Writing - Closing the Loop

Like many of you, I'm obsessed with mysteries—novels, detective series, and crime podcasts.

People love a good mystery because we crave resolution. A mystery presents us with an open loop—an unresolved puzzle. We need to close the loop to feel satisfied.

But writing, especially long-form projects like novels, forces us to live with an open loop for months or even years.

That lingering uncertainty can feel pretty discouraging.

When you sit down to work on your novel, all you see is a massive, unfinished project that stretches out ahead of you.

The discomfort of an open loop leads to procrastination, which leads to—you guessed it–an unfinished novel.

The key to staying the course? Close small loops along the way.

Focus on what you can complete today:

• A finished scene.
• A daily word count.
• A revised chapter.
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Closing micro-loops along the way gives you that dopamine hit of satisfaction, which boosts your confidence and keeps your novel moving forward at a steady clip.

When you close the small, manageable loops, the big loop will eventually close too.

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Marketing - The Benefit of a Publicist

I’m thrilled that Melissa is acting as my publicist! She’s been an invaluable liaison between me and my publisher, and her efforts ensure that my books get the marketing attention they deserve.

There are a lot of benefits to having a publicist – it also makes you look good for podcast pitching and reviewer pitching.

Have you experienced this also? Hit reply and let me know!
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School Visits - Calling vs. Emailing

Melissa and I are testing out what works, and here’s one thing I’ve found. School librarians are too busy and often don’t respond to emails.

The best strategy? Calling before school begins!

That’s right. An old-school phone call. This gets me booked and builds a relationship with the educator.

Have you tried this before? I encourage you to give it a go!

We hope this newsletter gives you new ideas and tools for your creative career.

If you’re stuck in your writing, we can support you. I’m an experienced book coach and editor with 25+ books and many happy clients. Let’s set up a time to chat if I can help you!

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Warm wishes,

Ellen (& Melissa)
contact@imaginariumauthorsolutions.com
​Imaginarium Author Solutions
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