THE guide for writers. Let’s shake shit up.

Fear is basically a combination of two things: not knowing the outcome and not believing in yourself. And that’s exactly why I launched RebeccaTDickson.com. To show you how to write on your terms and to boost your confidence.

Everything I have went into this site. I want you to break free of your self-doubt.

The one thing I haven’t yet given you is something tangible, a step-by-step guide if you will, to help you put your guts on the page.

Most of you prescribe to my screw-the-fear-I-can-do-this mantra. But now you need to move forward.

Enter my new badass project.

The Definitive Guide to Writing on Your

Terms Using Your Own Honest-to-God, Gut-wrenching Voice

Because:
You don’t need anyone’s permission to write, or to write what you want.
You are the only one holding you back.
You have the power to change everything.

THE Guide is now available on AMAZON. Click-click.

What you get

•  Specific ways you are holding yourself back.
•  A detailed guide showing you everything you need to put an end to writer’s block.
•  A checklist to help you get writing NOW.
•  How to quash the internal editor forever.
•  How to avoid the number one mistake that causes people to quit before they even get going.

In the time it takes to read it, you’ll know what took me more than a decade to figure out.

This is NOT a book about:
• Author platform building
• Copywriting
• Social media
• Selling your books
• Offering your services
• Advertising
• Newsletters
• Developing online courses

If you don’t want to write, this is not for you.

If you don’t think swearing is funny, this is not for you.

If you want to learn how to diagram sentences á la 6th grade English, discuss verb-noun agreement or the merits of the Oxford comma, this is not for you.

On the other hand …

If you’ve had an idea for a story rattling around in your head for a decade and need help getting it out …
OR if you always wanted to write but convinced yourself you didn’t have the time, talent or wherewithal …
OR if you want to take what’s beating inside your chest and throw it onto the page with fury and passion …

This book will help you with that.

Those of you who have worked with me on your manuscripts or in private coaching know my mantra. Readers are starving for substance without the bullshit. They want honesty. When they get it, they’re thankful you haven’t wasted their time. You can give them all of that just by being yourself.

You keep them reading. You are the only person who can make them feel something – the unabashed goal of every writer.

You’re probably thinking one of the following:

But I’m scared I suck.
But I don’t have time to write.
But what if no one reads my stuff?

If you truly want to write, then BUT doesn’t belong in your vocabulary.

getitwrittenThose concerns are reasonable. Sometimes, writing is scary. So is making time for yourself. And so is doing nothing. Besides, aren’t you wasting more time and energy by NOT writing? I mean, not doing the thing you love, day in and day out, is exhausting.

Here’s a thought: Don’t. The only thing in your way is you.

Stressed to the max? I totally get it. Kids. Full time job. House. Spouse. You have a million responsibilities. You’re exhausted, yet there’s always more to do. It doesn’t end. I wish I could say it would.

You have to decide when to do something for yourself. You deserve it. Maybe you’ve dreamed about writing your whole life. For many people, that is exactly what writing will always be: Something they dream about, but are sure they could never accomplish.

Guess what? You can. And you will.

Click here for the table of contents and an excerpt.

This book is for people serious about writing.

The ones who come alive thinking about putting pen to paper.

This book is not for the ordinary.

Don’t buy it unless you’re willing to wrap your arms around what is possible and give it a big, fat kiss.

THE Guide is now available on AMAZON. Click-click.

The Definitive Guide to Writing on Your Terms Using Your Own Honest-to-God, Gut-wrenching Voice is a digital book that includes 118 pages of “F*@K yeah” content, exercises and samples of my own writing, as well as videos to inspire. It is for writers who need help figuring out their voice, how to develop it, what tools they need to make it happen, how to use those tools and then how to package it all up.

In sum: It’s information, challenge, inspiration, strategy, tips, and practical advice from moi – the chick who’s been there – on how to be genuine and clear.

What’s it worth to you to do something you’ve dreamed about your whole life?

No Fuckery Allowed. Write on your terms.

In college, I juggled a full course load, a full-time job and a part-time job, and a social life. I’m an overachiever. I sort of specialize in getting shit done.

Lucky for me, this website has become a great way to channel my urge to *do* something. (Read: write.) As it turns out, you need help in that very department.  Sooooo, here are four “No Fuckery Allowed” ways to pull it off on your terms.

1 – Writers are not the in business of soothing or comforting.

Just say it. Don’t think about how to make it pretty. Don’t ponder how “a real writer” might arrange the words. If you are writing, then you are a writer. No one can tell the story like you. (Thank you, Michael Xavier.) So be yourself. Holding back for fear of someone else’s reaction is not being true to yourself or your message. We don’t write to make friends with the world. We write because we can’t help it. Ergo, how someone else feels about your words is irrelevant. And don’t let anyone tell you any different.

2 – Writers’ block is a fancy phrase for fear.

So figure out what is scaring you. Then look it in the eye, tell it to fuck off, and write anyway. Putting pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) is not a terrifying act. If you’re no_fuckeryafraid, you are anticipating a negative reaction to your words. Examine that. Hold it up to the light and see it for what it is – a whole lot of nothing. Writers are conduits. We share messages. Not everyone is going to love what we write, and that is perfectly okay. We’re not curing cancer. Frankly, I’d be more worried if everyone did love it. Strong reactions – love, hate, grief, sadness – mean we’ve punched the reader some place tender. That’s my goal. How about you?

3 – Forget the gear.

On my desk right now, in no particular order: my computer, two 99-cent spiral notebooks, a bag of Ruffles, a mug of coffee, a pack of Marlboro Lights and an ashtray. (Yes, I smoke. Get over it.) Somewhere nearby, I have a few pens, some paperclips, my Kindle and a pile of bills. I write in Word. For this site, I write in WordPress. I carry a notebook and a handful of pencils if I leave the house.

Writers do not need particular software, felt tip pens, leather-bound journals or anything else. Before carrying my notebook everywhere, I was known for grabbing napkins off restaurant tables or shuffling through the glove box for a scrap of paper. If you have something to say, the medium you use to scrawl it on doesn’t matter. Waiting for the right gear is a stall tactic. Stop it.

4 – It’s not about you, sweetie.

I don’t care what you’ve earned, been awarded, overcome or survived. I don’t care if you’re a high school dropout or a PhD candidate. As a reader, I don’t care about you at all – unless you can show me how what you feel relates to me. So stop worrying that you aren’t qualified to write. Stop thinking you haven’t lived enough to write. Stop telling me what you’ve done and connect with me. Show me why I should care. Make me give a shit by sharing your feelings, thoughts and lessons learned. Show me why this story matters.

What reads better?

After a lengthy and successful career in journalism, I decided to take it easy on myself and work from home.

or

My chronic overachieving eventually burned out my adrenal glands. The body can only tolerate so much. When I finally crashed, I slept 16 to 20 hours a day, unable to even shower without help. My choices were either to modify my lifestyle and schedule (work from home) or keep going and risk permanent damage.

The why – the detailed and specific – makes all the difference. Good writers make people feel something.

• • •

Psst. Subscribe to this site in the upper right hand corner and I’ll send you a free copy of my book, A Writer’s Voice. What it is. Why it matters. And how to develop yours. Who doesn’t love free shit?