Agony and ecstasy: a day in the life of an author

Have you ever felt the agony of the creative process?

Or the struggle of trying to breakthrough a big idea?

You’re not alone.

Come, take a peek inside the life of an author…

I want to bring you inside my home, and my process, as I write the latest revision of my book, Fascinate.

This is what it’s like to finally breakthrough the agony:

Every creative process involves agony, ecstasy, and a breakthrough.

Even best-selling authors who’ve written volumes of literature still experience the same emotional rollercoaster that you experience, when you undertake creative work of any kind.

In this video, you get a glimpse into what my writing process looks like. You’ll get to see the most agonizing part of writing a book, and you’ll discover ways to breakthrough to the ecstasy. As you watch, take note of the similarities and differences to your own process.

Then, write down the following:

  • Your overarching, big idea: What is it that you are trying to communicate?
  • Your “why”: Why should anyone care about this idea? What will they get out of learning it, applying it, or sharing it with others?
  • The “how”: How will your audience apply your idea? How will they share it with others?

The creative process isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Allow this peek into my process help you breakthrough your own.

TWEETABLE BITS:

A day in the life of an author » via @SallyHogshead (Tweet this!)

Deadlines + RedBull = Writing Bliss » via @SallyHogshead (Tweet this!)

Agony and ecstasy are just part of the process » via @SallyHogshead (Tweet this!)

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS: 

What’s your creative process like? Do you keep little notes to yourself all over the office? Does your team help you out when you’re feeling stuck.

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About the author

Sally Hogshead

Sally skyrocketed to the top of the advertising world in her early 20s, fascinating millions of consumers for clients such as MINI Cooper and Coca-Cola. Since then, she’s published two New York Times bestsellers on the science of fascination, and is one of only 172 living members in the Speaker Hall of Fame. Over a million professionals have taken the Fascination Advantage® personality test to discover how others perceive their communication.

23 Comments

  1. CaptainJimGordon

    You make me laugh and giggle. So looking forward to your next edition!

  2. Emily

    Thanks Crystal for your interest, at the present time, the t-shirts are not available for sale.

  3. Jacquelyn

    Hi Sally,    Love your work though I struggle to apply it to my own solo creative career in a country with relatively small population (4m). David Hendler is right in his pronunciation of fascinare. Though Latin bored me silly at Highschool, I did learn how to pronounce it and like modern Italian you need to give each letter of the ‘a-r-e’ ending it’s due. Go well and thanks for what you do.

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