I turned thirty in a dinghy on the River Ganga, while a full moon and the fires from the corpses in the burning ghats illuminated the shores of the holy city of Varanasi. That trip to India years ago changed my life. I glimpsed my own mortality, dodged snake charmers and lepers, paid homage to living goddesses and glassy-eyed sadhus. I also met Ganesha, the elephant riding the mouse. Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati and one of the most revered and popular Hindu deities, is also known as the Lord of Success, the god of wealth, wisdom and knowledge, and the destroyer of obstacles.
What does Ganesha have to do with writing and the business of writing? For one thing, he is the Patron of Letters, and it’s nifty to have him on your side during important writing sessions. He’s also a cool reminder to hold onto your power. When you send out your book–to agents, editors, reviewers, readers–don’t ship your power out the door along with the manuscript.
How do you make sure you haven’t signed, sealed, and delivered your mojo?
1) Develop, maintain and reinforce strong, healthy boundaries that protect your writing space, your writing time, and your creative process.
2) Identify and de-fang internal voices that are working to stop you from writing. They represent your inner saboteurs, tricksters, gremlins.
3) Seek constructive, professional, timely support and feedback.
4) Understand the difference between writing goals and publishing goals and create a game plan for your career.
More on each of these in my next post.
