First, get a notebook and grab a pen. (It’s very important that you do this by hand; trust me, it’s more science!)

 

Then, imagine your character (who is you) as if you were writing a book about them, and they are living their best life. To start out, I’d like you to think about how this character is feeling in their ideal “story.” Try to go deeper than “happy,” and get as specific as you can about their emotions.

 

 

You can begin writing “[Your Name] feels … “ and see what comes up.

 

Next, think about what this character is doing What brave actions do they take? You can begin writing “[Your Name] is excited to be doing…” and see what comes up.

 

Finally, what advice does this character have for you in the here and now? Imagine your character standing tall, chin tilted with pride. “This is what I want to tell you…” they say. What wisdom do they share?

 

 

 

There’s so much more to this method, but you can try these few prompts and see how it feels. 

 

 

This process changed my life, and I believe it can do the same for you, too!

 

Lara Zielin is a published author, editor, and the founder of Author Your Life. Her debut young-adult novel Donut Days was selected to the Lone Star Reading List, and her romance novel And Then He Kissed Me (written as Kim Amos) was nominated for a Romantic Times Reader’s Choice Award. Her magazine articles have appeared in Writers Digest, Culture, Medicine at Michigan, and more. Her nonfiction book Author Your Life is about using the power of writing to create a better life for yourself. She lives in Michigan with her husband and dog, and her goal is pretty much to eat all the cheese.