A Psychologist Hat

Susan Reichert

Were you aware that sometimes in writing we need to put on a psychology hat? This may be a bigger hat than we knew. Why? Because thinking, either conscious or subconscious, precedes actions. This means the mistakes we make sometimes in our actions began as a mistake in our thinking.

Who hasn’t felt down when they’ve received a rejection letter? Or what about those times you are trying to write and it just isn’t coming together. Most of us go through thought patterns that may start out positive but eventually may begin turning into negative thoughts. Dwelling long periods on things not working causes the mind to pile up lots of doubt about our abilities and our self-confidence begins to wane. To climb out of this pit we now need a ladder. These actions can derail our life and our writing. I am not saying we are not going to have some down times, but we need to make sure it does not take hold.

To improve the results, you are getting you must improve your actions.

You can choose to look at this as an opportunity to grow. What can you learn from the situation? Just because someone turned your article or manuscript down, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It just means that place and or person was not a fit for what you wrote. Don’t let yourself take it personally. Yes, I know that is hard, but if you are going to be a published author you may go through this scenario quite a few times. Some people went through fifty-one rejections before their work was published, others more times than this. The secret is not giving up, but persevering in spite of turndowns and obstacles.

Choose the attitude you will have.

You can choose to be positive or you can choose to be negative. Which one makes you feel better, lighter? Which choice makes you feel you can accomplish what you put your mind to? I will let you answer those questions. But positive outlooks normally draw positive things whereas negative outlooks send all the positive things away.

As your thinking changes so will your actions. This means you have to change the way you talk to yourself. You will find yourself becoming more productive as a writer. If you think about this, it actually gives you power. You can select the results you want by adjusting your thinking.

It helps to have your thoughts already in place, second nature to you, so when you get a turn down, your thoughts take over in a positive way.

Susan Reichert is the past Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Southern Writers Magazine. She is now President of Southern Author Services.

She is the author of God's Prayer Power and Storms in Life. She has numerous magazine articles published as well as short stories in anthology books.

She and her family live in Tennessee. They have four daughters, grown and families of their own.