Home
>
Writing
>
A Writers Personal Cheer Squad

A Writers Personal Cheer Squad

We all need a cheer squad.

We all need people to say 'Good on you!'; 'Way to go!'; 'You've done a great job'; 'You're really on the way.'

We need people to say 'Don't worry, this is just a temporary setback'; or 'Of course you can do it' when we encounter obstacles. (Hey, you think nothing of putting plenty of hurdles in your character's way-why should you get through unscathed?)

Writers tend to get depressed and give up when nobody appears to care whether they write or whether they don't. Sure, it's really up to us if we feel that urge to create-in one way, we shouldn't have to rely on the support or approval of others. But let's get real. Most of us do care. We feel so much more inspired to go on if there's someone who believes in us; someone to urge us to take the next step.

Most of us are lucky in that we have supportive families or partners. They might groan at the idea of extra responsibilities - or seeing less of us because we're hiding away tapping at a keyboard - but they know how much it means to us. They rejoice in our successes. They commiserate when a rejection arrives or when life gets in the way and we can't write for weeks (or months). It makes a difference to have someone who's in your corner.

Unfortunately, not everyone has a 'cheer squad' like this. What if your family couldn't care less if you never wrote another word? What if they resent the time you spend writing, and create obstacles rather than help you overcome them?

First, you have to decide to claim that time for yourself-even if you have to leave the house to do it. Find a corner where you can write undisturbed. (More than one writer has penned a novel over long-lasting cups of coffee in a restaurant.)

But the most important thing is to get yourself that cheer squad.

Find someone who does care about you and your writing.

Someone who will buoy you up when times are bad.

Someone who will break open the champagne when you succeed.

It could be a friend... it could be the owner of the coffee lounge... it could be someone from a writer's group you join or establish. There's someone out there who cares.

Make it your mission to find that person.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

cleaning help near Mundelein ..

In The News:

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

A Writers Personal Cheer Squad

Writing