Affirmations for Writers in 2026

https://richardbach.com/

    As we close out our year of Tens, the Six Pens offer affirmations to uphold and encourage your writing pursuits in the coming year. 

If you write, you are a writer.

Best practices come with Practice.

I have the courage to put my work out into the world.

I have options and possibilities that drive me to keep working on my craft.

Talent, timing and tenacity are my driving forces.

Every rejection is a step closer to yes.

Open a child's mind to wonder and possibility through the words you write.

Writing is about the journey, not the destination.

I keep writing because doing so brings me closer to success.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” – Richard Bach

Nothing Happens Lest First You Dream

 

                               Vision Boards

                                                  by

                                        Gloria Reichert

 

Recently, I attended a webinar about Vision Boards presented by Merrill Rainey, Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI: Ohio North. A vision board is a physical, tactile representation of the goals which someone wishes to achieve. This collection of pictures, words, and phrases is designed to help a person visualize his dreams and goals.

The idea behind vision boards is simple. By placing your vision board in a prominent place where your goals and intentions are highly visible, your mind is constantly reminded of these focus areas, and your subconscious works away at them. Vision boards are connected to the Law of Attraction, which is about attracting into your life those things upon which you are focusing. The idea is that our experiences are created by our thoughts and feelings. Whatever we focus our attention on will be brought into our lives. Vision boards keep the goals we set foremost in our minds and create positive feelings when we look at them.  

Do vision boards work? A body of research says they do. They rely on visualization, which is a powerful tool. A report in Psychology Today states that athletes who visualized their training exercises received almost the same benefit as those who undertook the physical exercises. Oprah Winfrey has discussed the use of vision boards to help her meet her goals.

Merrill suggested four steps for creating a vision board.

Step 1 - Brain Dump: Set a timer for 20 minutes. During that time, write down everything you want to accomplish in 2022, three years, five years – whatever you decide. Focus on your writing goals or whatever you choose. Then categorize the ideas into different columns.

Step 2 - Reflect and Refine. Decide which ideas are the most important. What do you want most to change or improve? These can be either short or long term goals.

Step 3 - Create your vision board. Use white or colored poster board, foam board, cork board, white board, or felt board as the background. Using magazines, newspapers, and computer printings, cut out images, words, and phrases which reflect your goals. Arrange them on your background. Glue or tape them into place. Add glitter or stickers. Draw with markers - whatever you wish. You might play music while you create your board.

Step 4 – Display your vision board. Put your vision board somewhere you can see it every day so that your subconscious can get to work.

Vision boards can also be made digitally. Online templates and directions are available. Once printed, these can be displayed or kept in a planner or journal where they will be easily seen.

Many suggestions for both kinds of vision boards can be found on Pinterest.

You must believe that what you are putting on your vision board will come true, and you must give the work and effort that’s necessary. 

Once I complete my vision board, I think I might make one for some of my characters to see how that could inform my writing. No telling where vision boards might lead.

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For more information on Merrill, follow him on Instagram (@littlerainey) or visit his website at www.littlerainey.com.

Finding Inspiration

By Gloria Reichert

Lawn mowers buzz the emerging grass. Leaves fill the bare branches of trees. Flowers pop up to add fragrance and color to the world. Birds fill the air with song. All around, we can see signs of spring reflecting the growth this season brings.

As writers and illustrators, we need to be growing too, not only in spring but throughout the year. We can do this by searching out different resources that expose us to new ideas, stretch our thinking, and inspire us to think creatively. Listed below are some resources that can inspire us to grow.

BOOKS 

Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition by Ann Whitford Paul. This updated book guides readers every step of the way from the early stages of creating a story to publication. The end of every chapter includes exercises to help readers apply the information presented to their own manuscripts. 

Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life and Let Go of Your Fears by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert is best known for her novel Eat, Pray, Love, but in this nonfiction book, she discusses her ideas about how to deal with that fear that all creatives face, how to act on the ideas a writer notices, and how to have less stress as you go forth to create. Our fears will always be there, so we might as well acknowledge them and get comfortable with them but let our curiosity and creativity reign. She presents a new approach to the creative process.

TED Talk Mac Barnett

In this whimsical talk about “Why a Good Book is a Secret Door,” Barnett focuses on the “art of fiction,” that special place between truth and lies. In addition to sharing information about 826 Valencia, a tutoring center for writing, he discusses art as a doorway to wonder and shares what kids say to a fictional whale. Barnett is a humorous, inspiring speaker who believes kids deserve the best stories we can give to them.

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

12x12 - This year long writing challenge focuses on helping members write 12 picture book manuscripts – one each month of the year. Also included are opportunities for webinars by industry leaders, critiques, and submitting to agents or editors – depending on the level of membership.

Nonfiction Fest – Held in February for the last two years, daily blogs written by folks involved with nonfiction highlight different aspects of writing nonfiction and share books which exemplify the topics discussed.

Reading for Research Month (ReFoReMo) Each March, daily blogs written by authors, illustrators, agents, or editors discuss topics of interest to picture books creators and present mentor texts as examples of the topic being discussed. Participants analyze the mentor texts to see what makes them successful. 

These suggestions represent only a few of the many resources available to help writers and illustrators. As you peruse these, may you be led to many other resources which inspire you and help you to grow and to hone your craft.

 

Throughlines

By Laurie Knowlton

A fellow critique member recently asked if she had kept to her throughline in a biography she is writing. I have to admit, I was not familiar with that term. I researched THROUGHLINE and found wonderful articles, TED talks, and definitions. This is what I gleaned from my research.

 A throughline is the thread that binds the story together. It is the one thing that motivates the main character to keep moving forward, short-term to long-term, in spite of all the challenges that arise.

This got me thinking about our personal throughlines as authors. Our throughlines are to write something that is good enough to get published. This seldom happens without studying the craft of writing. Attending conferences, workshops, and writing retreats. Reading HOW-TO and mentor texts. Joining critique groups. Poring over the Writer's Market guide. And writing.

Yes, writing. Everyone has their own rhythm for writing. Some people have a set time and place. Some people wait for the muse. Some people go out into the world eavesdropping and writing down bits and pieces of dialogue they hear. Some people stick with one genre. While others write a little bit of everything.

But they write. All hoping for the elusive goal of publication.

What stands in the way of accomplishing the desired outcome? FEAR. Self-defeat. Rejections. Age. Ourselves. This writing business isn't a romantic ideal. It is reality, sometimes a difficult reality.

BUT if you are focused on your throughline, if you hold onto it with tenacity, if you hone your talent, if you can be patient for your time, if you can be generous with your accumulated knowledge and pass it onto others on the same journey, I believe God will bless you with accomplishing your throughline as an author.

I have been blessed to watch many people hold onto their throughlines by focusing on the end goal of getting published, in spite of the struggle. This group of bloggers is a great example. To Gloria Adams, Lisa Amstutz, Kate Carol, Lana Koehler, and Gloria Reichert, you rock! You accomplished your throughlines and continue to do so while helping others to follow their dreams of publication. I am so proud of you all.

Readers, be true to your personal throughlines. Great stories are waiting to be written and published.