by Suzanne Lieurance
When was the last time you asked yourself what you really want from your writing life?
Not what seems reasonable. Not what you think you should want. Not what would be easiest to accomplish next.
What do you actually want?
As we continue our August challenge of Bold Creative Expansion, this is a useful question because sometimes our writing goals become so familiar that we stop examining them. We keep working toward the same milestones simply because they’re the ones we’ve been working toward for years.
Your Writing Vision Is Allowed to Change
Maybe there was a time when your biggest goal was simply to finish a manuscript. Then you finished one.
Maybe you wanted to see your name in print. Then that happened, too.
The goal that once stretched you can eventually become your normal. That doesn’t make the old goal unimportant. It simply means you’ve grown.
Your writing vision is allowed to grow with you.
Separate Desire From the Plan
One reason writers limit their dreams is that we immediately ask how we’re going to accomplish them.
I’d love to write a series, but how would I find the time?
I’d love to reach thousands of readers, but how would I do that?
I’d love to make a significant income from my writing, but how could that happen?
Those are planning questions. They matter, but they don’t have to be answered at the same moment you identify what you want.
First decide what you want. Then begin figuring out how.
Wanting More Doesn’t Mean What You Have Isn’t Enough
This is especially important. Expansion isn’t dissatisfaction.
You can appreciate the books you’ve written, the readers you have, and the progress you’ve made while still wanting to grow.
Gratitude and ambition can exist together.
In fact, recognizing how far you’ve already come can make it easier to imagine what might come next.
Look Beyond the Next Manuscript
Your bigger vision doesn’t have to be limited to a book.
Perhaps you want a body of work you’re proud of. Maybe you want your writing to support you financially, introduce you to interesting people, allow you to teach, or give you more freedom over your time.
This is where our pillar page, Law of Attraction for Writers, can help you think beyond a single outcome and consider the thoughts, expectations, and actions you’re bringing to the writing life you’re creating.
Give the Vision Some Room
You don’t need to turn today’s vision into a five-year plan.
Write it down. Sit with it. Notice which parts energize you.
Then choose one part that deserves more attention now.
Bold creative expansion isn’t about piling more onto your schedule. It’s about making sure the work you’re already doing is taking you somewhere you actually want to go.
Your Next Step
Finish this sentence without editing your answer: If I knew I didn’t have to explain or justify it, what I’d really love from my writing life is…
Then read what you wrote.
You may have just given yourself a much clearer destination.
Further Reading
- Our August Writing Challenge: Bold Creative Expansion
- 7 Signs You’re Playing Smaller Than Your Writing Potential
- The Hidden Cost of Always Choosing the Safe Writing Project
- Law of Attraction for Writers
Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a transformational Law of Attraction coach for writers who are ready to stop waiting to feel like the real thing. At Write by the Sea, she guides writers through the identity shift that changes everything — not just the writing, but the whole life built around it. She is the publisher of Manifesting Monthly magazine and the host of Monday Morning Manifestors.
Subscribe to The Morning Nudge to get a FREE, short email every weekday morning with writing tips and other resources for writers. You’ll also get a free e-book, You Are Already a Writer – Now It’s Time to Start Living Like One.
