Completing the final draft of a manuscript is a major threshold for any writer to cross, and is certainly worth celebrating as a significant achievement in its own right.

Once we have surfaced from whatever degree of conscious and creative recharge we require, a whole new level of our progress towards successful published authorship begins.

Naturally, we need to plan ahead to ensure that we stay on track with our intentions to reach our readers with our message and stories.

Yet as Conscious Writers, we are mindful of remaining present in the moment with all aspects of ourselves in alignment despite the future focus. This is how we retain congruence between our head and our heart to guide us as we make important decisions along the way.

Whether we are working with a traditional publisher or choosing the indie self-publishing route, planning for success as a published author means that in addition to our writing, our attention is required for many other activities.

So what are the main areas we need to focus on to give our book the best possible chance of success in the world?

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Opinions vary regarding the number of stages involved in the process of writing and range from three to a dozen depending on the way the contents of each stage are distributed.

In Conscious Writing we place a great deal of emphasis on the importance of inner preparation before any outer action is taken so it is no surprise to discover that this is the first of five stages we go through as Conscious Writers:

1. Preparation
2. Inspiration
3. First draft
4. Refine and revise
5. Edit and complete

These stages do not necessarily follow a neat linear progression. The initial preparation leads to inspiration and first draft writing although during the early phases of inspiration we may dip regularly back into preparation before a single word meets the page.

The first draft will always require refinement and revision yet this may end up being more of a dance to and fro than a clear cut boundary between one and the other. A great deal depends on the nature of the content, the relationship we have with it, and discovering our optimum way of working.

For our purposes here, exploring each stage in the typical order enables us to appreciate the subtlety and detail of the creative framework as well as the potential contribution a conscious approach can make.

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I am delighted to introduce this guest article by award-winning book coach Lisa Tener. Enjoy!

The term “muse” comes from the ancient Greeks and refers to the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. You can view the muse as a wise inner teacher: Imagine a part of you that has solutions to your every creative challenge. It has the power to shift negative perceptions that get in the way of your creative flow. And it can help you access inspiration for your writing at any time.

Surrounded by a pile of notes and having tried to structure her first chapter several different ways, Vicky felt confused and overwhelmed. To get unstuck, she asked her muse for clarity. She imagined her muse as “much larger and wiser than me” and trusted it to guide her. Then she fell asleep. When she woke up and sat at her desk to write the chapter, the writing flowed and the organization worked well.

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