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What To Do When Someone Else Writes About Your Idea
You have an idea! That’s great. It’s the start of a beautiful journey where you research and write your way to an expert level of awesomeness.
You jot down some notes, think about people you want to interview, and maybe even make an outline.
And then you open up your favorite newspaper, blog, or magazine: Right there, in shining block letters, is your awesome idea in print.
We’ve all experienced this feeling of despair, seeing someone else write about our idea. Especially if you were so sure that your idea was original. You might feel like you can’t ever write about that idea because someone else got to it first.
The Optimal Soundtrack for Creative Tasks
I open my laptop, ready to get to work on the next item on my to-do list. But before I launch into anything, I immediately turn on some music.
Not just any music, though; lately, I’ve been getting my best work done when I’m playing a smooth, “New York” jazz compilation that I found on YouTube. You know, the kind of background music you hear in a coffee shop or a restaurant, with no words — just a bit of saxophone, jazzy piano tunes, and slow drums.
If you asked me what I was listening to a month ago, though, I would’ve told you it was one of my favorite indie rock albums, the ones I’ve listened to so many times that I’m not even listening for the words anymore.
How to Be a Human When You’re Also a Business
We all know the name Oprah.
Just hearing her name sparks an instant stream of associations: Her talk show. Magazine. Acting appearances. Stedman. Potential presidential bid. Book club. “And you get a car!”
Why do we know so much about Oprah?
Well, she has built the ultimate personality brand.
Over the years, she has savvily leveraged her following of adoring fans into new ventures, from Oprah’s Book Club to O Magazine (she’s on the cover of every issue), and even her own television channel.
$3.1 billion later, Oprah has cemented her spot as a beloved household name.
Do You Need a Deadline to Write Your Novel?
“So, how is your novel coming along?” someone asked.
“Uhhhh…” I replied, and quickly tried to change the subject.
That was a conversation I had after several years of only writing on and off with no set deadline for completing my novel. I realised that if I was ever going to get it done, I would need to set myself a deadline.
I bought a five-year diary and filled in the dates for when I would need to complete each draft, with the end of the year as the goal for completing my first. It worked. I wrote more in that year than I had in the previous three years combined and felt immensely proud of myself.
The following year I completed the second draft with a month to spare. I was feeling great. I assumed it would be no problem to complete the third and final draft by the end of 2017.
That’s where the problems began.