for you to write from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.

[00:01:06] Nicole Meier: Whether you're drafting your first manuscript or publishing your fifth book, you'll find conversation and companionship for the journey here. So settle in, bring your questions and your curiosity, and let's discover what it means to write and live with authenticity and purpose.

[00:01:26] Nicole Meier: Hello writers and welcome back. Whether you're listening while you're walking the dog, driving to work, or stealing a quiet moment with your morning coffee or tea. Thank you for spending time with me today. I wanna talk about five truths I've learned during this writing journey. Truths that I wish someone had whispered to me years ago when I was struggling, doubting, and wondering if I was doing everything wrong.

[00:01:51] Nicole Meier: These aren't rules, they're not prescriptions. They're just gentle reminders that I hope will feel like a warm hand on your shoulder when you need it the most. So let's begin. Alright. Truth number one. Write as if no one is looking over your shoulder. You've heard this before, haven't you? Probably from me, maybe from another teacher or author you admire.

[00:02:14] Nicole Meier: Write as if no one is watching. Write it for yourself first. We nod along, right? We say, yes, that makes sense. We absolutely know this is true. And yet so many writers I work with, talented, committed writers don't actually practice this. They sit down to write and immediately the guard goes up. They worry about what their family will think.

[00:02:36] Nicole Meier: If they write about that difficult relationship, they avoid the story that's burning inside them because it touches on something too personal, too raw to them. They hold back, they write around the truth instead of into it, and you know what happens. The reader feels it. They feel that distance. I say this all the time when I'm editing a manuscript.

[00:02:59] Nicole Meier: I call it holding the reader at arm's length. It's that metaphorical thing that keeps happening. The story might be technically perfect, but something vital is missing. The reader can sense when you're protecting yourself instead of letting them in. So here's what I want you to understand about this. The very things you're afraid to write, your core wounds, your personal experiences, the messy, complicated truths of being human.

[00:03:27] Nicole Meier: Those are exactly what your readers are hungry for. When you write about your darkness, your confusion, your shame, your questions, the right readers for you won't judge you. They'll thank you. They'll say, oh my gosh, me too. I thought I was the only one. Your vulnerability gives them permission to be vulnerable.

[00:03:50] Nicole Meier: Your truth helps them feel less alone. Case in point. I was recently a guest on another podcast where I shared the tender part of my story of caring for both my parents until they died. This wasn't the topic of the podcast episode, it was actually about creativity. But guess how many personal emails came my way about how listeners connected with my grief over my parents?

[00:04:15] Nicole Meier: The answer a lot. That's because the tender parts often resonate the most. Yes. Some people might not understand. Some might be uncomfortable, but those aren't your readers. Your readers are the ones waiting for someone brave enough to say the thing everyone feels, but nobody talks about. So I'm asking you, what would you write if no one was looking over your shoulder?

[00:04:39] Nicole Meier: What story would you tell if you weren't worried about judgment? What truths actually want to be told? Write that. Write it with your whole heart. The world doesn't need more guarded, careful writing. It needs you fully present on the page. Alright, let's move on to truth number two, and that is no one will believe in your work until you believe in it first.

[00:05:06] Nicole Meier: I know this one tings a little, doesn't it? Because we want external validation. We want agents and publishers, and readers to discover our work and tell us it matters. We want someone else to believe first, so we don't have to carry this risk alone. But here's the thing about belief, it's contagious. When you send your work out into the world, wrapped up in an apology, when your query letter says, I know this probably isn't very good, but dot, dot do.

[00:05:35] Nicole Meier: Or when you share your story and immediately followed up with, it's not finished, or it's probably terrible, you are telling people how to receive it. Belief doesn't mean arrogance. It doesn't mean thinking your first draft is perfect, or that your work doesn't need editing. It means standing behind what you've created.

[00:05:57] Nicole Meier: It means saying, I made this, and it matters to me. I think it has value. When you believe in your work, you revise it with respect instead of shame, you submit it with confidence instead of desperation, you talk about it without diminishing it. Whew. Those are some powerful statements, and I'm actually going to repeat them.

[00:06:19] Nicole Meier: So when you believe in your work, you revise it with respect instead of shame, you submit it with confidence instead of desperation. You talk about it without diminishing it. And yes, believing is scary at first. It feels vulnerable, but it also is the only way forward. Because if you don't believe in what you've made, why would anyone else take a chance?

[00:06:46] Nicole Meier: Start small. If you need to find one thing about your work that you genuinely love, one sentence, one character, one truth you told that no one else could tell quite the way you did, and hold onto that. Let that be the beginning of your belief. Alright, moving into truth number three. Write from a place of wellbeing, not depletion.

[00:07:09] Nicole Meier: I talk about this a lot on the whole writer because we romanticize the struggling artists, don't we? The writer who pours everything into their work until there's nothing left. Who sacrifices? Sleep, health, relationships, all for the art. But I wanna tell you something, depleted writers write depleted work.

[00:07:30] Nicole Meier: Take it from me. Trust me, the author who was instructed to turn in full novel length revisions in two weeks time over the holidays. I get it when you're running on empty, when you haven't slept, when you haven't eaten well, haven't moved your body or connected with people you love. Your writing actually suffers.

[00:07:49] Nicole Meier: Not because you're not talented, but because you're trying to pour from an empty cup. Your writing doesn't require your destruction. It requires your aliveness. This means different things to different people. Maybe it means you need to write in the morning when you're fresh instead of late at night when you're exhausted.

[00:08:09] Nicole Meier: Maybe it means taking a walk before you sit down to write. Maybe it means saying no to projects that drain you so you can say yes to the work that fills you up. Writing from wellbeing means honoring your body and your spirit as much as your craft. It means recognizing that you are not separate from your art.

[00:08:28] Nicole Meier: You are the instrument and instruments need care, rest, and tuning. So please take the nap, eat the nourishing meal, step away from the manuscript when it's depleting you, instead of energizing you. Your work will be there when you return and you'll bring your whole self to it instead of just the exhausted scraps.

[00:08:54] Nicole Meier: Writers. If what we're talking about today is resonating with you. This idea of honoring both your craft knowledge and your creative intuition. That's exactly the kind of work I do with writers inside my coaching and editing services. Whether you're looking for a big picture, manuscript evaluation, in depth, developmental edits, or ongoing monthly coaching, my goal is always to help you find clarity, confidence, and momentum in a way that feels creative and authentic to your voice.

[00:09:25] Nicole Meier: You can learn more about these options@nicolemeier.com.

[00:09:33] Nicole Meier: Okay, let's move on to truth number four. Consume advice, resources, and support that nourishes or else walk away. The writing world is full of advice, isn't it? Books about craft podcasts, about process, workshops, about marketing. Social media feeds full of anecdotal advice, and so much of it is offered with good intentions by people who genuinely want to help.

[00:10:01] Nicole Meier: But here's what I know. Not all advice is meant for you. Not all resources will serve you and some support even when well-meaning will leave you feeling worse instead of better, you have permission to be selective. You have permission to walk away from the writing group that makes you feel small, the book that makes you feel like you're doing everything wrong.

[00:10:24] Nicole Meier: The social media account that leaves you anxious and comparing yourself to everyone else. So ask yourself, does this nourish me? Does it make me want to write, or does it make me wanna give up? Does it expand my sense of what's possible? Or does it convince me I'll never be good enough? Trust your gut.

[00:10:45] Nicole Meier: It's always right if something feels depleting, if it drains your creativity instead of replenishing it, you don't have to keep consuming it. It doesn't matter how popular it is or how many people swear by it. What matters is how it makes you feel. Surround yourself with voices that remind you why you started that.

[00:11:07] Nicole Meier: Celebrate the joy of creation, not just the achievement. That meet you with encouragement instead of judgment. Your creativity is precious, so I suggest you spend it wisely. All right, now we're onto truth number five. The big dream is possible, but it may not be in ways you imagine. Embrace all opportunities that align with you, not just the ones that look like success.

[00:11:34] Nicole Meier: So we all have a version of success in our heads, don't we? Maybe it's a book deal with a big publisher, a movie adaptation, a bestseller list, a certain award or recognition, and those dreams are beautiful. Hold onto them, work towards them. The truth is that success has a thousand faces, and most of them don't look like what we imagined.

[00:11:57] Nicole Meier: Want another personal example? Years ago, I had a media clipping of Reese Witherspoon pinned to my bulletin board right above my writing desk. This is because Reese had just begun to dip her toe into the book meets film World, and I thought my big dream was to get my book into her hands. Fast forward to my debut novel being released and my publicist getting an article published titled something like.

[00:12:23] Nicole Meier: Five books. Reese Witherspoon would totally read right now. Don't quote me on that. I'm paraphrasing because it's been over a decade. Want to know what happened next? She or someone from her team retweeted this article that included my book cover to all of her followers. My big dream of getting a physical book into her hands didn't happen necessarily, but my book cover made it and it thrilled me.

[00:12:48] Nicole Meier: See what I mean about a dream looking differently, but still aligning with what I wanted for myself. So maybe your book doesn't get picked by a major publisher, but you find a small press that truly understands your vision and becomes your champion. Maybe you don't make a bestseller list, but your book finds its way to the exact readers who need it, and they write you letters that change your life.

[00:13:14] Nicole Meier: Maybe success looks like finally finishing the manuscript. Teaching a workshop that lights you up, building a community of fellow writers, getting paid to write articles that matter to you. Having the freedom to write what you want instead of what you think will sell. The danger of having only one vision of success is that we miss all the other beautiful opportunities right in front of us.

[00:13:40] Nicole Meier: We say no to things that don't fit our narrow definition, and we lose the chance to discover what else is possible. So yes, dream big, but also stay open. Stay curious. When an opportunity comes your way, ask yourself, does this align with me? My values, my joy, my purpose, not? Does this align with what I thought success should look like?

[00:14:05] Nicole Meier: The writing journey rarely unfolds the way we plan, and sometimes the detours lead us somewhere even better than we imagined. I am asking you to trust the path. Trust yourself. Say yes to the opportunities that make your heart say yes, even if they're not the ones you expected. So there you are everybody.

[00:14:25] Nicole Meier: Five truths for your writing journey. Write as if no one is looking over your shoulder. No one will believe in your work until you believe in it. First, write from a place of wellbeing, not depletion. Consume advice and resources that nourish you or walk away. And the big dream is possible, but maybe not in the ways you imagine.

[00:14:48] Nicole Meier: Embrace all opportunities that align with you. Okay, I hope something here resonated with you today. I hope you'll carry it with you, maybe tuck it into your pocket for the hard days. Thank you for being here. Thank you for showing up for your writing, even when it's difficult. And please keep going. Your words matter.

[00:15:07] Nicole Meier: I'll see you next time on the whole writer. If you're craving support in integrating everything we've talked about today, if you want to strengthen your craft without losing the heart of your story, I'd love to walk alongside you through manuscript evaluations, developmental edits, and monthly book coaching.

[00:15:26] Nicole Meier: I help writers like you to create stories that feel whole and alive. You can find all the details@nicolemeyer.com or at the link in the show notes. And of course, if you just want to keep learning together, stay tuned for more episodes like this one.

[00:15:46] Nicole Meier: If you want to check out my coaching programs for fiction writers. Visit Nicolemeier.com. That's M-E-I-E-R. And if you like this episode, I'd love you to take a minute to leave a rating and review for this podcast. This will help more writers like you to discover the show and to get going on their writing journey.

[00:16:06] Nicole Meier: Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy writing everyone.