It occurred to me that, with all the trial and error in writing, writers have a lot in common with scientists. 

Watch the video to find out why trial and error in our writing is a good thing. 

Hello my lovely writers. 

What does a scientist and a writer have in common? 

Don’t know? 

Let me tell you. 

It’s trial and error. 

That’s what a writer and a scientist have in common – they need to do things by trial and error. You’ll hear me say many times, ‘Writing a book is not a scientific formula. It’s not an equation you have.’ But there is an overlap in that, when you’re a writer, particularly a new writer, you’re finding your feet, you’re getting to grips with how to write a book and that means there is a lot of trial and error in writing. 

We all have a unique perspective and you are still figuring out not just what your process is, but also how you put together a first draft. Then how you go through your revisions, then how you go through your edits. You’re figuring all that out as you write. But, believe it or not, you’re also figuring out what type of book you are writing and what kind of storyteller you are. You may want to write in one genre but, bizarrely, you find you actually write in another type of genre. 

For example, I thought I would probably write literary fiction because, all through my life, I read the slightly more highbrow literary canon we have here in the UK. But when it came to the writing and putting a story down, I found I wrote very much commercial genre fiction and, even within that, I’m still finding my niche, starting off with women’s fiction and moving through to domestic psychological thrillers. 

Trial and error in writing is all part of the process

It’s all part of the process. It’s all part of that trial and error and that’s when being a writer is like being a scientist. It’s not that it’s formulaic, it’s not that there’s one size fits all and this is a universal law, but there’s trial and error. Trying something that doesn’t work. Trying something new that doesn’t work. Making things out of nothing and creating magic out of your writing. 

But don’t be ashamed of things not working and don’t be embarrassed that a story didn’t work. It’s all part of the process and I want to encourage you to see that trial and error as part of the fun of being a writer. You don’t know how it’s going to come out, you don’t know what’s going to happen next and that is what makes it exciting. It’s not that you need to be fearful of it or frightened of it, rather that it’s exciting, it’s part of the adventure and it’s part of the fun. 

That is how being a writer is like being a scientist. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

We all have a unique perspective and it’s that uniqueness that makes our writing special. 

Watch the video or read the text below to find out more about our uniqueness. 

Hello my lovely writers.

I wanted to share a little bit of a conversation that came up for me yesterday about how unique you are and it’s that uniqueness that makes your writing special.

This is something a lot of new writers don’t trust about themselves – that they have their own voice, their own style, their own way of writing, their own way of putting down a story onto paper and their own way of structuring a story. 

We all have a unique perspective

Each of us come to the page with our own life histories, our own personalities, our own take on things and our own way of telling a story.

These things combined are what make us unique. They make you unique. Nobody else could take the same storyline and write it the way you write it. You could have ten people given the same brief or given the same story but each person will come to it very differently. You’ll know this if you’ve taken part in any workshops where you’ve been given a line or two and told to create a story from that line.

Everybody does it differently. Some people will start with the line. Some people will end with the line. Some people will put the line in the middle. Everybody brings their own unique perspective to it and this is exactly the same when you’re writing a book. Just the same as when you’re doing an exercise in a workshop, you bring your uniqueness to it. Remember though, even though your story will be unique to you, it’s not representative of your self-worth and your book is not your baby.

Trust the process

I want to encourage you to trust the process. You might not know what it is yet but there is a process and it’s only by doing the writing, by doing the practice, by finishing stories do you get to know what your process is and learn to trust it, learn to lean into it and ultimately learn to enjoy your writing. 

I hope that gives you a little bit of something you need today.

You are unique. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Do you keep putting off your writing? It might surprise you to know that it’s not a lack of craft skills. Rather, it’s all in your head. 

Watch the video to find out more. 

Hello my lovely writers. 

Let me ask you, do you want more than anything to write a book but, at the same time, you find you would rather do anything than sit down to write, so you never actually get to the writing? 

You keep putting it off, keep putting it off, keep putting it off, and beat yourself up about it every time because you know more than anything else you want to write this book. 

You want the writer’s life but you keep putting off your writing

You want to be the creative you see on Instagram, on Facebook, on the news, in newspaper articles and in interviews. You want to be living that life. You want to be writing books you love. You want to be talking to other writers who are writing the same sorts of stories you are writing and who you admire. You want to create this new life for yourself. You want it so, so much, you can almost taste it. 

And yet, you will find any excuse, any reason, not to get your butt in the chair and do the writing. Whenever you think about doing the writing, this wall of resistance lifts itself up in front of you and, before you know it, your desk is the last thing you want to get to. 

So, what’s that about?

You’re probably wondering, ‘Well, how come other people who are also nervous about their writing, get to it. They do it. They’re doing the do. They’re doing the writing. They’re publishing their books, they’re finding their agents, they’re finding their readers.’

Maybe you’re wondering, ‘What is it about me that stops me from doing it?’ 

The thing that’s holding you back from your writing

That’s where the switch comes. That’s where it’s not about craft. The thing that’s holding you back from your writing is not craft. You have no doubt taken lots of workshops, read lots of books, attended lots of webinars and done a lot of training. You know how to write a book. You’ve got the basics and the fundamentals to get you started. So why are you not getting started? Why are you not doing it? 

That’s when there’s something deeper going on. That’s when imposter syndrome comes in. You might not think you’ve got it. You might be looking at other areas in your life where you’re thinking, ‘Well, I’m really successful in my paid job. I’m a great parent. I’m a wonderful partner. I’m a really loyal friend. In other areas of my life, I’m super, so I don’t have imposter syndrome. That’s not me.’ 

I’m afraid it is. 

You have imposter syndrome

If you are not doing the writing, even though you want to do it more than anything else in the world, that’s where imposter syndrome comes in. I want you to have a think about that. I want you to be looking at where else in your life you might be stopping yourself from doing what you really want to do. Is it really craft that’s holding you back, or is it what’s going on in your head? 

If you want more motivation, more encouragement, more ways of seeing past this and moving past your imposter syndrome, then I encourage you to sign up for my free 21 Days of Writing Inspiration series. 

Over 21 days, I will send you a short little video motivating you to keep on going, helping you build that writing habit, to build your confidence, grow that confidence and help you move past imposter syndrome. Because, I promise you, it’s not craft that’s holding you back. It’s what you’re telling yourself about you as a writer and about your writing. 

If you want to move past that, if you want to start this life, a writer’s life, then join my 21 Days of Writing Inspiration. 

Emma xx 

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

We all need some motivation sometimes. A little bit of inspiration to get us going.

Watch the video or read the text below to find out how I can help you find motivation and inspiration.

Hello my lovely writers.

So, listen. You’re a grown-up. You know what you want in life. You know if you want to write a book or if you don’t.

You know how to write a book. Let’s be honest, you do know how to do it. You’ve taken the courses, you’ve done the workshops, you’ve written the short stories, you’ve been in and amongst it all for a long, long time.

You just haven’t finished that big novel yet, the one you’ve been wanting to write for a long time. 

We all need some motivation sometimes

You know what you need to do if you want to write this book.

The trouble is, sometimes we keep putting off our writing and we need that little bit of inspiration. We need some motivation just to help us gather ourselves along. 

I don’t want to tell you exactly how to write your book. I don’t want to tell you what you need to do or not do but I do want to help you get to where you want to be. 

21 Days of Writing Inspiration

If you want that little bit of help, if you want a little bit of motivation along the way, sign up for my 21 Days of Writing Inspiration. 

It’s going to help you get there. It’s going to give you the little nudge, the little move along and you will take from it what you need to hear from it and it’ll help you in the way you need it to. 

So, why not join me? You won’t regret it. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Your book is not your baby. I want you to move away from that idea and know that your writing is not representative of your self-worth.

Watch the video or read the text below to find out why you are not your writing.

Hello my lovely writers.

If you’re currently feeling a bit ‘grr’ about your writing because it’s not going how you want it to go and you’re thinking, is it me? Am I no good at this? Am I not worthy of writing this book? Am I not capable of writing this book? 

I want you to stop and reflect on the fact that you are not your writing. The quality of the work you do today is not representative of who you are or your worth as an individual. 

Your book is not your baby

I hear a lot of people talk about their novel as being their baby. While that can be a cute little phrase to use and indicate how much you care about the novel you’re writing, if you say this or think about your book being your baby, I want to help you move away from this. 

Your book is not your baby. It’s really not your baby. It’s not a living, breathing thing. It’s not a human being, it’s not an animal, it’s not a sentient being; it’s a piece of work. It is a story and, although you may feel connected to your story and you’re passionate about it, it really is not your baby.

Your story is something you’re creating separate from yourself. It is going to be a product you put onto the shelf and encourage others to buy, read and enjoy but it’s not a reflection of you as an individual, nor does it represent you and your self-worth. 

If you are having a day where the words aren’t coming, you’re not feeling good and you’re feeling blocked creatively, I want you to know that that doesn’t mean anything about you as a person.

It simply means you’re having one of those days where the words aren’t flowing and you’re finding it a bit tough.

It’s not about you. You are not your work, you are a  separate entity and a separate being. 

You are not your writing

A lot of writers, particularly at the beginning, see themselves as putting their soul on the page, putting their heart on the page and, if it’s not good on the page, does that mean they’re not a good person? Does it mean they’re not worthy of being a writer or that they don’t deserve to have an agent, a publishing deal or readers? No, it doesn’t mean any of that. It’s two separate things. 

One is you, who you are, all your God-given talents and all the things you bring to the world. The other is a piece of fiction you craft and create, work on, revise, shape and turn into magic.

It’s not a reflection of you as an individual. It’s just a piece of work you’re putting out into the world. 

If you ever find yourself saying your book is your baby, please don’t. Please know it’s separate. You are separate and you can do it. You get to come back another day when you’re feeling more connected to it and you get to do better work and get to enjoy it more. 

Don’t take your self-worth from your writing

When I’m having a bad writing day, if I go back to those words I’ve written that day a week later, I can’t tell the difference. I don’t think I’m unique in that. We just make it a big deal in our heads on the day but, once you go back, you discover that, actually, there’s no difference. 

You are not your work. Your work is something separate and I hope you don’t take your self-worth from the writing you’re doing as being representative of you. Sometimes we authors do that too often but, actually, we are separate beings, we are separate entities and one does not reflect the other. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!