The Writer’s Mindset Manifesto: Break through the barriers of fear and inadequacy to help you create your very best work.

An audiobook by Sarah Rhea Werner.

“People say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar

“It makes you wonder. All the brilliant things we might have done with our lives if only we suspected we knew how.” — Ann Patchett

Our beliefs define who we are.

What we believe shapes our actions and informs our decisions, how we treat others, and how we treat ourselves.

For instance, you’re only going to apply for that promotion at work if you think you can do the job — and if you believe you’re good enough to get it. We don’t waste time on what we don’t believe in.

Similarly, you’re only going to start your novel, short story collection, poetry book, etc. if you believe you can do it — and if you believe you have an important story or message to share.

Well, guess what? You CAN do it. And you DO have a story to tell — a story the world desperately needs to hear. Whether it’s fictional or true (or somewhere in between), YOU have the power to influence someone else’s life, shift their beliefs about themselves or others, and begin to change the world.

Unfortunately, there are a LOT of beliefs floating around out there in the world (and in our own heads)… and not all of them are good. In fact, many of them are limiting, and others are downright harmful.

Because of these limiting and harmful beliefs, it is REALLY EASY for us to dismiss our own power. It’s really easy for us to pay attention to the lies, especially since they tend to shout louder than the truths. It’s really easy for us to give in to the beliefs that keep us down instead of lifting us up.

This is because often, we don’t feel like we deserve good things.

We don’t BELIEVE we deserve good things. We believe that we are second-class citizens, in some way lesser or NOT ENOUGH.

We feel like success is possible for OTHER people — just not US.

Whether it’s due to our upbringing, experience, or the labels others have given us, we have been trained to believe some things that ARE NOT TRUE. We have learned not to question certain lies. We have been conditioned to accept the limits we’ve been saddled with as permanent, unchangeable laws.

These truths and lies — and what we do with them — are all based in BELIEF. And while beliefs are powerful, they are also changeable. 

Here’s where things get interesting.

Because our beliefs live in our minds, and no one has power over our minds, ultimately, except for US and US ALONE. Even if you are in a bad or abusive place, your mind is a palace, and no one can rule it or change it but YOU.

This leads us to a truth that is uncomfortable for a lot of people:
The only person who can limit you is YOU.
The only person who can move you forward is YOU.

This is hard for a lot of people to hear, because they’ve been TOLD they need to wait. They’ve been TOLD they need permission, validation, or something else that they do not intrinsically possess on their own. They believed these lies, and it’s not their fault.

Let me say that again: If you have internalized someone else’s lies about what you can or cannot do, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.

A lot of things happen to us that are not our fault. People hurt us and lie to us, and often we are denied privilege that others enjoy without question.

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like injustice. So growing up, you probably heard this phrase a lot from adults: “Life isn’t fair.” And, as I (and probably you) have learned, it’s true.

But while life is not FAIR, it IS changeable.

We are NOT powerless. We are NOT here on this planet simply to hear and obey others’ orders. We have our own wants and needs and dreams and we have the right to pursue them. Whether we realize it or not, we have the power to make them come true.

And with that power comes… yep. You guessed it.

While all that awful stuff that has happened to us is not our fault, and while it’s never something we ASKED for, it IS our responsibility to manage and resolve. It is OUR responsibility to move forward and heal and become our best and fullest selves despite all of the bad things that have been done to us.

I know this is hard to hear for a lot of people. But it’s true.

It’s also often hard to want to change. A lot of us have absorbed the hurt and pain and brokenness into our identities. A lot of us have learned to be comfortable with where we are — where life has brought us. And a lot of us don’t know we CAN change.

I know a lot of people who don’t know that they can change things. They’re waiting — waiting for permission, waiting for validation, waiting to be “discovered”, waiting for conditions to be perfect.

I know, because at one time in my life, this was me. I was waiting, too. I was sitting there at my desk in my cubicle at work, waiting for… I didn’t know exactly what. For someone to pity me and rescue me. For change to HAPPEN.

What I didn’t realize for years was that I needed to do the HAPPENING.

It wasn’t easy. And in fact, it was often scary. Humans don’t traditionally rock the societal boat. We like being safe and comfortable, even if our versions of “safe” or “comfortable” are actively harming us or keeping us down. We have other people to care for and consider. We avoid taking risks.

I avoided changing until the pain of staying where I was became more unbearable than the pain that comes with changing.

If you need permission, YOU HAVE PERMISSION. I hereby give you permission to write your novel, your poems, your memoirs. To speak your truth and tell your story.

If you can think of people who don’t want you to tell your story, or have said you couldn’t or shouldn’t, then guess what? They’re afraid. And you neither want nor need THEIR fears to define you, or keep you from doing what you need to do.

You are not here to nurture their fears. You are here to live YOUR life and create amazing things.

If you need validation, YOU HAVE VALIDATION. You are a beautiful and amazing person, a brilliant mind housed in a capable body.

If you feel like you are somehow “not enough” — not smart enough or well spoken enough or able-bodied enough — then you have been lied to. Again, it’s not your fault, but it IS your responsibility to change those beliefs and begin to internalize that you ARE enough. That your experience is valid, that you are worthy, and that you deserve goodness and joy.

Your story is important. Your message is important. Believe this. And act on it.

I wrote this ebook to challenge the limiting beliefs that we as writers often hold without realizing it. Each section will address a belief that is not our fault — but which IS our responsibility to recognize and change.

You are capable of great things. And you can do this.

Are you ready?

“What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me, instead of what I myself had wished to do?” — Ralph Ellison

You are enough.

One of our biggest roadblocks as creators is this notion that we are not WHOLE. That we are missing something that everyone around us seems to have. That we are NOT, in some way, “enough.”

Not _____ enough — you fill in the blank. Not smart enough, not prepared enough, not well-known enough. Not strong or capable or well-read or pretty or thin or wealthy or able-bodied or free or ready enough.

But you are EXACTLY enough.

You are EXACTLY enough to do what YOU need to do.

Stop comparing yourself to others and focusing on what you think they have that you don’t — what you think you lack.

EVERYONE secretly worries that they’re not _____ enough. But it doesn’t stop them. Don’t let it stop you, either.

You are EXACTLY ENOUGH to write. You are full and complete in your YOU-ness, and THAT is what the world needs. Not some perceived lack.

Shift your focus from what you think you lack to what you know you have. You will find that you have everything you need within you to create.

You are exactly, 100%, ENOUGH.

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” —Rumi

You have a story to tell.

A lot of people want to write, but are afraid they don’t have anything “important enough” to say — or that they don’t have a story to tell at all.

The reality is, you have thoughts, feelings, opinions, and events that have shaped you and your life. These things are IMPORTANT because they are TRUE and REAL, and they have the potential to help other people learn, grow, and exist. They can help other people find meaning, joy, and healing.

These are the makings — the elements — of your story. 

Stories are the very foundation of human culture. We were created to be storytellers and we are, in a way, story-bound.

From the early days of oral storytelling around a campfire to today’s 30-second TV commercials, everything we create and everything we consume is, in a way, a story.

Storytelling is communication. We tell stories to learn, grow, warn one other of danger, and spread joy. We tell stories to share our experiences and emotions. We tell stories to survive.

You, too, have words to share — truths couched in fictional or nonfictional language — and a story to shape them. And you MUST tell your story. You MUST.

If you don’t share your story — if you don’t write — you are depriving people of a chance to hear it, and thus learn and grow and find meaning.

You are also denying yourself, because the storyteller gains just as much as the story listener.

We need to be heard just as much as we need to hear. In refusing to tell your story, you are denying yourself community, validation, catharsis, and growth.

I know it can be intimidating, yes, and difficult. But it is crucial.

Large or small, fictional or nonfictional, it doesn’t matter. You have a story to tell. You have a message to share.

It is the most important and impactful thing you can do in this world.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou

You are on an equal playing field with all other creators.

This is surprisingly hard for a lot of creators to hear.

But it’s true.

No one is actually any better or worse than you are. Some people may have more experience, more practice, or more privilege, but at the end of the day, we all put words onto the page. We are all on the SAME PLAYING FIELD.

Think of a “big name” writer or author. Now realize: you are on the SAME PLAYING FIELD as that person. Is that scary? Is that exciting? It’s up to you. I mean, I’d go with exciting, because fear won’t get you as far. But it’s your choice to make.

Regardless of how you feel about it, YOU ARE ON THAT FIELD. You don’t need anyone’s permission to get there. And no one can keep you off of it.

What are you going to do?

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

You are running your own race.

Here’s a secret about writing that very few people know: “success” means something different for every writer.

For one writer, success means securing a TV deal. For another writer, success means creating lasting political change. For another, success means gaining a certain number of new clients each month. For another, it’s changing someone’s life.

The “finish line” is in a radically different place for every writer and every storyteller. In fact, even though we’re all on the same playing field, we are each playing a different game.

Maybe even a different sport.

So why are we constantly monitoring each other’s progress, feeling jealous of others’ milestones, and focusing on comparing our work to theirs?

Keep your eyes on your own finish line, and save your focus and your energy for creating your best work.

“Never compare your workflow, workload, and natural ebbs and flows of creativity to someone else’s.” — Jen Carrington

Your work is not for everyone.

One of the biggest mindset hurdles that writers struggle to overcome is that your work must appeal to everyone who reads it.

This is a lie, and believing it will hold you back.

The truth is, not everyone likes the same things. Even culturally-celebrated classic works of literature by Jane Austen and Herman Melville have one-star reviews on Amazon.

Not everyone will like what you make. And THAT’S OKAY.

You WILL get one-star reviews for your work. When you do, please realize that it is a reflection of the reviewer’s tastes, not an indictment of you or your writing.

Sure, getting one-star reviews and disparaging comments will hurt. Rejection always hurts, in any form. But it doesn’t mean that your writing is bad or that you are bad.

It means your work wasn’t the right fit for someone, and that’s okay.

So don’t waste your time and energy defending yourself against the haters, or arguing the finer points of your work. Save your focus for creating amazing content for the people who love it and need it. The people you created it FOR.

Your work is not for everyone. And that’s okay.

“Don’t worry about the haters. They are just angry because the truth you speak contradicts the lie they live.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli

You are an expert.

It’s difficult for many of us to see our own value. And even if we have learned to do it, there is still often a nasty little voice in the back of our minds that asks, “Who said you could do this? And who said you were any GOOD at it?”

Imposter syndrome makes us feel like an imposter, fraud, or phony, despite the fact that we are both intelligent and capable.

Those of us who have it (which is most of us) are simultaneously motivated to make cool stuff… and terrified of being exposed as a “fraud.” Sound familiar?

Obviously, it’s not healthy to think you’re superior to every other podcaster who has ever graced this planet. But it’s just as unhealthy to feel like a worthless piece of garbage.

Because YOU HAVE IMMENSE WORTH. You have invested time and energy in yourself to become an authority — whether you’re a real estate agent who is writing a real estate book or a creative writer writing a novel.

You have the skills and expertise you need to be successful. You are an expert. You are worthy of this.

And honestly, the fact that you even DEAL with imposter syndrome is an indicator that you have the depth of intelligence, creativity, and expertise that it takes to be a really fantastic writer.

“You are the expert in your creative work and life, and you must not ever give anyone else the responsibility for your life.” — Mary Oliver

You don’t need to shoulder the burden of perfection.

I am not perfect. You are not perfect. And your podcast, despite all of the time and effort you put into it, will not be perfect.

That is because PERFECT DOES NOT ACTUALLY EXIST.

Perfect is a thought exercise. There IS no Platonic Ideal of a story in existence, because every story NEEDS to be different to serve its unique audience.

Drop the notion that everything needs to be perfect. Focus on what your audience needs. Serve them. Create good work — maybe even GREAT work. Finish multiple stories and publish them. Don’t get stuck in the cycle of scrapping perfectly good work in search of a hard little frozen ideal.

Remind yourself: DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.

It’s interesting — like being “busy,” perfectionism is one of those flaws that we as a society secretly venerate.

It was always my go-to in job interviews when the interviewer would ask for a negative quality about myself. “Oh, I’m a perfectionist,” I would explain, with a modest wave of my hand. “I get caught up in my work because everything I do has to be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.” So basically, my “flaw” was that I was TOO GOOD at my job. (Insert eye-roll here.)

I know now that perfectionism doesn’t mean that you’re good at something. In fact, perfectionism is a form of FEAR.

I’m going to say that again: PERFECTIONISM. IS. FEAR.

Perfectionism is the shield we hide behind when we don’t want the world to find out that we are not, in fact, perfect.

Our egos are fragile. What would happen if our audiences found out that we were actual REAL, FLAWED HUMAN BEINGS?

Plus, if something isn’t perfect, then it’s not ready to be released! And we can save ourselves the anxiety of being judged by what we’ve created, right?!

I’m being facetious, if that wasn’t clear. Your work will not be perfect, and THAT IS OKAY.

That is what it means to be AUTHENTIC — to create something from your heart, release it to the public, and move on to creating your next great thing.

“Perfection is shallow, unreal, and fatally uninteresting.” — Anne Lamott

You may need to climb out of your comfort zone.

Comfort feels good. It’s safe and cozy and warm.

In fact, it’s SO safe and cozy and warm that many of us balk at the thought of leaving it, like getting out of bed on a rainy Saturday morning.

I get it — I was in that place, too, years ago. I was all snuggly and happy, and I didn’t see a benefit to leaving my comfort zone.

Until I realized the comfort had begun to chafe and give me figurative bedsores. Until the need to act, to do, to create became painful. Until I began to realize that staying where I was, where I was COMFORTABLE, was keeping me from growing. It was keeping me from learning, changing, and fulfilling the things I had always dreamed of doing.

Staying comfortable was how I kept myself down. But… it was comfortable, so for a long time I told myself it was okay.

Is your life 100% EXACTLY the way you want it to be right now?

If so, great — make yourself comfortable.

But if there is something you still want to do, or someone you still want to become, then it’s time to make yourself UNCOMFORTABLE.

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” — William Faulkner

You have everything you need to begin.

You don’t need to read just one more book.

You don’t need to watch just one more YouTube tutorial about the difference between a metaphor and a simile.

You don’t need to wait until your kids are off to college.

You don’t need to wait for winter, because then it won’t be so hot.

You don’t need to wait for summer, because then it won’t be so cold.

You don’t need to wait until you can afford professional studio space.

You don’t need to wait until you get a better laptop, notebook, or pen.

You don’t need to wait until you have the house to yourself.

You don’t need to wait.

There is no reason to wait. Start now. You already have everything you need.

“Whatever you’re meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.” — Doris Lessing

You can co-exist with the fear.

Fear is a survival instinct. It keeps us from doing stupid and harmful things, like poking our fingers into electrical sockets and getting into fistfights with grizzly bears.

Fear’s main purpose is to keep us safe, and for the most part, it does a fantastic job of that.

Unfortunately, “keeping us safe” exists on a sliding scale along with “keeping us comfortable,” “keeping us hidden,” and “keeping us free from any and all risk.”

I hear a lot of talk about “banishing fear” and “living without fear.” It sounds cool, but I don’t think it’s possible.

Fear is an instinct, and as such it’s hardwired into who we are. Like sadness or anger, it’s part of the human condition. We can’t surgically remove it or excise it or banish it.

But while we can’t get rid of fear, we can MANAGE it. We can acknowledge it, and say, “Thank you for doing your job and keeping me safe.”

We can gently lift it out of the driver’s seat, and place it in the back seat where it belongs.

“You can ride along if you behave yourself,” we can tell the fear, “but I’m driving today.”

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” — Jack Canfield

You are not alone.

My favorite thing about writing is the community.

I have met the most amazing, selfless, and encouraging people in writing. Those people were there for me when I started decades ago, and now even more of them are here for YOU.

If you feel lost, afraid, or stuck along your creative journey, reach out to me or a fellow writer. Because you’re not alone. We’re all here with you and for you.

Ready?

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain

Thank you.

This book would not have been possible without the help and input of several incredible individuals — namely, those who taught me the lessons that I just shared with you. Thank you to my husband, Tim Krause, my friends and mentors Rebecca Wiener McGregor, Melissa Johnson, and Rohn Gibson, and my sibs, Rachel, Harrison, and Rebecca. I am so grateful for all of you.

And, of course, thank YOU.