The Writing and Marketing Show
The Writing and Marketing Show
Lifestyle and Mindset for Authors with Nasreen Variyawa
Today, I speak to Nasreen Variyawa a Lifestyle and Writing Coach from Turkey.
Hi, and welcome to the writing and Marketing Show brought to you by author Wendy H. Jones. This show does exactly what it says on the tin. It's jam packed with interviews, advice, hints, tips and news to help you with the business of writing. It's all wrapped up in one lively podcast, so it's time to get on with the show. Welcome to Episode 26 of the writing and Marketing Show with author, entrepreneur Wendy H. Jones. I have a very exciting guest for you today. Her name is Nazreen Variyawa and she's an author coach and I only hope I've got her name right. But before we tell you about Nazreen, some of the news in my life, well I'm actually still on lockdown here in Scotland, although it is being loosened slightly and this week, we are being able to go out a bit more a few more shops that are open book shops are opening again. So I would encourage you to go along and support bookshops buy books and read them because writers are also readers. And but because I'm still doing everything, I'm pretty much staying at home, except going out for walks and going to get groceries. I've had a lot of time to finish off my marketing book and I'm just doing the finishing touches to that. And it should be out within the next couple of weeks, which is very exciting. So that's given me time to do that. So there's always good news before we tell you about Nazreen who's a lovely lady from Turkey. And I would just like to say that it's an absolute pleasure to bring you the show but my time is taken up with that time that I could be doing writing. So if you would like to support the show, you can do so for just $3 a month which is the price of a coffee or tea and you can do it by going to patreon.com that's pa t ar e o n.com. forward slash Wendy h Jones and you will be able to support the show for the less than the price of a coffee or tea a month, and I would be very grateful. So what about Nazreen Variyawa? As I say she's a lovely lady from Turkey. She's also an author coach. She has three Amazon bestsellers to her credit. She's an editor and ghostwriter as well she's the the creative force behind many other bestsellers. Her niche is helping other aspiring authors authors to achieve their dreams of becoming published. Nazreen has also inspired, motivated and elevated thousands of learners through workshops that she has conducted over the years. She currently shares her best author tips and guidelines on various blogs, summits and talk shows. She's a nominee for the golden door awards, a pioneering initiative for truth writers, as quoted by Asia, one on the market Insider. She has been a guest on a number of talk shows including ignition by Farookh Sensei, Munira’s Musings by Munira Zahabi, Golden Truths by Tahira Ahmed Sultan Khan and Expert TV by Melaney Falvey. Nazarene will publish the Author Recipe Book in the near future and host a mastermind for new authors wanting to learn how to manage their mindset and lifestyle towards a successful author career. So a very busy, a very experienced and a very professional lady. So without further ado, let's get on with the show and meet Nazreen. Welcome, Nazreen, it's lovely to have you on the show.
Nasreen Variyawa :Thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure and an honour.
Wendy Jones :Oh, I really really wanted you on the show. The minute I knew you were doing lifestyle and mindset changes for new authors. I was like I have got to get Nasreen on the show.
Nasreen Variyawa :I'm glad you did because we need to be talking to those authors and helping them along.
Wendy Jones :We should be absolutely 100% Now I know you're in Turkey. So what's the weather like over there?
Nasreen Variyawa :Oh, it's warm, wonderful breezy in an absolutely beautiful day.
Wendy Jones :I want to move to Turkey because I'm in Scotland and it's miserable and grey and foggy in Scotland. I guess Each place has a beauty of its own Hey, it does it does what Scotland's a beautiful country. For all those people listening to this. I am Scottish and I'm not dissing Scotland. It's a wonderful country. I'll get lettersNazreen for saying Scotland's horrible it's not. Okay. Are you sitting comfortably and you're ready?
Nasreen Variyawa :Oh, absolutely. I'm relaxed and ready to chat with you about all things authoring.
Wendy Jones :Wow, that's fabulous. That's what we need. So I really am thrilled to be discussing this topic with you Nasreen, because it's such an important topic. I would like you to start by explaining why lifestyle and mindset changes. For new authors. It's such an important topic for us to be discussing here today. For a few reasons, Wendy, but I'll put it into perspective for you by giving you the most important reasons. I'm a member of many writers groups on social media for both published and up authors. And I have noticed over the past couple of years, I'd say about a year to three years, that there are a lot of questions that aren't regarding the technical aspects of writing. Rather, they are questions about tackling real life challenges that authors face. And, you know, it becomes important then to be able to address the challenges that they face on a wider scale, rather than trying to address it online. Social media alone, because that would entail having to answer everybody's questions individually. And really, as much as you know, you or I would like to give that time to every individual author, it does become a little bit impossible. Therefore, we need to talk about it on wider platforms, perhaps, you know, with a new book coming that is aimed at New authors that will help as well. New authors books are much like a big goal. Wendy, you know, before it is painted, it needs to be primed for painting. So authors to therefore must be prepared to adjust to what needs to be adjusted and change what needs to be changed about their lifestyles and their mindsets to prepare them for their authentic journeys. If I put that into perspective for you, Jim Cathcart, who I absolutely adore Follow and, you know, have a lot of respect for he says, Every day, ask yourself, how would the person I'm about to become, do the things I'm about to do. And that's what it's all about really. It's about new authors being able to reflect on what they're doing currently, and what they should be doing so that they can make the necessary adjustments to move forward. Now, I'm not by any means purporting that you can only write a book when you learn how to manage your lifestyle, or being in control of your mindset. But what I am saying is that it certainly helps to know what you might expect going forward and how you can handle that in the best possible way. Wow, that's brilliant advice. Thank you. So brings me on to my next question quite nicely. Is what is mindset? And why does it matter?
Nasreen Variyawa :Well, for ease of understanding, let's break that word mindset down into two. Mind refers to the brain naturally. And set refers to the state of things or the order of things. So it follows that to accomplish anything, both your mind and your vision must be in complete alignment. Now, let's put that into perspective. If I may, for example, you should not say I'm going to write a book and then think that you cannot, because then that is defeating the purpose you for the vision that you have for writing the book. It we see this over and over again. We have many authors say I think I have a story to tell. I think I'd make a great author but Then when they start the process, they tell themselves continuously. No, this is not for me, I cannot do it. When you tell yourself you cannot do it, you are, you're right, you cannot do it because you don't do it. So if we say we can, then we can. And if we can't, then we really can't. So it's important that we change the way we think. And that we complete our activities that are geared towards our vision, and have faith in it, and in our ability to go after our vision. So what we think that is our vision, and what we tell ourselves must be in complete alignment if we are to achieve what we need to achieve.
Wendy Jones :You know, I 100% agree with everything you're saying there. And I have written a book called motivation matters. It's for writers and that in it I say your brain will believe whatever you tell it to believe. And I think he said, just absolutely. You know, if you tell it you can, you can, if you tell it, you can't, you can't.
Nasreen Variyawa :Exactly. So, you know, if you really want to get that book out there, then you're going to have to change what you feed you what kind of thoughts you have, what you feed your mind is absolutely important.
Wendy Jones :Yeah, so that leads me on quite nicely. It's what aspects of our mindset might be leading to us not being able to achieve our full potential as writers or even indeed, being able to achieve our full potential as writers.
Nasreen Variyawa :Well, let's look at you know, why we don't achieve our potential as writers. And the first one is that that that's at the top of the list is self doubt, where we refuse to listen to our intuition when he tells us that we have the aptitude for writing. That is the that is at the top of the list, where we do that when we doubt ourselves. When we We cast a shadow over something that is bright, beautiful, creative and has the ability to do to make to make changes in other people's lives in our lives. You know, then, that is that is self destruction actually. So it's a way of distracting both yourself and this career that you want to go after. The second one I would have to say is negative self talk, which is a direct result of self doubt. The icon. I'm not creative. I don't have a story. I have poor grammar. I don't have the time. What will my friends and family think must change to I'm a fantastic author. I am creative with some wonderful stories to tell the world. I work on my grammar and spelling daily by reading and writing. I am passionate about writing enough to give up and I was worth of Netflix binge watching to do it. And what my family and friends think doesn't really matter to me. I'm content with my choice. And I'd have to say that the third is what I call the Wheaton c game that that authors tend to play. When I have a laptop, I will write when I have an office I will write if my spouse supports me I will do it. When the children are a little older. I will give it a shot must change to I can use my phone or tablet to write because I can have it transferred to a laptop when the time comes. I can right now in type it up later. I write on my kitchen table my sofa or balcony and I'm comfortable with that. The location does not matter. My spouse may never support me but he isn't threatening. He isn't threatening me for doing it either. So I'm going to give this my best best shot. My kids will always need me and they are my priority. But I'm also entitled to do the things that I am passionate about. Perhaps they will understand if I share my vision with them. So these kinds of conversations that we have with ourselves, and the way we approach things are very important. These are just some of the mindset aspects authors must work on. And I completely believe that they were they is a will. There is a way because when do you when I think back to whether or not I would have made it as an author, my first book was written as a challenge that was given to me at a leadership programme that I was on, and I didn't have a laptop. I didn't have an office. I literally wrote my first book on my mobile phone on my balcony table in peak summer, you know, and I had didn't have the kind of equipment I needed. That was called Use it for free. So I went ahead and published the book. And I had no support to do this. But I did it anyway. And I grew a lot the way. So when I look back on that, I think that had I not taken that stance, I probably would not be here sitting and talking to you about these things also. So everybody has to start some way. And that's the most important thing.
Wendy Jones :Wow, I think you've absolutely nailed it there. It's that advice is worth listening to my podcast alone for its go ducks. Thank you. So what would be the first step when we take develop an author mindset?
Nasreen Variyawa :I'd say the first thing is to make a shift in the way you think about yourself. You've got to see yourself as an author. You've got to feel it. You've got to own it. You've got to be it You can follow this mantra, keep smiling, shiny, and writing. When we take care of that, then everything else falls into place. If we don't believe that this is who we are, this is what we can achieve. The rest of it doesn't really matter, does it?
Wendy Jones :That's true, actually. So once you've developed the right, you know, the belief that you can, what would be the next steps one would need to take.
Nasreen Variyawa :It would be a shift in the way you converse with yourself. You need to catch your negative thoughts in your unkind words to yourself, you need to put them in a box and toss them into the trash. And you need to make a pledge never to accept such gifts again, because if you continuously accept them, that kind of language to yourself, then you ourselves destructing your ability to write the creative talent that has been given to you. And it doesn't matter how many times you put pen to paper, or sit down at your keyboard to write, you will not be able to do it effectively unless you make that shift. So, I could say, write whatever comes to mind. I can tell you to read every day I can tell you to write every day, I can tell you to talk to other authors. Every day. I can give you any number of pieces, any number of pieces of advice to get your your your juices flowing and you excited about your career. But unless you change the way you think, and the way you talk to yourself, about yourself, about you being an author, the rest really does not matter.
Wendy Jones :really brilliant. I would agree without again 100% I think we're on the same wavelength So thank you, I think that we very often we use negative thoughts to, to sculpt anything we're doing. It's easier to think negatively about ourselves. And I think a lot of that as well comes from background and not boasting and things like that, you know, and we do it to ourselves as well.
Nasreen Variyawa :I think to a certain degree, there's a fine line between, you know, being self absorbed, and, you know, touting your own creativity and talents, and then boasting, and you've got to find the balance between the two of them. And there's nothing wrong with acknowledging your talents. There's nothing wrong with being proud of your talents that night and I say this. I say this because Wendy, you should be your biggest motivator. You should be your favourite person. It you should not be. You should not rely on what other people think of you, or other people's acceptance of your career choice to, to influence the way you think and feel about yourself as an author, you should be your biggest fan, you should be you should read what you've written over and over again and you should marvel at it, because it is something beautiful. And it should motivate you on a daily basis to actually forge ahead, improve that and publish other work. It should motivate you to develop yourself as an author. And you can only do that if you are in your own corner. And if you are your biggest fan, so I encourage authors to become a biggest fan. And to be motivated by their own work over and over again.
Wendy Jones :I love that, become your biggest fan. I'm going to write that above my computer and become your biggest fan. I love it. I love it. So I'm intrigued because mindset is something we often think about as authors. But lifestyle changes don't immediately spring to mind. Can you walk us through why lifestyle change should be considered alongside mindset?
Nasreen Variyawa :I think that one's very simple really, you know, I don't know exactly said it. But I think someone brilliant said if you do the same thing over and over again and expect the same result, then you know, you are demonstrating a certain level of stupidity. And that's, that's what we all need to think about logically and acknowledge that if we are doing the same thing over and over again and it isn't working for us, then clearly something needs to change. Now we cannot expect to binge watch Netflix and expect the book to live by itself because books don't write themselves. It requires us to use ourselves to get the job done. It is up to us to use the simple daily aspects of living and tweak them to facilitate an authentic career. The idea is to lead the kind of lifestyle that inspires you to do better that inspires you to write that motivates you to go after what you want. We all for example, travel from time to time, that's no biggie. But do we do it mindfully enough to pay attention to the locations that we visit so that they become a part of our books? Do we have conversations that trigger scenes or stories in our books? Do we sit down and watch people for a while and make mental notes about our next Category now book or the next villain in our book, you know, being able to write with clarity requires a certain amount of being aware of your surroundings, your people, and the stories that are happening around you. And that's what it's all about, is our idea of altering just to sit at a laptop eight hours a day, writing whilst we fancy whilst we grow big hips, rounded shoulders and carpal tunnel syndrome, or should we be exercising to inject more energy into our day, stretch between our workflow to have exercises that keep the blood flowing in our hands, and learn to manage our eyes during our writing day so that all of the work that we do with our hands and eyes don't lead to health problems. So that's the kind of thing we're talking about when it comes to lifestyle. It's about making those adjustments so that you thrive in your career. Writing a best selling book and making a lot of money from it is one thing, but enjoying it is quite another. And I think we need to turn the tables or the order of things, I should say, we need to enjoy it first, and the money will come later, the best seller will come after that naturally.
Wendy Jones :Right. I like that. And I think you've already answered the next question, but there may be something else you want to add. In what way should we change our lifestyle in order to affect positive changes authors.
Nasreen Variyawa :So I need just three to give you an idea. There are so many, butI'd like to just encourage authors to add a touch of something different today. Everything you do everything from your evening snack platter, so that it's healthy and appetising, has proven brain power in nutrition. It's also motivating for you because especially as a woman because after doing a full eight hour day of writing or a five hour day of writing you you're constantly worried about dropping the ball on your family responsibilities, but you don't have to drop the ball if you got a little bit creative and, and went beyond the normal and the boring. How about dressing up like the character you are writing about? So that it inspires you gives you vision why'd you write spurs you on to write dialogue and more or monologue from them while you were writing? How about making financial and time sacrifices that I needed to get your ID goals achieved? I mean, did you know that I save Every five euro notes that I get a change when I spend on something because I believe that's consistent saving towards publishing and marketing is a good idea. Five litre may not seem like much, but it it is a sacrifice that I make to actually get to where I want to go. It's a little sacrifice but a sacrifice. Nonetheless. Did you know that when I used to wake up when I used to teach ESL full time, I used to wake up an hour earlier every day so that I could get my writing done, just so that I could publish my book on time. So what I'm saying to authors is that, take the ordinary, tweak it create the unique make the extra ordinary out of it for yourselves, inspire yourself. motivate yourself to Like I said earlier, you are your biggest fat, you should be your biggest motivator. And that's what it's all about.
Wendy Jones :Brilliant. And I agree with everything you're saying today. And this is really good stuff for my listeners to be able to implement quickly and easily into their life. So thank you. And, obviously we're going to change our habits, but what ongoing habits Do we need to incorporate into our lives to ensure the changes we have made remain effective.
Nasreen Variyawa :There are two C's that every author must must comply with. The first is consistency. And the second one is commitment. And the two of them put together are perhaps the most important factors. In any change or adjustment you make. You cannot make you can make any change you want. But if you don't make a commitment to stick to that change. And if you don't, end if you don't do what you must do consistently, then any change you make is in vain. For example, if you have resolved to lead a healthier lifestyle, you cannot go out onto the road and have a one hour power walk for one day, look at yourself in the mirror and say it didn't work and then give up. You cannot implement a healthy eating plan, do it for one week, and then give up on that. You cannot start to write a book. And because you face challenges, decide it's not for you and give that up. So consistency and commitment are really important. You've got to do whatever you do, whenever you want to do it. Even when you Want to do it even when you don't feel like it? That is commitment.
Wendy Jones :Yeah, again, I would agree with that you need to be committed and keep doing it regardless of how you feel. But you've given us a lot of advice here and it's all of its being gold dust. I have to say it's just been amazing. But what would be your top three tips for any new author if I wanted to ask you to focus it down?
Nasreen Variyawa :I tell every new author that we are all born with a best selling story within because we are meant to help others through our stories, whether they are romance stories or whether they are self help stories. You are helping others by writing your thoughts down. And if you want and you can only achieve that by putting pen to paper and telling your story telling the truth. And making it as honest as simple as possible so that all readers enjoy it. We don't have to be grammatically sound or perfect when we write. We need to start somewhere. And that's some way is with ourselves, ghostwriters, culture coach, authors, editors, proofreaders cover designers, publishers, they all fit into your best your best selling story circle, because they just like you have come with innate talents to help you to help others. So, my biggest my biggest
Wendy Jones :Sorry, I seem to be Tongue Tied at this point. My biggest advice for for new authors is start some way. Everything else falls into place. When you start some way commitment And consistency. That's all you need, and you will get to where you need to go. Brilliant. Thank you. Hey, we all get tongue tied. I do it all the time on this show. I tell you, you haven't had the best off moments. Yeah, it's usually over people's names. I hope I got yours, right, that's for sure.
Nasreen Variyawa :Oh, you did? I'm so thrilled about that.
Wendy Jones :Thank goodness for that. So, my final question, Where can we find out more about you and your work and how can my listeners contact you?
Nasreen Variyawa :I would love for everybody to follow me on facebook.com/authornasreenvariyawa because that is where I will post updates on a future mastermind that is coming up. And also my future book on the recipe, the authentic author's recipe that is coming up soon, and a lot Have unpublished authors and new authors will completely enjoy that. There are a lot of freebies coming with that, by the way, this is a recipe book that you know you authors can look forward to that will help them along the way with getting creative in the kitchen and using that to be inspired for writing. And then there's also my website, www.nasreenology.com where they can download a copy of my first book for free. It's about leadership. And because all leadership starts with self leadership, I think they would find the book extremely invaluable. And also because It's presented in story format. It's not too difficult to read and it would be absolutely vital also to what they are trying to achieve. Authors wanting to be coached one on one can contact me on my email address that's nvariyawa@yahoo.com. I'll repeat that nvariyawa@yahoo.com.
Wendy Jones :Brilliant. Well, I'm sure there will be people wanting to contact you. And it has been such a pleasure to talk to you today. I've loved every minute of this. So thank you.
Nasreen Variyawa :It's been a pleasure and an honour. Thanks is all mine. Thank you so much for having the author's keep shining, rising and writing
Wendy Jones :Love that I'm going to put that above my desk as well. My desk is going to be cluttered. It's going to be it's going to be cluttered with good things that will help me.
Nasreen Variyawa :Absolutely. That makes me happy and it makes me smile.
Wendy Jones :Well have a great day in Turkey in the sun. And thank you once again.
Unknown Speaker :Thank you so much for having me, Wendy. Bye.
Unknown Speaker :Bye.
Wendy Jones :That brings us to the end of another show. It was really good to have you on the show with me today. I'm Wendy h Jones. And you can find me at wendyhjones.com. You can also find me on Patreon where you can support me for as little as $3 a month which is less than the price of a tea or coffee. You go to patreon.com.wendyhjones I'm also Wendy Jones on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Thank you for joining me today and out Hope you found it both useful and interesting. Join me next week when I will have another cracking guest for you. Until then, have a good week and keep writing. Keep reading and keep learning