Guest Post w Mariëlle S. Smith & Review of 52 Weeks Planner

You, too, can become the writer you’ve always wanted to be!

Welcome to the January 13th stop on the blog tour for 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner by Mariëlle S. Smith with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

‘If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.’

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen this quote – I think it’s by Banksy, but don’t make me swear on it – but I first came across it in 2018 and I’ve kept it close to my heart ever since. ‘If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.’ As a recovering workaholic and perfectionist who suffers from extreme bouts of ‘not-enoughness’, it is one of the quotes that has enabled me to take a step back when overwhelmed, instead of throwing in the towel.

Because that’s what happens, at least it used to happen to me, and especially around the new year. Filled with good intentions and determined to turn all my dreams into plans, I used to go full speed ahead. For a while, all would be well and I’d be high on my own determination, but since I’d never hit the brakes to breathe and take care of myself, I’d eventually burn out. Exhausted, I generally saw no other solution than to quit whatever I was working on.

Of course, once I had a good rest, I often realised that I didn’t actually have to quit this or that project, because it was hardly ever the work. It was me. I was the one burning the candle on so many ends that the only command my brain was still able to comprehend and process was ‘Retreat! Abort mission!’

So how you do you learn to rest when rest is generally the last thing on your agenda? Figuring this out has been a true struggle for me. I’m nowhere near mastering it, but there are a few things I’ve started doing over the past couple of years that have served me particularly well.

Create space for rest, regularly

If I don’t add rest to my planner, it doesn’t really happen. I have to consistently write it down, because the habit still hasn’t stuck. As a freelance writer, editor, and writing coach, there is always something I could be doing, from updating my website, writing another blog post, record another video for my YouTube channel…

Since that list won’t ever stop growing, it’s up to me to stop and say ‘that’s enough for now’. I do so by purposefully leaving empty spaces on the calendar.

Say ‘No’ to things that only drain you

There will always be things that drain you more than not and you won’t always be able to avoid them. But you can decide for yourself to start saying ‘No’ to those things that give you absolutely nothing in return.

I struggle to say ‘No’ because I enjoy feeling useful, but I already have too many things that I love doing, things that actually fill me up. Saying ‘Yes’ to what doesn’t serve me in the slightest helps me reserve energy that I can then use to do more of the things I want to be doing, the things that happen to feed my soul. 

Unlearn the need to feel ‘busy’

Rest is not a luxury. Filling your cup is not indulging. Yet not feeling busy all the time can feel like the most radical, rebellious act, and it will continue to do so unless we stop seeing ‘busy’ as a status symbol.

It’s one thing to remember that we have brakes, but reminding ourselves that it’s OK to hit them, often and regularly, is something else entirely. That being busy is a good thing is such an ingrained belief, it’s not something we can just unlearn like that though. We have to keep reaffirming that rest is in fact a basic human need, something we all have a right to.

If you’re still learning how to rest, you might want to take this quote from The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown and keep it under your pillow, so you can whisper it to yourself at the end of each day:

‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’

Or write it on a big piece of paper and stick it over your desk, like I’ve done. Whenever I struggle to create space for rest, say ‘No’ to the wrong things, or remember my worth does not depend on how busy I keep myself, I only have to look up.

About the Book

52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, Vol. III
Get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be
by Mariëlle S. Smith

Published 9 November 2021
M.S. Wordsmith

Genre: Non-Fiction, Writing Resource
Page Count: 491
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

‘A brilliant, supportive, challenging workbook, highly recommend.’ Jamie Sands

You, too, can become the writer you’ve always wanted to be!

The 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner:

• makes you plan, track, reflect on, and improve your progress and goals for an entire year long;

• invites you to dig deep through thought-provoking prompts and exercises; and

• helps you unravel the truth about why you aren’t where you want to be.

Two years after publishing the first volume of 52 Weeks of Writing, writing coach and writer Mariëlle S. Smith brings you the updated third volume. Similar in style but reflecting the tweaks made to her coaching practice during the pandemic, 52 Weeks of Writing Vol. III is even better equipped to help you get out of your own way and on to the path towards success.  

Ready to start living your writing dream? Order your copy now.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Publisher

Excerpt

WRITING PROMPT

Each writing prompt is optional. If, for whatever reason, it does not speak to you, let it be. Who knows? It might make more sense to do the prompt later in the process.

Most writers are introverts and dread the visibility that comes with success. This might not be you, but to some of us this fear is what stops us from finishing our work. Because what if people read it and want to talk to us about it? What if we’re forced to leave the privacy of our desks and go out into the world, into the

spotlight, with nowhere to hide?

If this resonates with you, know you’re not alone. Grab your journal or open a new document on your computer and set your timer to ten minutes. Now list all the

good that could come with success.

If this is a fear you recognise all too well, keep this list close once you’ve finished it.

My Review

My Rating: 5 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads

I was granted complimentary access to 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner by Mariëlle S. Smith as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Whenever I see writing resources come up for review with the tour companies I post for I must admit, I sign on for selfish reasons. I’m an aspiring author. After nearly two years of reviewing material like this alongside all of the fiction I read, I’d like to think I’ve seen a fairly good sampling of what the “writing resources” category has to offer. This journal is top-notch! I haven’t seen one quite this well organized before and I’d like to actually implement this one for my own projects.

This planner breaks the process down by weeks and days and prompts the user to consider just about everything involved in the writing process they’re embarking on. Goals? Explain them. Aprehensions? There’s a place for that, too. There are daily trackers, weekly goals, etc. along with several optional writing prompts each week. I’m not kidding when I say this looks fantastic! I’m confident that writers who use this resource to its fullest will succeed in their writing goals within the bounds of the year this book lays out.

About the Author

Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway Alert!

Mariëlle S. Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dec 13	Rogue’s Angels	Dec 13	Long and Short Reviews
Dec 14	J. Lynn Rowan	Dec 15	Mythical Books
Dec 16	Deborah-Zenha Adams	Dec 17	Kit ‘N Kabookle
Dec 27	Joanne Guidoccio	Dec 28	My Bookish Bliss
Dec 29	Literary Gold	Dec 30	Lisa’s Reading
Dec 31	The Book Connection	Jan 3	Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
Jan 4	All the Ups and Downs	Jan 5	Wake Up Your Wild Side
Jan 6	The Avid Reader	Jan 7	Sandra’s Book Club
Jan 10	Fabulous and Brunette	Jan 11	Novels Alive
Jan 12	Readers Roost	Jan 13	Westveil Publishing
Jan 14	Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews

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