The Write Platform

As writers, it’s important we challenge ourselves.

Yep, there’s that distasteful word again. Challenge.

Challenge means stepping out of our comfort zones. It means choosing difficult over easy.  It means revealing transparencies we’d rather not. It means tackling the seemingly impossible when darts of doubt threaten.

Challenge also means thinking like a winner. It’s envisioning success, despite the long road there. It’s believing  the unlikely. It’s a study in character development. It’s mindset over matter.

Yesterday, Rachelle Gardner’s knock-it-out-of-the-park post, Pushing Ourselves to Our Limit, brilliantly captured how it is she’s able to do that very thing and still come out on top. For a hefty dose of encouragement I’d invite you to pop over and be inspired.

When we’re writing, somewhere in our platform-building stage our creative processes can turn to mush. We tend to forget why it is we’ve committed to this writing journey in the first place.

We lose focus.

We fall short.

We may miss the mark from time to time.

Blessedly, there are those folks who come along beside us and minister to us during our times of “seasoning.” Our cheerleaders may be our agents/editors, writer-friends, family members, BFFs, pastors, and dozens of others the Lord places in our paths to redirect our footing.

For authors, honing the  right–or write–platform actually gets easier the more we write. One is dependent upon the other. It’s a “bullseye moment” when we figure that out!

We shouldn’t be afraid of challenges, but neither should we beat our heads against a brick wall if there are things we can do to simplify the process. Notice, I didn’t say we should “wimp out.”

We can still embrace the task at hand, difficult as it may be, with dignity, grace, and professionalism. Simplifying isn’t cowering. It’s doing the hard in the smartest way.

During my writing journey, I’ve tried to share tips that have helped me.

One thing I talked about recently was Michael Hyatt’s phenomenal new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

If you’re an author trying to build a platform you must get this book. Mike Hyatt drills down to the nitty-gritty of what it takes to be successful despite the clutter of the busyness around us.

In Platform he offers time-proven tips and truths gleaned from his own life so we can learn a bit easier (by example) what he learned the hard(est)way. There’s no stone left unturned. This bestseller covers it all: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and all things social media. Oh, and don’t let the title fool you. Getting noticed in a noisy world has nothing to do with “it’s all about me.” It’s platform-building at its finest based on a foundation of integrity and servanthood.

Today, I’m accepting the challenge and extending it to you: let’s be the best messengers God intended!

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I’m kicking the blog love up a notch. On Wednesday I announced my new end-of-the-month drawing for commenters/new subscribers. If you’d like to get in on the action, you can read about it here. I look forward to connecting!

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Writers, how are you improving YOUR platform?

In what ways do you communicate your message most effectively?

For non-writers, what daunting challenges have you faced lately?

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Blessings Always,