Presentation for Writers Digest Conference. How do we go from being crafts-people to artists? How do we create? These all go to our process.

1. The Creative Process for
Writers

2. • How do we think?
• How do we create?
• Process takes us from craft to art.
• Initially we create subconsciously; the more we
move process to our conscious mind, the better
we can create.
Your Creative Process

3. 1. Are you a process or results person?
2. Are you a big picture or details person?
3. What is your pathological need as a writer?
4. Which of the three stages of change do you have
problems with?
5. How do you sabotage yourself creatively?
6. How courageous are you?
Six Key Questions

4. 1. Are you a process or results
person?

5. • Are you writing a book or writing to finish a
book?
• Focus on the last letter in the Myers-Briggs.
• J is a results person.
• F is a process person.
Process vs Results

6. INTP= Architect
ENTP= Inventor
INTJ= Scientist
ENTJ= Field Marshall
INFP= Questor
ENFP= Journalist
INFJ= Author
ENJF= Pedagogue
ESJF= Seller
ISFJ= Conservator
ESFP= Entertainer
ISFP= Artist
ESTJ= Administrator
ISTJ= Trustee
ESTP= Promoter
ISTP= Artisan
Myers-Briggs Types

7. Judging vs. Perceiving.
• Closure vs. Open-ended.
• This is how we approach our endeavors.
• Results or process?
• 50% Judging 50% Perceiving.

8. • Understand what you are, but also focus on
what you aren’t. What is the opposite of your
type?
• For example, INFJ is labeled author, and the
least common of the 16 character types.
• If you are an INFJ, what aren’t you?
• ESTP= promoter.
• This is a big problem for a lot of writers.
Myers-Briggs

9. • A process person enjoys the act of writing
just for itself.
• A results person wants to finish.
• If you can’t finish a manuscript, you are most
likely a process person; remember, you can
jump into the process of the next one.
• If you are a results person, you need to set
intermediate goals in the process of creating
a novel.
Process vs Results

10. 2. Are you a big picture or details
person?

11. • Male linear thinking.
• Female circular thinking.
• Big picture thinking.
• Detail thinking.
• Aka pantser vs a planner.
Archetypes & Creativity.

12. • How do you organize your daily life-- this is how
you will organize your book.
• If you outline, do you outline just plot, or do you
‘outline’ characters?
• If you’re a pantser, how much rewriting do you do?
• Is your rewriting focused on plot or character?
• Consider front-loading the part of the book that is
your weakest writing.
• Consider genre in terms of your strengths &
weaknesses as a writer.
The Creative Process

13. • A detail person needs to ‘see’ the big picture: aka
collage?
• A big picture person needs to ‘see’ the details: aka
story grid.
• I use an Excel spreadsheet for every book that I fill
out as I write the book because I am terrible with
details. Example on next slide.
Creativity

14. Creativity
Each row is a scene. You can use columns different
ways: page number, location, voice, time, etc.

15. 3. What is your pathological
need as a writer?

16. • Why are you writing?
• What message are you trying to communicate?
• A pathological need is one we can’t control.
• However, if we become aware of it, we can control our
writing.
• It is often our “blind spot”.
• Thus, like our characters, study traits/needs/flaws:
Pathological Need

17. Trait Need Flaw
• Loyal
• Adventurous
• Altruistic
• Tolerant
• Decisive
• Realistic
• Competitive
• Idealistic
• To be trusted
• To have change
• To be loved
• To have no
conflict
• To be in charge
• To be balanced
• To achieve goals
• To be the best
• Gullible
• Unreliable
• Submissive
• No conviction
• Impetuous
• Outer control
• Overlook cost
• Naive

18. • Focusing too much on the strategic goal & making it a job.
• Being a perfectionist.
• Getting too caught up in business side.
• Trapping ourselves with a brand we don’t want.
• Comparing ourselves to others.
• Letting fear overwhelm us.
Creative Blocks

19. • Breathe. Slow down and breath
• Do something physical
• Embrace not knowing
• Keep track of dreams
• Have your catastrophe plan
• Try something different
Creative Openings

20. Archetypes-- Gender
Differences
Female
Boss
Seductress
Spunky Kid
Free Spirit
Waif
Librarian
Crusader
Nurturer
Male
Chief
Bad Boy
Best Friend
Charmer
Lost Soul
Professor
Swashbuckler
Warrior

21. • FBI Behavioral Science Unit: John Douglas:
MINDHUNTER-- tracking serial killers.
• But you can profile anyone.
• 99% of what we do is habit.
• Habit= behavior patterns.
• Examine the results and work back.
• Key to understanding self and others is behavior
patterns.
• Peeling away the layers.
• Helps with understanding the concept of change
Profiling

22. “We first make our habits,
and then our habits make
us.”
~John Dryden

23. Profile yourself for 24 hours.
Ask yourself if this is the type
of person who will succeed as
a writer?

24. Profile yourself as a writer.
How do you create on a daily
basis? Long term?
What do you start with?

25. The Lords of Discipline
•Protagonist is in a bind.
•Must discover who the Ten are.
•Earlier in the book is a scene
where he is in his room-mate’s
father’s den.
•He later learns the father was
one of the Ten.

26. Three Ways To Write:
• Protagonist decides to break into the den to read the
father’s journals to find out who the current Ten are.
1. Pat Conroy knew from the very beginning this
was the solution and had it outlined this way.
2. Pat Conroy ended up in the same bind as his
protagonist, re-read what he wrote, and used the
den scene in another way.
3. There were no journals in the den and Pat
Conroy went back and re-wrote, putting them in
there.

27. 4. Which of the three stages
of change do you have
problems with?

28. • Moment of Enlightenment
• Make a decision
• Implement Sustained Action
What is Change?

29. • The Three Hardest Words: I am wrong
• Willingness to Surrender
• You must have a Growth Mindset
• When we have too many options, we don’t focus
on the ones we should
• Close doors— we have the power to say NO!
Open-Mindedness

30. • If you aren’t where you want to be, you must
change.
• Change isn’t just thinking differently, but the 1st
step of change is to think differently.
• Make is externally imposed.
• Become is internally motivated.
• The successful become.
Change.

31. • Can people change?
• You want to show change, not just talk about it.
• Change requires three things to happen . . .
Change.

32. • Experience something never experienced before.
• Experience something you’ve experienced before, but it
affects you differently than ever before.
• This is the classic ‘light bulb going on’.
• By itself, it is not change, just a momentary awareness.
• Denial often blocks MOEs.
• Anger stops MOEs when it is actually an indicator of an
MOE.
Moment of Enlightenment

33. • Because of the Moment of Enlightenment, a decision is
made.
• It is not necessarily a good decision.
• You then are either:
• Stuck with the decision (externally imposed change) or
• Stick with the decision (internally motivated change)
• By itself, a decision is not change, just a fleeting
commitment.
• Bargaining can dilute a decision.
• Depression can cause you to give up on decision.
Decision

34. • Because of the decision, behavior is changed.
• The changed behavior is sustained long enough to become
habit.
• In the military, this is called training.
• The 5% rule for external and internal sustained action.
• Sustained action leads to change.
• Sliding back on the five stages stops this.
• Acceptance is not easy-- your reality has changed.
Sustained Action.

35. What step of change do you
believe you have the most
trouble with?
• MOE?
• Decision?
• Sustained Action?

36. • Most people think sustained action is their weakest part of
change.
• Remember, though, you only get to sustained action if the
other two have occurred.
• Look back on when you changed in your life. What was the
hardest part?
Change

37. • Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance
Emotional Stages of Change
These are also the stages of the editorial process

38. • 5% of people are capable of internally motivated
change. They are the successful writers.
• Statistically born out by: weight loss, AA, Black
Belts, getting published, Death & Dying, etc..
• Many people are wanna-be’s.
• Cannot do three steps on own.
• Can’t get through five stages on own.
• (You will need to ask for help, BTW)
The 5% Rule

39. 5. How do you sabotage yourself
creatively?

40. “Because writing is such a solitary,
inwardly-directed job, a woman writer
really has to carve out a space for
herself to work. Which means she has
to take it seriously. As John Gardner
once said: ‘If you believe that what
you’re doing isn’t important, you’re
right’.”
~Dennis Palumbo

41. • Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of starting
• Fear of finishing
• Fear of revealing too much about ourselves
• Fear of criticism
Fears of Writers

42. • Fear of making the wrong decision
• Fear of having hit one’s peak
• Fear of making a mistake
• Fear of not being good enough
• Fear of the business
• Fear of having regrets
Fears

43. • Many writers and artists have difficulty internalizing
their accomplishments
• We look to external things like luck and contacts
as the reason for our successes
• We feel like we are ‘fooling’ everyone
• The more success someone has, the greater this
feeling
The Impostor Syndrome

44. •Many writers/artists feel like a fraud
“I still think People will find out that I’m really not very
talented. I’m not very good. It’s all been a big sham.”
Michelle Pfeiffer
“Sometimes I wake up before going off to a shoot, and
I think, I can’t do this: I’m a fraud. They’re going to fire
me. I’m fat. I’m ugly...” Kate Winslet.
•Everyone has doubts
The Impostor Syndrome

45. •The more you agree with the statements on the
following slides, the greater your imposter syndrome.
The Impostor Syndrome

46. • I can give the impression I am more competent than
I really am.
• I often compare myself to those around me and
consider them more intelligent than I am.
• I get discouraged if I’m not the ‘best’ in an endeavor.
• I hate being evaluated by others.
• If someone gives me praise for something I’ve
accomplished, it makes me fear that I won’t live up to
his or her expectations in the future.
• I’ve achieved my current position via luck and/or
being in the right place at the right time.
Impostor Syndrome

47. • When I think back to the past, incidents where I
made mistakes or failed come more readily to mind
than times when I was successful
• When I finish a manuscript, I usually feel like I
could have done so much better.
• When someone compliments me, I feel
uncomfortable.
• I’m afraid others will find out my lack of
knowledge/expertise.
• When I start a new manuscript, I’m afraid I won’t
be able to finish it, even though I’ve already
finished X number of manuscripts.
Impostor Syndrome

48. • If I’ve been successful at something, I
often doubt I can do it again
successfully.
• If my agent tells me I’m going to get
an offer on a book, I don’t tell anyone
until the contract is actually in hand.
Impostor Syndrome

49. Women tend to agree more with IS statements than
men.
Women tend to believe that intelligence is a fixed
trait that cannot be improved over time.
Women who feel like impostors tend to seek
favorable comparisons with their peers.
Men who feel like impostors tend to avoid
comparisons with their peers. Often, they work hard
so other people won’t think them incapable or dumb.
Impostor Syndrome

50. • Focus on positive feedback
• Weed out your parent’s voice in your head if
negative
• Be aware of using self-deprecation as a social
strategy
• Internalize your accomplishments
• Read your own resume
Get Over The Impostor Syndrome

51. 6. How courageous are you?

52. • The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face
danger with self-possession, confidence, and resolution,
• The ability to do something that frightens one.
• Strength in the face of pain or grief.
What is Courage?

53. “Life shrinks
or expands in
proportion to
one’s
courage.”
~Anais Nin

54. • Expand your comfort zone into your courage zone.
• Courage is acting in the face of fear.
• Your strongest emotional defenses are around your greatest
weaknesses.
• Often what we think is our strongest character strength is our
weakest.
• As writers, most of us must fight being an introvert.
Courage

55. “Have no fear of perfection--
you’ll never reach it.”
~Dali.

56. • The first step is to rip away the denial. Fear exists.
• Look at what you think is your greatest strength and turn it
around.
• Most fear is subconscious-- you will likely need help
finding the true root.
• We bend our lives around our fears.
• Your fear won’t change things-- it has no power--it won’t
keep the plane flying
• Fear can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Dealing With Fears

57. • Acknowledge it is exists.
• Define what you really fear, often the blind spot.
• Factor it in, both positively and negatively.
• Open and honest communication reduces anxiety and fear.
• Trust reduces anxiety and fear.
• Find your blind spots.
• Recognize which of the three steps of change is your flaw
Overcoming Fear

58. • You can’t separate your writing from you, the writer
• Living with fear is ultimately worse than confronting it
• Attack the ambush
• Put long-term goals ahead of short-term goals
• Write what you know- maybe write what you are afraid to
know.
• Lean into fear-- kaizen
• Be curious about your fear-- it’s a cave- but treasure could be
inside
• Take action.
Overcoming Fear

59. • Every day try to do something that you dislike doing, but need
to do.
• Action is the only way to grow courage.
• If you’re introverted, talk to a stranger every day.
• If you’re a practical person, do something intuitive every day.
• Do the opposite of your Myers-Briggs character.
Overcoming Fear

60. • Courage is taking action in the face of fear.
• The fuel for courage is the passion channeled by our
process.
• Mastering this process leads us from craft to art.
What is Courage?

61. Original Idea
Conflict the Fuel of Your Story and the Conflict Box
Plot I: Research and Narrative Questions
Plot II: Outlining
Plot III: Narrative Structure
Character
Point of View
Write It Forward: From Writer to Bestselling Author
Writers Conference Guide (Free eBook)
Three P’s: Platform, Product, Promotion
Writers’ Block and Rewriting
How to Write the Query/Synopsis
Planning for NaNoWriMo Success
Bob Mayer’s Workshops, Seminars & Presentations
Your Creative Process: How You Write
The Present and Future of Publishing for Writers
Writers Workshop and Retreat
ON WRITING SLIDESHARES

62. For More Information click on covers
The Complete Writer is four books at discount in one
bundle.

63. New York Times bestselling author, graduate of West Point, former Green
Beret, and feeder of two yellow Labs, most famously Cool Gus. He’s had
over seventy books published, including the #1 bestselling series Time
Patrol, Area 51, Atlantis, and the Green Berets. Born in the Bronx and
having traveled the world he now lives peacefully with his wife and labs.
Sort of. Free books below available HERE
www.bobmayer.com

64. Writing Scenic Workshop
•An intense, on-premises workshop focusing on idea, conflict, story and the ever-
changing business of publishing.
•At our house on Scenic Drive in Knoxville, TN
•Most importantly, this workshop focuses on developing your creative process as
a writer.
•Led by Bob Mayer and his wife, Debbie.
•We’ve worked with everyone from #1 NY Times best-selling authors to novices
writing their first book.
•Limited to four people per workshop. This workshop can also come to you if you
have four interested writers. For schedule contact bob@bobmayer.com

65. “Talent is less important in film-
making than patience. If you
really want your films to say
something that you hope is
unique, then patience and
stamina, thick skin and a kind of
stupidity, a mule-like stupidity, is
what you really need.”
~Terry Gilliam