June 29, 2021– Tomorrow is our final day of exploring Author Mindset! I hope you’ve gained some valuable tips that you’ll put into action to create the writing life that you’ve always imagined. Our topic today is Victim Vocabulary-let’s dig in!
Authors stay stuck in their careers for several reasons, but one of the reasons that come up all the time is Victim Vocabulary. If you’ve ever been to a writer’s conference or a workshop, you’ll know that there’s always that one author with the ‘woe is me’ story; the one that you can’t quite seem to get away from or at least out of earshot? The one that complains about everything? Here are some common Victim Vocabulary phrases:
- The market is too saturated.
- I can’t seem to find the time to write.
- I don’t know where or how to send in my work to get published.
- I’m not doing that writing prompt; it’s stupid.
- I won’t submit my work anymore. What’s the point? I always get rejected.
- I shouldn’t have spent the money on this course; it’s useless.
- I already know this.
- There’s no way that it will work. It’s impossible.
- Why does this always happen to me?
- Everyone else gets published but me.
And the list goes on. When we use words and phrases like I can’t, I don’t, I’m not, I won’t, I shouldn’t, there’s no way, it’s impossible, and why does this always, we quite simply give away our power. How did you feel after reading those words? Depressed and defeated? Me too. Our words have a lot of conscious and subconscious meaning to them, and as authors, we should know that words carry power. They can be used for good or evil; they convey messages that are bold and brash or are barely a whisper. The point is, if we tell ourselves something long enough, we start to believe it.
It may come down to conditioning, limiting beliefs, past experiences, and other reasons why an author would speak that way, but it’s essential to remember that those things don’t serve anyone. They certainly won’t contribute to your current or future success.
Change your thoughts, change your words, and watch your life change. Stop using words that victimize you, and start using words that empower you!