Often the key to success lies in subtracting rather than adding to your endless to-do list. Authors who achieve their goals have many qualities in common, including the things that they have given up and learnt to live without. So regardless of your definition of success, consider what habits and limiting mindsets are holding you back. Here are 7 things to let go of to reach your full potential.

We all wish we had more time in the day to write. Perhaps you’ve felt despondent by the days, weeks, or even years being swallowed up by endless obligations that don’t allow you the time you need to work on your manuscript. Given that a thirty-hour day isn’t coming anytime soon, let's look at how you can make the better use of the writing time you do have.

Strategies for long-term author success. Ready to take your writing career to the next level? We look at the winning habits of best-selling authors to reveal their formula for a happy, successful author career.

‘Your writing room should be private, a place where you go to dream.’ – Stephen King

Where do you normally write? While your salary and lifestyle might not allow for an idyllic remote writing retreat that doesn’t mean that you can’t make your writing space a productive sanctuary.

Some writing days are going to more productive than others. On some days the words will flow, on others it’s like trying to cut down a tree with a herring. If you don’t make your word count for a day don’t beat yourself up. On some days you'll inevitably struggle to write anything down, the plot will seem to be falling apart and writing anything will feel like a chore. Every writer has days like these. Days when we feel like giving up. Here’s how to continue to love your writing, even on days when nothing seems to be working.

As a writer, you know how satisfying to have a flash of creative inspiration and feel that you just can’t type the words fast enough. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen every day. The reality is that you’re going to have days when you don’t feel motivated to write at all. Learning to say motivated is a valuable skill for any writer to learn. After all, if you waited around to feel 100% motivated before you write anything then your book may never get written. So let’s look at what you can do to stay inspired to write.

Think you don’t have time to write? Think again. The truth is even the busiest person can find time to write, be it as little as ten minutes a day. Many famous authors including Anne Rice, Toni Morrison and Harper Lee wrote their books while holding down full-time jobs and many authors continue to write while juggling family commitments. The truth is we all have the same amount of time in a day and it’s up to us what we do with it. Here are six ways authors fit writing into their lives. 

Having high standards can be a positive trait, pushing you on to continually improve your work. Perfectionism, on the other hand, involves setting unrealistically high (or completely unattainable) goals leaving you feeling depressed, frustrated and anxious. If perfectionism is preventing you from making progress, try the following tips.

It happens to almost every writer at some point and many successful authors have suffered the frustrating inertia of writer’s block. Yet it's very existence continues to be highly contested, with many authors arguing that writer's block is simply an excuse for not writing. Others say it's another name for paralyzing self-doubt and anxiety. Regardless of how you define it, how do you start writing again when you have come to a standstill? We look at some of the best strategies around to get you moving again.

In need of some mid-year writing motivation? We’ve made a bunch of free downloadable backgrounds to keep you writing. Just one glance at your phone and you’ll know that you need to put it down and pick up that pen!

One of the biggest myths of writing is that you have to start young in order to be successful. Yet not all authors beginning penning masterpieces in their teens. In fact, some of the most successful authors have benefited from being ‘late bloomers’. Here are six famous authors that begun late but ultimately left their mark on the literary world.

Ever felt like a fraud telling people you are a writer? You aren’t alone. Feelings of inadequacy and the fear that you will never measure up are common. Even the most successful authors, including Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Safran Foer and Maya Angelou, have talked about feeling like imposters, despite working hard to achieve success. The name for this phenomenon: imposter syndrome.

You started out strong, full-of-inspiration, ready to do-this-thing. Yet now you find yourself marooned in the middle of Camp Nanowrimo, having serious doubts about your novel. Do not, I repeat, do not give up now. You have done an amazing job to get this far. Today I’m turning to our author interviews for the best advice on how to beat back those self-doubt demons and power the rest of the way through, even when you think your writing stinks.

The most important part of being a writer is writing. Yet so many would-be authors tell themselves ‘I will get around to writing the book eventually’. The good news is that rewiring your brain and changing your habits is possible. The first step of putting fingers to keyboard is recognizing what is holding you back.

We are all drowning in distractions. From the daily should-dos to social media, the latest Netflix episodes, and general busy-ness. Life is a constant fight for our attention. The problem? Writing needs focus. Writing needs a depth of concentration that doesn’t lend itself to multi-tasking. The good news? Only you decide where your attention and focus goes. Here are some rules to guide you.

Are you ready to write your book? Have you noticed that when it’s time to type that winning opening paragraph there is something stopping you? You will do it, you want to do it, but you just don’t feel ready. Let's have a look at what is really holding you back.

Writing can be a rollercoaster. Some days the words are flowing and you are completely in the zone. Other days it’s the opposite. Your book is floundering and your willpower appears to have packed up and left town. Some days you just don’t feel like writing. If you are having one of those days look no further. We’ve compiled 17 nuggets of writerly wisdom in the hope that you’ll move on inspired, motivated and ready to write.

Being an author can be stressful. From long hours huddled over a desk to the mental pressure of producing creative work, handling competing demands on your time and juggling multiple roles. Self-care is key to producing your best work and should be part of your long-term strategy for author success. To help you recharge those batteries, we've put together a list of self-care tips, so you can stay healthy, productive and creatively inspired.

All successful authors do one thing: they write. The more consistently the better. While you don´t have to stick to a daily writing habit to be productive, it certainly helps. So, if you are a binge writer wanting to give daily writing a try here are 5 sure-fire ways to get started.

Writing a book is hard, yet even more difficult is admitting that you might be the biggest obstacle standing in your way. Whether you have allowed self-doubt to take over or you're simply failing to prioritize, it's time for some serious self-reflection and readjustment. Here are 5 common ways that authors sabotage themselves and how you can avoid them.

All authors face rejection at some point. It’s a soul-destroying, humbling experience that can lead to writers putting down their pen altogether. Yet for all the pain, rejection can be reframed as a tool for growth. I always ask authors in our interviews how they stay resilient in the face of rejection and here is the advice they shared.

If we take up a new sport or learn a language or musical instrument we don’t hesitate to tell our friends. Yet to admit to writing, not on your life! For this reason, most writing advice books begin with the sage advice to declare yourself a writer. Surely beginner music lessons don’t begin with the advice to declare yourself a musician as you pick up your instrument every day. So why does the simple act of arranging words inspire so much self-doubt and public angst?

It seems that anyone trying to make it in a creative field has at some stage struggled with the dark cloud of self-doubt. It hardly comes as a surprise when you are going against the mainstream, creating something from nothing and in many cases working in isolation. Putting your work out for public consumption means rejection is inevitable.

As a writer you must grow a thick skin and not waste a second of your time worrying what anyone else thinks of you. Build your self-confidence and you will be bullet-proof. Know the following on your journey.

'To be a writer is to embrace rejection as a way of life' - Dana Stabenow.

The journey of every author comes with the challenge of rejection. Throughout history, talented authors have been rejected and overlooked. Even literary geniuses such as J. R. R. Tolkien and John Steinbeck have suffered the sting of dismissal. Here’s six famous authors that once faced rejection.

Don’t be scared of making mistakes. Never stop learning. Highlight what makes you unique. Identify your voice early on. Read widely. Write voraciously. Cultivate a love of writing.

We asked authors for their number one piece of advice to novice writers. Here’s their answers. 

Perseverance is the backbone of every successful author. The literary world is forged on tales of not giving up, from J.K. Rowling’s 12 rejection letters to Agatha Christie's five years of applying before landing a publishing deal. Every author I interviewed had something to say about perseverance. The ability to ‘keep going’ despite obstacles and set-backs is what sets successful authors apart from those that give up on their writing dreams.

It’s been an amazing year for WildMind Creative. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some exceptional authors and interview some outstanding writers. Coming into a fresh new year it’s the perfect time to look back over all the interviews we’ve done and consolidate what we’ve learnt. So without any further ado here are our key takeaways from a year of author interviews.

Many authors tell themselves that they don’t have time for book marketing because they dread the thought of doing it. They know it is something they should be doing but week after week these marketing tasks remain at the bottom of their to-do list and nothing happens. Successful authors are masters of getting stuff done and somehow managing to fit it all in. So how can you join their ranks? 

Creative doubt can be a crippling force, stopping you from writing or showing your work. It’s the what-if questions asked late at night – What if no one likes my book? What if people judge me on my writing? What if I’m laughed at? What if no one buys anything I write ever again?

Know this - You are not alone. Ever since humans begun to create they have been plagued by thoughts of fear and inadequacy.

When you started out it was glorious but now those days are nothing more than a distant memory. If you have wandered off track, lost some motivation or pushed your book to the side now's the time to refocus. Here's five easy steps to get you back on track and on your way to finishing off that novel once and for all.