The Feedback You Crave

Is your writing habit isolating you in front of a glowing screen, pushing yourself to squeeze out those last 100 words, but leaving you feeling empty and your editor wanting more?

When we set out to share The Writer's Secret: Mastermind Your Way to Publishing Success, we knew that a support network was the best way to breathe fresh air into a stale routine because we had experienced firsthand the exhilaration of reaching out to others in various stages of literary success. We had been in a number of writing groups and knew that certain configurations and meeting styles worked better than others. But we did not know there was a physical reason for craving human interaction, encouragement and camaraderie. However, while researching a business book we discovered that the glow experienced after a positive interaction like a MasterMind networking meeting is not wholly because of the wine, but because of a chemical the body releases to encourage these encounters. 

Dr. Paul J. Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University, says that the ancient, instinctive brain is turned on by the release of the neurotransmitter oxytocin set free during a handshake or recognition of a familiar face. As the bond grows, the release becomes stronger. This reward-based chemical reaction taking place in our bodies is also believed to be responsible for the maternal instinct and monogamy. It makes us happy and it gives us a quick high.

So what are you waiting for? I challenge you to start your MasterMind Writing Network today. It's esy:

1.  Reach out to friends.

2.  Look online for an established group 

3.  Post a notice about a planned group at a library or college writing department 

(Note: Be sure to have the first meeting in a public place if you don't know the members. More tips on starting a group are in the book and will come in this space.)

Start now. Your brain will thank you; your editor will thank you; and you will get the feedback every writer craves. As always, be sure to share your successes with the readers of this blog. That is part of the feedback loop. Your advances inspire others to do the same.

Yours in Writing,

Chief Nudging Officers

Jennifer Sander and JT Long