31. Pushing through moments that feel like epic failure
01/24/23 • 7 min
How do we push through moments that feel like epic failure?
In this episode, Erin shares with you her pain from a recent failure and her own process for getting through moments such as these when we feel we haven’t lived up to our potential and didn't reach our goal.
More importantly, you’ll hear Erin find her motivation again as she keeps things in perspective, with the hope that both you and she will keep trying and learn from your mistakes.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Facing failure
- Feeling those big feelings
- Putting things in perspective
- Making a list of potential solutions and next steps
- Reframing failure as a setback
- Keep learning, growing, evolving
- Finding that spark of inspiration again
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call:
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
How do we push through moments that feel like epic failure?
In this episode, Erin shares with you her pain from a recent failure and her own process for getting through moments such as these when we feel we haven’t lived up to our potential and didn't reach our goal.
More importantly, you’ll hear Erin find her motivation again as she keeps things in perspective, with the hope that both you and she will keep trying and learn from your mistakes.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Facing failure
- Feeling those big feelings
- Putting things in perspective
- Making a list of potential solutions and next steps
- Reframing failure as a setback
- Keep learning, growing, evolving
- Finding that spark of inspiration again
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call:
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
Previous Episode
30. Showing emotions by asking yourself 8 questions
How do we show what we or our characters are feeling so our readers can experience those emotions for themselves as the scene unfolds?
In this episode, you’ll learn eight questions you can ask yourself so you can better visualize what those emotions look and feel like and thus how to show your readers.
Tune in so you can also gain tips on how to identify when you’re telling, instead of showing, and when that’s okay. This episode will not only help you to finish your first draft but also learn another revision technique.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Erin’s perfectionism while painting stairs
- Capturing a snapshot of emotions during the first draft
- Filling in details during revision
- Identifying when you’re telling emotions
- Questions to prompt showing emotions
- An example of a scene revised based on those question
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
Next Episode
32. From postpartum depression to author w/ Samantha Bryant
When postpartum depression strikes, escaping those feelings can seem impossible. But finding a way to overcome the impossible and turn what we view as a weakness into our strength is part of what draws us to superheroes.
Joining today’s conversation is Samantha Bryant, an author of horror and superheroes. This mom of two returned to creative writing as a means to help herself through postpartum depression.
Learn how Samantha established healthy boundaries with her children to safeguard her writing time. You’ll also hear about the evolution of her children adjusting to her writing needs and becoming her biggest supporters.
So, if you want to hear how Samantha turned a forgotten hobby into a writing career that includes superheroes, tune in today’s episode.
Topics discussed:
- Writing to process the world
- The slow decline of writing post-childbirth
- PPD and getting back into writing
- Weekend family team meetings
- Pursing writing beyond being a hobby
- Implementing a daily writing habit
- The kids’ reactions to mom writing
- How healthy boundaries change as kids grow up
- Writing has no age limit
- Looking back at our earlier writings
- For the love of superheroes
- No right way to go about a writing life
- Favorite books
- Don’t wait to start writing again
About Samantha:
Samantha writes half-hero and half-horror, depending on whether she wants to save the world or watch it burn. Her superhero series comprises four novels, two novellas, and a collection of shorts and will conclude with the fifth novel in 2024. Her short-form horror work appears in several anthologies.
She parents an adult daughter and a teenage non-binary kid with her patient husband. La Casa Bryant is in a small town in North Carolina.
Get her books:
- Menopausal Superhero series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2
- Anthologies with her horror stories: https://bit.ly/SamanthaBryant
Connect w/ Samantha:
- Website: http://samanthabryant.com
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthabwriter
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/samanthabwriter
Books discussed during the show:
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Comic books: Spider-Man, Underdog, Archie, Red Sonya, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men
- The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Blck
- Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
- Pajama Time and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boy
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
Embracing the Fiction Author Journey - 31. Pushing through moments that feel like epic failure
Transcript
How do we push through moments that feel like epic failure? In this episode, I'm going to share with you my own process for getting through a moment when I felt like I didn't live up to my own potential and I didn't reach my goal. And how I found the motivation and the perspective to keep trying and learn from my mistakes.
Welcome to Parents Who Write, the podcast that helps parents pursue their writing dreams. I'm your host, Erin P.T.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/embracing-the-fiction-author-journey-324753/31-pushing-through-moments-that-feel-like-epic-failure-47512786"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to 31. pushing through moments that feel like epic failure on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy