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Dear Writer, You’re Doing it Right

By Becca Syme

Becca Syme is a Montana author and writing coach. She has a Master’s degree in Transformational Leadership and uses her knowledge and expertise to coach writers and other creatives through her online program the Better Faster Academy. She also runs a video cast on YouTube called The Quitcast.

For several months, I’ve been doing a deep dive into my personality type. It’s been fascinating learning what “makes me tick.” So, when perusing book reviews online, I was excited to find a book on writing that takes into account personality types.

Don’t get me wrong, this book doesn’t ask you to take a personality test. It doesn’t make you question whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. But the author does repeatedly point out that we, as creatives, are each inspired and motivated in different ways. Different kinds of things trip us up and keep us from moving forward. And so, our paths will (and should) look different.

I also chose this book to read and review because I feel like it has a timely message for us creators. Syme wrote this book in 2020 and revised it in 2021. She ties many of her points directly to things many people (especially creatives) have faced due to the pandemic.

Dear Writer, You’re Doing it Right is the fifth book of Rebecca Syme’s Quitbooks series.

Why You’re Not Writing

I found the first third of the book the most helpful. With chapter titles like “Stalling out on the Creative Highway,” “Being Stuck,” “Being Blocked,” and “Being Burned Out,” I think it was the most relatable for my current situation.

Syme asks some hard-hitting questions (in a gentle manner) with the goal of really getting to the bottom of why a writer (or illustrator) is stalled out. The answers to these questions lead us to the appropriate next steps that will help us get back on track.

Syme very clearly differentiates between writer’s block and burnout. She uses a clever automobile analogy to demonstrate the difference between being stuck (like a car stuck in the mud that just needs a little push or tug), being blocked (like in a major traffic jam in the middle of L.A.), and being burned out (like a car broken down on the side of the road that requires major repairs before it can get going again).

The author points out that each type of problem is caused by different factors and requires different solutions.

“Part of the reason it’s important to differentiate between these states is because the way to fix them is different.”

When we, as creatives, find that we’re not making progress on a project, we need to analyze the situation. Are we stuck and just need a little prodding? Is there something going on in our environment that has us blocked? Or is our creative car majorly burned out and in need of repair?

Syme uses several chapters to present a nuanced look at each of these situations. She considers different personality styles and different working styles, and then she presents actionable steps for all types of writers.

Why You’re Not Selling

After her deep dive into why you’re not writing, Syme moves on to talk about why you’re not selling. This makes up the remaining two-thirds of the book. The author explains the common problems her clients face in the book market. (She’s reportedly coached thousands.)

There are myriad reasons why a book doesn’t sell or why it doesn’t seem to be doing as well as its creators feel it should. Some of those reasons are caused by external factors that are completely out of the author’s control.

Sometimes the book isn’t selling because of decisions the author has made that are having a negative impact on the book in its market. This is what Syme brings to light for us. She doesn’t beat around the bush here. In each remaining chapter, the author asks direct questions to get us to really analyze what’s going on.

Back cover of book Dear Writer You're Doing it Right

· Are you taking the good advice that is being given to you?

· Are you taking bad advice?

· How do you know what advice is good for you?

· Are you creating for the wrong market?

· Are you creating to a trend?

· Are you creating what you love?

· Are you trying to compete with others when you shouldn’t?

Syme’s goal is to get us to look at our motivations behind our decisions to help us identify any flawed thinking.

I want to highlight just two of the common problems the author addresses.

Many authors see the success of another in their field and try to figure out the formula for that success and replicate it. Sometimes that works. Sometimes we can make ourselves fit into another person’s pattern of success. But oftentimes, we can’t.

Humans are uniquely individual beings. There’s a good chance that what worked for one person won’t work for another. We need to find our own pattern of success. Syme encourages us to take a good look at who we are and to ignore the success patterns of others so we can move forward in our career in a way that actually works.

Syme also reminds us that even two people who create in a similar way can be at two very different levels. A level one author is going to have different problems and pressures than a level five author. The steps the two need to take toward future success will look very different.

At the end of each chapter, the author suggests a tool to help us take some next steps on our journey toward success. Syme’s final chapter in this book was disheartening, at least at first. She runs the numbers and concludes there’s only so much money to be made in the book-making industry. But there are many many people trying to get a piece of that proverbial pie. When you look at the numbers she’s laid out, it doesn’t seem like a good industry to try to break into. Is this journey even worth taking? Only you can answer that question.

I’ve noticed in the world of kid lit specifically (where I tend to focus my energies) that writers and illustrators create for the love of the work. So Syme says,

If the battle is worth fighting, we strap on our armor.

I find that encouraging.

I found the whole book helpful and encouraging. At just under 200 pages, it was a quick read. It was direct but reassuring. I’m hopeful that because I’ve read it, I’ll be able to avoid some common pitfalls as I continue my own journey on this path of creating kid lit.

I want to end with what I found to be a powerful piece of advice from the author.

“What’s the best thing I can do today? Attend the manuscript….That’s the best thing I can do today.”

If this sounds like an author you’d like to hear more from, check out her other coaching books in the QuitBooks series. Or you may be interested in her series of cozy mysteries.

You can find Becca Syme online at rlsyme.com.