The Literary Diet

Any one out there wish they could lose a few pounds? You’re not alone. According to the National Academy Press, tens of millions of people in the United States are dieting. At the same time, there are numerous studies that prove diets don’t work.
Dieting is a lot like writing. It’s takes commitment and discipline, but even more, it’s about creating new habits. Like dieting, when it’s going well, writing is joyful and strengthens your self-esteem. But when you’ve plateaued and you’re stuck, it can be agonizing.
I’ve read all the diet books. One message is clear--to be thin, you must see yourself as a thin person and think like a thin person. This is effective advice for writers as well. Tell yourself and the world that you are a writer. Treat yourself like a writer. Stand up for what you’ve written. Visualize yourself completing a novel, publishing articles, accepting awards—whatever defines success is for you. See yourself doing what you dream--believe it—and it can be a reality.
When we start out on a diet we often set a goal for our weight loss. We usually know what we’d like to weigh. We might add five pounds as a cushion, but we have a goal weight. As a writer, do you know what your goal is? Do you have a plan and a way to get there? A standard time management rule is to take big, often seemingly insurmountable, projects and break them down into small pieces. Taking small, baby steps toward a goal helps in dieting and in writing. Don’t focus on losing 50 pounds, just the first five. Don’t focus on writing a 350-page novel, only the first scene.
A diet counselor will often ask a patient what they gain from being fat. They probe to see if there is some benefit to a person holding onto their weight. What benefit do you receive by not writing? Do you save yourself from fear? Protect yourself from rejection? Guard yourself from the changes success might bring? Fear of success is often hard to admit but recognition might actually propel you to new levels of achievement.
Losing weight, like being a writer, isn’t about teamwork. Weight-loss support groups are helpful and inspiring, and they are often the key to dieting success. But the group itself doesn’t take the weight off. Joining a writers group will support you but the writing is something you must do alone. Going to classes and writers conferences doesn’t make you a writer. Getting energized and going home to write afterward does.
Dieting isn’t easy. In dieting, quick fixes, fasting, diet pills and other ‘miracle cures’ don’t work. Making long-term life-style eating changes and creating new exercise habits to live a healthier life does. Any writer with commitment, a strong vision of success, and a whole lot of patience can achieve more than they ever dreamed.