By Carol Grannick on November 19, 2009
I like things simple and clear. Years ago, I went to a workshop about giving workshops. One thing in particular stayed with me. The presenter believed that a ”lesson” should never have more than three main points.
I really liked that, maybe because it’s true, and maybe because my own brain likes and remembers three things easily…No coincidence [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged resilience, resilient writer
By Carol Grannick on November 13, 2009
You know those folks who seem to have an inborn ability to see the positive in whatever happens? I mean, they don’t even have to try to be optimistic?
Hmm. Well, I don’t. Not too many, anyway. For most of us, trying to find and maintain a positive attitude can be difficult, especially in the face of [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged optimistic explanatory style, pessimistic explanatory style
By Carol Grannick on November 12, 2009
Any journey towards change is also a journey away from where you’ve been, whether it’s a decision to work towards more positivity in your responses to the ups and downs of the writing life, or sit down with a work-in-progress to revise or do necessary research.
Every time you begin to work at something, you begin again. There are first [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged first steps, positivity
By Carol Grannick on November 11, 2009
One thing I know: making deliberate changes in yourself in a profound and permanent way can feel unnatural, fraudulent or strange.
The process of change is erratic, and requires tremendous compassion and patience.
I believe deeply in the capacity for change. We know now that the human brain is capable of constant growth. And alongside it, the human spirit.
I’m invested in helping writers [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged change, process of change
By Carol Grannick on November 10, 2009
You’re ready to go! You want to learn how to change the way you, as a writer, respond to the built-in adversities of the writing life.
And you want to learn now!
I want to help you move ahead. So here’s a piece of information that will be like a traveling well on a desert journey. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, optimism
By Carol Grannick on November 9, 2009
Martin Seligman, Director of the Department of Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and researcher into learned optimism and happiness, uses a process of “disputation” evolving from cognitive therapy. This ABCDE process outlines the necessary steps to challenge Pessimistic Explanatory Style and change it to Optimistic Explanatory Style.
Why is this so important to writers? Because writers lose [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged dispute pessimistic thinking, how to dispute, pessimistic thinking
By Carol Grannick on November 5, 2009
You’re a writer – committed, consistent, hard-working. But when you hit a bump – a rejection comes; writer’s block stares you down; your critique group offers too many suggestions and you feel overwhelmed; you get a bad review; miss an opportunity or face seemingly endless periods of waiting, waiting and more waiting – you begin [...]
Posted in Learned Resilience: How To Do It | Tagged negative self-talk, resilience
