Phase 2 of a Writer’s Journey
By Mindy McHorse

We’ve all faced that awkward situation. You know the one – you see a woman with a curvy belly and wonder, “Is she pregnant or did she eat too many donuts?”

I’ve actually been on the receiving end of a “congrats-on-having-a-baby” comment — when I wasn’t pregnant. It’s not pleasant.

This week, I’ve been showing you the parallels between being pregnant and transitioning to high-earning, freelance copywriter, and using the similarities to keep you moving forward to your dreams of living the writer’s life.

Yesterday, we talked about the beginning stages of becoming a successful writer – the “first trimester,” if you will.

Today, I want to share advice on how to navigate the middle part of the journey.

You see, the second trimester of any pregnancy is a turning point. It’s when most women feel more energetic and less fragile. The criticism about whether you can handle the monumental decision you’ve made starts to wane. People take you more seriously.

Same deal with copywriting. After you’ve been at it a couple of months, you feel less hesitant when talking about your new direction in life. People who were skeptical during your early months realize you’re sincere about changing your life. They even begin to get excited.

In a lot of ways, it makes it easier to embrace a positive attitude and say, “I can do this. I will succeed!”

This is an important concept for anybody getting ready to embrace the writer’s life. The truth is, lots of us feel uncomfortable when we appear too different from others. Yet, we’re also uncomfortable without any degree of distinction – after all, who wants to be just like everybody else?

That’s a hurdle you have to overcome if you’re serious about adopting the copywriter’s lifestyle. On one hand, you’ll still have a career, just like everyone else. You’ll earn good money by providing a service in which you have specialized training.

On the other hand, you become distinct in your freedom – and in your high level of satisfaction. You get complete control over your time and projects. You can throw out every suit you’ve ever owned. You can tailor your work around the life you’ve always wanted instead of the other way around.

But, if you’re not confident in where you’re headed, this can be a rough patch.

Just as a woman in her second trimester starts to look noticeably different from everybody else, and even though she’s headed toward a joyful goal, her attitude during the journey makes all the difference in whether she enjoys her pregnancy.

So, as your copywriting efforts start to pay off and people start to notice, hold your head up high. Be proud of the leap you’ve taken, and know that it’s leading you toward an invigorating destination.

Want to know the best way to do this? Talk about it. Research shows that sharing the details of any great undertaking gets us more enthusiastic about the journey and more likely to follow through on it.

For me, I’ve found the most supportive places to talk about it are with people who are in the same boat, or had been where you are at one time or another, like AWAI’s Professional Writer’s Alliance or on the Wealthy Web Writer site.

And, of course, there’s Bootcamp – where you can share your experience face to face with other people on the same journey (this is my personal favorite – you can read about my personal Bootcamp experience here).

It’s also important for you to get used to saying what it is you’re doing out loud to anyone who asks, and make it real for yourself. A few years ago, Master Copywriter Will Newman gave us up-and-coming writers four little words we needed to immediately start saying out loud.

You can read his advice here. And, of course, you can update them slightly to fit your own personal path to the writer’s life too – and they work just as well!