Welcome to Writing for Real, a monthly newsletter helping you live your best new writer life. I'm glad you're here.

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In this issue…

• My Latest Chapter (a personal update)

• Writing Must-Haves

• Read This

• Try This

• QOTM - Question of the Month

My latest chapter

December came far too quickly for my liking. One minute I was enjoying the autumn colors, and then suddenly it was all things Christmas! While I missed my November newsletter, it was for a few good reasons: my husband and I took our first cruise (yay!), I caught Covid for the first time on the way home (boo), and I had to get ready for the holidays. Between the time on vacation, several days in bed recuperating, and all the wrapping and baking for Christmas, something had to give. Though I had planned to jump right back into writing when I got home, I just couldn't do it. I listened to my body and focused on getting better.

While Covid was awful, the cruise was fantastic! We sailed with Norwegian Cruise Line on an itinerary that included Portugal, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Gibraltar, and Malaga, Spain (my favourite). We certainly got our steps in each day, which was great because it helped counter all the plentiful indulgences (oh, did we indulge!).

I loved it all, but I couldn't help noticing my differing responses to each place and its first impression. Some locations drew me in completely, making me wish I could stay for months, while others evoked a more clinical curiosity—a day in port felt sufficient for these. Each experience taught me more about my travel preferences, which will help me plan future trips in a meaningful way.

The similarities to my writing life did not escape me. As a writer, understanding what energizes versus depletes you is key to cultivating a sustainable creative practice. Knowing yourself—your writer personality—is a Must-Have for joy and growth (more on that below).

From interesting cultural spaces to friendly and helpful people, The cruise was a blast from start to finish. Not only did I have fun, the abundance of new sights, sounds and tastes sparked a rush of new writing ideas. Can’t wait to start my next book!

Writing Must-Haves

In continuation of last month’s Must-Haves theme, here’s another tip for new or hesitant writers. Of course, these Must-Haves work for any writer, but they are essential for new writers who are looking for a safe place to start. My goal with this newsletter is to make things super easy (and hopefully fun and interesting) so that you can feel good building your writer skills.

Writing advice abounds on the internet, in bookstores, and at every writing seminar across the globe. Do this, they say, and you'll get an agent/sell your book/make a million dollars! And while this advice may have worked for them, or even for a few writers you know, it does not mean it will work for you. Knowing which advice to follow and which to ignore will save you loads of time, money and heartache. Your resources are better spent learning about YOU.

Understanding which advice aligns with your strengths and challenges—and heeding that advice early on—will help you build a sustainable writing practice that flows, feels natural, and ultimately gives you the best shot at success.

“It’s your job to be the expert in yourself and your fit, and to leave behind (as quickly as possible) the advice that doesn’t work for you.”

Becca Syme, Dear Writer, Are You In Writer's Block?

How do you know which writing advice to take and which to ignore? Should you listen to your friend and enroll in the MFA program she claims transformed her writing? Or follow the guidance from podcasts that helped another writer land an agent? Perhaps attend workshops with famous authors sharing their unique paths to success? The options can be overwhelming. Again, just because certain advice worked for someone else doesn't mean it will work for you. Your task is to determine what methods are effective for your specific situation.

Becca Syme, bestselling author, writing coach, and founder of The Better Faster Academy, argues that success depends on your unique writing personality. She believes you must understand your individual strengths and challenges—then use that knowledge to develop practices that align with your needs and abilities. Focus on building habits that support your creative flow, and abandon those that feel forced or unnatural. While there's abundant advice available for aspiring novelists, you must be selective. Finding the right guidance means understanding your values, natural tendencies, and what will help you write both better and more efficiently.

In her podcast episode "What is Author Alignment," Becca explains that we're all wired differently, and it's these differences—and how we understand and work with them—that determine our success as writers. Her company uses the Clifton Strengths Assessment to analyze what drives you based on your core values. This understanding helps you distinguish between advice that could lead to significant success and advice that might leave you with nothing but unread books piling up on your bedroom floor and an expensive webinar subscription that you’ll never use.

“If success was predictable, then every single person who works hard and has talent would hit. And they don’t.”

― Becca Syme, Dear Writer, You Need to Quit

You can’t argue with the above quote, even if you don’t like it. You’ve probably been told to work hard and develop your skills your entire life, which is good general advice, but in the writing world, where very few authors find ‘success’ as defined by society (sell a million copies or make a best sellers list), it is grossly lacking in the specificity that can make the difference in realizing your version of writing success.

The Plan

1. Take a personality test to identify your dominant traits. Options can include Clifton Strengths, Enneagram, or even the book "Reclaim Your Author Career" (an Enneagram assessment designed specifically for writers). While these tests are generally best as the paid versions, you can find free alternatives online, including a basic core values assessment, which can provide a good starting point.

2. Study your dominant traits to understand how they reflect your values.

3. Develop writing practices that align with your values, strengths, and dominant traits. For example, don't force yourself to be a plotter if you're naturally a pantser (the knowledgeable Jane Friedman explores this distinction here).

4. Maintain a journal to track which advice and practices work for you, which don't, and how your understanding evolves over time (along with your writing).

5. Evaluate all writing advice through your personal lens, investing time, energy, and money in the advice that supports your values and aligns with your personality.

One important note: While your core values typically remain stable throughout adulthood, your writing skills and motivation evolve as you develop as an author. Advice that once seemed irrelevant might resonate now—not because your values have changed, but because you weren't ready to grasp it before (as the saying goes, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."). If advice aligns with your fundamental values, it will likely become relevant at some point in your writing journey.

Uncovered your dominant strength? Let me know what it is and how it changed your perception of your writer self.

Read this…

Try this…

This month's writing prompt explores the connection between character personality and underlying values:

1. Select a favorite character from a novel, play, movie, or television show.

2. Create their personality sketch using a character profile template (Reedsy offers a reputable version, though many alternatives exist online). Consider: Are they serious or sarcastic? Loud or soft-spoken? Did they grow up in poverty or privilege?

3. Using the core value chart, identify values central to this character. For example, they might value security because of childhood abandonment, or openness because they grew up in a family that avoided confrontation. The most memorable characters consistently act according to their values.

4. Now work with one of your own characters (or create a new one). Begin their profile by establishing their core values, then develop personality traits, education, and childhood experiences that align with these values. This approach ensures their actions, thoughts, and dialogue reflect their fundamental beliefs, making them more credible and relatable to readers.

Share your piece with me—I'd love to feature a couple of them in future newsletters!

QOTM

What are your core values? How do they support your writing?

Reach out on Instagram, Threads or email to let me know.

Thanks for reading!

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