Teaching children to read can teach us to write. This struck me one day as I sat down with my son to do some reading.

Watch my video below to find out what the similarities are.

Hello my lovely writers, how are you? 

Today it struck me how teaching children to read can teach us to write.

My son is ten years old and has always found reading and writing a challenge. He’s getting towards the upper stages of primary school, which is the time when he has to think about high school. It’s the time when I have to knuckle down with him and do some serious reading because, although he knows the rules of reading, he doesn’t practise them.

When we first started reading, he was very resistant. He came up with all kinds of excuses about why he couldn’t do it or why there was something else more important he should be doing. 

Then, when that didn’t work, he’d have a bit of a temper tantrum. He’d start huffing and puffing and trying to cause arguments so I’d get distracted and wouldn’t sit down with him to do the reading. 

When we’d eventually sit down to do the reading, it was fine. On the days he got to choose the book, he was confident and the reading flowed. Although he’d never admit it, he does enjoy reading. 

On days when the book is harder and the words don’t flow, he finds it tougher. We get more tears and we get more tantrums before we get to the end of the book, but then he realises he did it and that it was all okay. 

How teaching children to read can teach us to write

Today he read me a story. It was a simple story but he read it with emotion, with intonation and with ease and he enjoyed reading it. It got me thinking about us as writers and the parallels between my son learning to read and us learning to write. 

My son has the advantage, I would say, because he’s got me on his back telling him, ‘You’re doing this,’ and he can’t get out of it. I force him into reading even when he doesn’t want to. Even when there are tears, he has to sit down and do the reading. 

I wish I could do that for each and every one of you who finds it hard to get to the page. I wish I could come to your house and tell you, ‘You’re going to do this. Sit down and get the words done.’ But I can’t. 

You’ve got to be your own Emma on your back telling you, ‘You’ve got to do this.’ 

You’ve got to hold yourself accountable, get yourself sitting down and doing it, even when you’re crying, even when you want to have a tantrum, even when it’s difficult. Because, as I’m seeing with my son after just a few weeks, he is improving no end with his reading. 

Consistency grows confidence

He’s so much more confident and comfortable with his reading. Yes, of course, there are glitchy moments and sticky moments when it feels hard, but it’s the same for you. 

After a few weeks of doing this every day, of doing this consistently, you will find it easier and easier as you go along. Of course, there are still going to be glitchy days when it feels messy and sticky but, overall, your confidence, capabilities and competency are going to increase tenfold, twenty-fold or more if you continue to do it. 

So, your challenge is, next time you have put some time aside to write and you hear Mr Procrastination in the background saying there are dishes to be done or filing to be done, I want you to hear Emma’s voice on top of that being very stern and in a good Scottish accent saying to you, ‘Get that work done.’ 

If you can hear me in the back of your head, maybe it will scare you enough to sit down and do the writing. But learning to read, learning to write, is all the same thing. We’ve just got to practise. 

So get practising. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is an author mindset 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!

If you’re dealing with negative self-talk, you know, that little voice in your head that tells you you don’t have what it takes to be a writer, this video is for you.

Hello my lovely writers, how are you? 

When you think about sitting down to write and you say to yourself, okay, I’ve got some time now, I want to write this book of mine, what does the little voice in your head say? 

Does it laugh at you? Does it tell you not to be so ridiculous? Does it say, ‘Who do you think you are, thinking you can write a book?’ 

Maybe it just laughs out loud. Maybe it’s just a big, simple laugh. If that sounds familiar, I promise you are not alone. In fact, you are in very good company. 

So many writers battle with the demons in their head. Those demons tell you not to let anybody know about this secret ambition you’ve got to write a novel. Those demons tell you to keep quiet about it, don’t talk about it, don’t let anybody know, don’t get above your station. 

Deal with that negative self-talk

If you feel stuck in a rut with these thoughts and never-ending loop of negative self-talk around your writing, I promise you there is a way out and you absolutely can get your head out of that ditch. This is one of the things I help my writers do in my course, Unlock Your Creative Block. 

I will help you. I will give you the tools. I will show you a way out of that never-ending negative loop of self-talk, so you can feel good about your writing and feel confident about your writing. I promise you, when you do it, your creativity will take off, you will fly, and there will be no stopping you. 

If you’re interested in breaking that loop and that cycle so your creativity can take off, come on and join me in my Unlock Your Creative Block course. 

It is going to revolutionise the way you see yourself and the way you see your writing. I’ll see you on the inside. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is an author mindset 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!

It takes two things to write a book. Do you want to know what they are?

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out! 

Hello my lovely writers!

It takes two things to write a book. It takes self-belief that you can do it and it takes habit. Those are the two things you need to write a book. 

I say that because all of you have wonderful ideas, ideas that just keep coming. Coming up with ideas is not a problem for you. I know, too, you do a lot of work on the craft of writing. You read a lot, you listen a lot, and you take part in so many workshops and online programs, you’ve started to think you’re addicted to writing courses, so I know you are doing a lot of work on the craft of writing. 

Routine comes with self-belief

But when it comes down to it, the two things that are really holding you back are self-belief that you can do this and building a routine. And routine comes with self-belief. 

We think it’s the other way around, that if we build a routine, if we keep doing all these classes, then the self-belief will come along afterwards. But it’s the other way around because you need to believe you are capable of doing this. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be tomorrow but you’ve got to believe that at some stage you are capable of finishing your book or that you are at least capable of writing a first draft. 

When you have a level of self-belief that this is possible for you, you are much more likely to turn up at your desk regularly and build that routine. It’s all very well turning up to an online class or a weekend workshop because someone else has set the deadline and said, ‘This is when it’s going to start.’ But when it comes to setting that time for ourselves, that deadline for ourselves, to show up for ourselves, there’s a level of self-belief that needs to come if you’re going to believe that you can sit down and do it. 

The two things it takes to write a book

They are the two things it takes to write a book: self-belief and routine. Do you have those? Are you ready with those? If not, if this is something that is holding you back, then I encourage you to check out my fabulous program, Unlock Your Creative Block. It will give you the self-belief you need to set the routine to write your book. 

Emma xx

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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!

Stop ‘finding’ time to write and start claming the time instead. After all, you have boundaries in place for everything else in your life, so why not your writing?

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out how to claim the time to write. 

Hello my lovely writers!

If you want to write a book, you’ve got to stop “finding” time to write and start “claiming” it by putting boundaries in place. It’s as simple as that. There’s no two ways about it. 

Why do you need to do that? You’re probably wondering, ‘Why do I need to put boundaries in place? I manage to do everything else okay. I go to work, I get my kids to school, I make dinner. I do all the things I need to do, so why do I need to put extra boundaries in place for my writing?’ 

You’ve got boundaries in place for everything else

Well, that’s just it. You’ve got boundaries in place for all those other things, haven’t you? For example, you know when you need to turn up for your shift at work, or you know your day job is 9-5, Monday to Friday. Your employer has set those boundaries but they are there. 

If you need to collect your kids from school and do their after school activities, those boundaries are set. You know when they take place, you know where they take place and you make sure it happens. 

If you’re going out for dinner and you’ve booked the table or you’ve arranged to meet a friend, those boundaries have been put in place. That time is protected. 

It’s exactly the same for your writing. 

Finding time to write

Too many of you will say to yourself, ‘I will do this writing when I’ve done all the other things I need to do. Then I’ll feel free and relaxed and not under pressure and I can sit down and do my writing.’ 

But the trouble is, all of those other things take the place of the writing. Because you’ve got the boundary in place for all those other things but not for your writing, they encroach into your writing time and, before you know it, another weekend has gone by or, before you know it, it’s Friday again and still no writing has happened because your life is so busy. When you’ve got a lot going on, unless you ring fence that time and protect that writing time, other things will encroach on it. 

Those other things may also include watching TV or scrolling through social media. It might even include reading other people’s books instead of working on your own. But that is why boundaries are so important. Boundaries give you the protected space you need in order to slowly but surely put the words down and write that book. 

Ring fence your writing time

It’s not going to happen overnight. Writing a book is not a sprint, it is very much a marathon, especially when you’re writing those first few books. But we have to ring fence that time and protect that writing time or everything else is going to encroach upon it and we’ll never get that opportunity to build our confidence, to build our routine, to get to the end of the book and to learn our writing process. 

We’re always going to be chasing our tail unless we protect that time, put those boundaries in and give ourselves that space to really enjoy the writing and feel good about ourselves and balance that creative bit of our brain. 

So, put those boundaries in place. Get your book written and then you can email me and say, ‘I’ve written it, Emma. I put my boundaries in. I’ve written the book,’ and then tell me where I can get a copy. 

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!

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out how having an accountability partner can help you get those pages written. 

Do you hate letting others down? Do you absolutely hate letting other people down and yet, you’re always letting yourself down by breaking your promises to yourself and wondering why that is? 

It’s because you’re a kindhearted person and you want other people to be happy. Too often though, you put their needs above your own. 

Does that sound familiar to you? Do you recognise that in yourself? 

Do you hate letting others down?

What that’s doing for you and your writing is it means you put everybody else’s needs ahead of your own. You never get the time or space you need to think about your creative work, do the creative work and enjoy the creative work. 

How can you work a way around that? How can you find ways to stop breaking your promises to yourself and give yourself the space and time you need to write your book? 

One of the ways you can do this is by getting an accountability partner or accountability buddy. An accountability partner will be there waiting for you to hand in your pages to them by a particular date so they have time to read them and give you feedback. 

You need an accountability partner

Even if it’s somebody who’s not going to feed back to you because you’ve asked them not to because you just want to have that accountability of knowing that, if someone’s waiting and depending on you, then you will get it done. 

Your accountability partner needs to be somebody you trust and who you’re happy to read your pages, if you’ve asked them to. By having that external person, that external accountability, you’re much more likely to show up and get the work done. 

Give it a try if you haven’t already and let me know. Does having an accountability buddy help you get your pages written? 

Let me know. 

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!