The joys of sucking at something, plus tips for editing your book
It was a total disaster 🤦🏻♀️
In my head, I had envisioned myself gliding like a superstar, fluid, easy, intuitive, like I was made for this.
In reality I was all left feet and by the end, I was mentally and physically exhausted.
That was my intro to beginners class for hip hop 😜
See I love to dance. In my teens I raved all night and into the early mornings. (If my parents only knew!)
In my 20s I graduated to the underground club scene, chasing the highs of the deepest grooves and hardest beats—from London to Ibiza. I loved feeling one with music.
But choreography always eluded me, and I in turn avoided it.
Until I decided that I was done with that story. I wasn’t going to let my past decide my future and stop me from doing something I loved. Even if it meant that I’d have to suck at something.
Karen Rinaldi is an author who wrote about this in her book (It's Great to) Suck at Something. She started surfing at 50 and wrote about the lessons and growth she experienced along the way—what sucking can teach us about patience and resilience and how it can humble and make us less judgmental toward others.
After sucking at hip hop, I have a whole new appreciation for all the people (from my seven-year-old daughter to Taylor Swift!) who make getting up in front of people and performing highly choreographed moves look like no big deal when it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do!
Surfing is another thing I suck at and love anyway. I’m surrounded by the Great Lakes but surfable waves are in short supply. I can count on my hands the number of times I’ve had the chance to paddle out into the middle of nowhere and catch a ride back to shore on mother nature’s shoulders — Hawaii, California, Tahiti (forget it, those waves are impossible!) — but I never miss the chance.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that even if it means you have to suck at something (hopefully for a little while only—I’ll be going back for more dance lessons next Friday!), don’t let that get in the way of doing what you love if it brings you joy and fulfillment and teaches you something new along the way.
The thing about sucking is you can only get better.
Cat xo
PS: I also suck at cooking but I have zero interest at getting better at it!
How to Revise Your Own Work
I always like to give myself and my authors permission to suck at writing the first draft.
My client Matt Rogers was able to beat years of stalling on his book and finished it in just days when he finally realized I had his back and wasn’t going to let him go out like the king who wore no clothes but would help him make his SECOND draft everything he wanted it to be.
"Cat gave me the direction and motivation to stop chasing my own tail and encouraged me to write a few hundred words every day without worrying about what I was writing or how it sounded and to not even think about editing what I wrote. She helped me create a simple, organized process that released my ultra-creativity.
I wrote 45,000 words over the next 12 days, completing a full first draft manuscript of the book I had been telling people for years that I was writing. Not only is Cat a great coach, but she is an expert in handling the book process from cradle to grave. We were able to write, edit, format, create the cover and publish in under 5 months."
Now Matt is sharing his book on stages far and wide, and has grown his coaching and consulting business as a result.
For those who already have a finished first draft and know they can make it better, here are a couple of tips for revising your manuscript:
✅ First read it like a reader (flagging anything that catches your eye that you want to come back to later). Is the experience you’re having everything you want your reader to experience? If not, what gets to change?
✅ Next comb through your book like an editor, making a list of the adjustments that get to happen. Check for: Are you doing enough showing or too much telling? Is the beginning as attention grabbing as it can be? Is there enough tension and suspense to keep the reader reading? Is the ending satisfying?
✅ Make revisions and bring on a feedback partner—an editor (ahem), friend or colleague, who can see your blind spots and ask the kinds of questions that will help you take your manuscript to the next level.
Keep in mind, this isn’t the time to get hung up on spelling and grammar. We’re still in the developmental editing stage here. Flag anything that catches your eye but keep an eye on the big picture as this is what’s going to really make a difference in your next draft.
There's still time to sign up for my Book Launch Success Secrets Revealed event!
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Join me for this FREE online event kicking off this Thursday February 22, 2024 at 12pm EST, and stick around to the end to participate in the audience Q&A happening right after.
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