Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z – The Power of Zero

As a writer, there will be times when you feel like Zero. You’ll believe you have zero talent, zero hope of finishing your manuscript, and zero chance of breaking into the industry. Zero is a giant loop. While it might be normal to have these feelings, if you stay with the zero mentality, you’ll get stuck in the loop and go nowhere.

This is the dangerous power of zero.

The good news is this:

No one has zero talent. Learn your skills. Celebrate the areas where you excel and work on the areas where you struggle.

No one has zero hope of finishing their manuscript. Unless you quit. Simply take it one step at a time and stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

No one has zero chance of breaking into the industry. It does take time, so don’t give up. But we also have multiple avenues to publication now. If one route doesn’t turn out how you want or expect, there are plenty more choices available.

What do you do to fight the zero feelings?

Congratulations to everyone for completing the A-Z challenge!

31 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Get out of the loop before you spiral down the drain!
Thanks to all of my awesome IWSG admins for contributing this month.

J.L. Campbell said...

Thanks! I made it. To beat the zeroes, I just keep writing.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Woo! We made it!!

Anonymous said...

I leave it for a minute and find inspiration outside of the writing. A visit to a garden, a museum, a show. Open the mind to get out of the loop. And yay, we're finished.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats on making it to the end of the Challenge! To combat the zero feelings, I eat a little chocolate and do something to inspire me. Then I come back to the computer refreshed!

Linda Kay said...

You've done a great job with the challenge. When I get to that "zero" moment, I just let it go for a bit, then come back. Sometimes your mind is too overwhelmed in the present to allow for the creativity to show up!

Pat Hatt said...

Zero can quickly turn to hero, right?

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

It really took years after publishing my first book before I got over the occasional zero feelings. Support of fellow writers help.

cleemckenzie said...

Where's the champagne? And you're right about dissing that Zero. Let's put two behind a 1 and give 100% to reaching our goals.

Dr. Theda said...

in math.... "zero" was the greatest thing to ever be invented...
... Hope (and not "giving up") have been well stated in your posts , dear Lady.... and some really good advice as well...
.. A great day to you and yours...

i b arora said...

my first boss used to say that everyone has some innate talent we only need to find and tap it

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda .. the zero concept is a good one .. we've all got something going for us .. and we need to persevere ...

Well said .. and congratulations to all who helped the IWSG site etc ..

Cheers to one and all for completing the Challenge .. Hilary

Cathy Kennedy said...

What encouragement with "no one has zero talent"! Sometimes I feel just like that, but I know it's not exactly true deep down. My talent is different than others and it's just a matter of honing in on my talent. Thanks for the inspiration!

Anonymous said...

This may be weird, but I take a break when I'm feeling like a zero. I do something I'm good at and that boosts my confidence.

Congratulations on getting to the end of the challenge too. =)

~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

J Lenni Dorner said...

J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee's A to Z Ambassador Team.
Welcome to "Z-day"! (Time to watch the iZombie television series?)
Hope to see you at the after party. I'm looking forward to when the Reflections Linky List opens on Monday May 4th.
To fight the zero feelings, I turn to motivational posts. Lucky for me, the net is full of them!
-J @JLenniDorner

klahanie said...

Hey Lynda,

Welcome to my IWSG aka "I Was Seeking Gary".

ZERO is no big deal to me. I don't care about breaking into the writing industry. I'm happy being a smug amateur.

Well done to all of you who did the alphabet thing. Enjoy your eleven months of reflection posts.

Gary :)

Nadine_Feldman said...

What else am I going to do? I can't imagine life without writing. I'm happier when I write, so I've already started out way past zero.

Michelle Wallace said...

Everyday, I work on conquering those zeroes... little by little

YAY!
We did it!
That's a wrap---------

Victoria Marie Lees said...

You have good points here, Lynda. And boy, with my memoir about attending college with five kids in tow, I'm having zero moments. I need to look at only one problem at a time as I go back and revise. And then go back and revise again. Your post is very timely for me. Thanks for these tips.

Vishal Bheeroo said...

Congrats to you for finishing in style. Zero can do wonder and make one a winner in the race:)

Anonymous said...

Great to be with you at Z, even if my solution to Zero is too often 'sleep'.

Li said...

I go read something. I figure if I'm not writing, then reading is the next best thing. Or I'll visit Twitter and check out how other peeps are doing with their WIP. There's always someone else who's stuck or gnawing their fingernails over a project. Or I'll call a friend to brainstorm and problem solve.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Alex, all the admins did a brilliant job! And so did you, of course.

Joy, writing makes all the difference!

Val, that break to get in some living never fails to inspire.

Christine, chocolate is win!

Linda, that overwhelming feeling is never fun, but the break often helps.

Pat, That was almost my title: From Zero to Hero.

Susan, lucky you!! And yes, support from fellow writers is essential.

Lee, the champagne is in my belly!

Dr Theda, thanks so much.

IB Arora, tapping it is the key

Hilary, thanks!! And cheers to you too for the support.

Cathy, I hope you persevere.

Patricia, Breaks are good!

J, motivational posts really help

Gary, sounds like you're in a good place.

Nadine, that's so awesome to hear.

Michelle, little by little makes things happen.

Victoria, I hope you work through those zero moments. One problem at a time is the best way to do it.

Ranveer, thanks

Roland, sleep works too! I often feel refreshed and ready to tackle the world again after sleep.

Li, reading is absolutely the next best thing. In fact, it's on par with writing. And friends are great for helping out in a brainstorm session.

Unknown said...

My biggest Challenge was Procrastination... This Challenge though definitely helped me overcome THAT! At least for this month :)

--Mee Magnum (The Chinese Quest)

Blogoratti said...

Good stuff!

Haneen Ibrahim said...

No one has zero talent? I love that :)my z-post was about Zero too. I'm exhausted but very happy for finishing this year's A to Z challenge, thanks for being such a support guys ^-^

Shell Flower said...

A great note to end the challenge with. I feel like I've been in the zero loop lately with writing, so this is helpful. I should have visited your blog more this month!

Shell Flower said...

A great note to end the challenge with. I feel like I've been in the zero loop lately with writing, so this is helpful. I should have visited your blog more this month!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Zero is a sure sign I need to take a nap. Or pick up a good book. Or eat some cookies. Like everything else, the feeling passes. Excellent Z challenge, Lynda.

Ravyne said...

Hey guys! I am just passing thru on the A-to-Z Road Trip. I really enjoyed the collaborative efforts you all put in here for so many encouraging posts.

I did the challenge over at Promptly Written. This blog, The Rattling Bones,
is my new one. I signed up for your email list and look forward to your more of your posts. See you next April! ~Lori~

Random Musings said...

Have really enjoyed your A-Z posts and I've picked up a few good tips - thanks!
Popping by on the A to Z Road Trip
Debbie
www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com