In CSI (and the New York and Miami spin offs), characters are regularly reminded to follow the evidence instead of making assumptions. Are you following the evidence when it comes to your writing? If you’re not getting enough commissions or acceptances, are you being flexible enough to take a look at potential reasons and then take steps to improve things?

 1.      WHAT “EVIDENCE” ARE YOU EXPECTING TO FIND? Spend some time focusing on the outcome you want and imagining how this will feel. Avoid feeling resigned to rejection. If your query / story isn’t the best you can make it before sending it, give it some more time. When you’re ready, picture yourself receiving that email asking you for more of your work…

2.      WHAT WILL LET YOU KNOW YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? If you’re sending off short stories / features / queries / book proposals and sample chapters, being asked for more, having work accepted and receiving positive feedback will all help you know you’re doing well. You’ll also want to pay attention to the editors that are delightful to work with and publications that pay well and on time.

3.      WHAT KIND OF EVIDENCE WILL LET YOU KNOW YOUR STRATEGY NEEDS TWEAKING? If you’re putting in far too much time for the results you’re getting, you may want to pay attention to what you’re spending your energy on. How can you get better results by working and writing “smarter”? Log your time and then divide the fee by the hours you’ve worked. How can you be more efficient?

4.      HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE FLEXIBILITY? This will help you to assess your progress and change direction before things get too far off course. A flexible attitude will endear you to editors, agents and publishers as well as helping you stay a step ahead when it comes to considering what your readers want. Who are you writing for?

5.      REMEMBER, “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE – ONLY FEEDBACK” The evidence is your feedback. Pay attention and let it guide each new step. You may find that a few small adjustments will bring you all the success you want.

To find out more about Business Coaching and NLP for writers, please visit www.coachingwriters.co.uk. You can also sign up for FREE confidence tips.