Why Expansion Feels Like Danger (And What That Tells You)

 by Suzanne Lieurance

Something strange happens in the body when a writer moves toward a genuinely bigger project: it often feels less like excitement and more like threat. Racing thoughts. A tightness in the chest. An urge to retreat to something smaller and more familiar, dressed up as "being realistic."

This Isn't a Sign That Something is Wrong

It's a sign that your nervous system doesn't distinguish especially well between danger and growth. Both register as a departure from the known. Both trigger the same basic alarm.

Understanding this reframes the sensation entirely. The tightness you feel when you consider the bigger project isn't necessarily telling you to stop. It's telling you that you're at the edge of what's familiar — which is precisely where expansion happens. A project that produced no version of that response would very likely be too small to be the expansion you're actually looking for.

Every Uncomfortable Feeling Does Not Need to Be Overridden

There's a difference between the activation of growth and the activation of a genuine mismatch — a project that's wrong for you, not just bigger than what you're used to. The growth version tends to come with curiosity underneath the fear: a pull toward the project even as your body resists it. The mismatch version tends to come with dread and nothing else — no pull, no curiosity, just resistance.

If you notice pull and fear together, that combination is usually a good sign, not a warning. It means part of you wants this badly enough to be afraid of losing it. The task isn't to make the fear disappear before you begin. It's to let the fear ride along while you begin anyway — treating it as evidence you're moving in the right direction, not as a verdict on whether you should.

Your body will not send you a signal that says clearly, "this is growth, proceed." It will send you the same signal it sends for danger. Learning to tell the two apart — by checking for the presence of pull, not the absence of fear — is one of the most useful skills a writer attempting something bigger can develop.

For more tips to help you expand your life as a writer, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at www.morningnudge.com.  

And visit www.writebythesea.com for even more writing tips and resources.

 

 

 

 

The Science of Receiving

 by Suzanne Lieurance

Writers often talk about “flow,” that elusive state when words seem to write themselves. It feels magical, but it’s not just a mystical experience—it’s a measurable shift in your brain and body. Science now backs up what so many creatives already sense: when you relax, open up, and allow, your brain literally becomes more creative.

Let’s look at what’s really happening when you step into the energy of receiving.

Your Brain on Resistance

When you sit down to write and feel blocked, your brain’s amygdala—the part that processes fear—lights up. It interprets uncertainty (like a blank page) as danger. This triggers the fight-or-flight response, sending stress hormones like cortisol rushing through your body.

In this state, your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain responsible for problem-solving and imagination) goes quiet. That’s why it feels impossible to come up with fresh ideas when you’re anxious or forcing creativity.

You’re not lazy. You’re just in the wrong brain state for flow.

The Physiology of Allowing

When you shift into openness—through gratitude, meditation, or even a few deep breaths—you calm your nervous system. Cortisol levels drop. Your parasympathetic nervous system activates, signaling safety.

This switch allows your brain to access alpha waves—the frequency associated with creativity, daydreaming, and flow. Neuroscientists call this “the incubation phase,” when insights form below the surface of conscious thought.

In other words, when you stop trying to force the answer, your brain can finally deliver it.

The Role of Dopamine: Your Brain’s Reward Signal

Every time you anticipate something good—finishing a chapter, submitting a piece, or receiving praise—your brain releases dopamine. It’s the neurochemical of motivation and pleasure.

But here’s the catch: dopamine doesn’t just reward outcomes. It also rewards expectation.

That means you can trigger creative motivation before success even arrives, simply by imagining positive results.

When you visualize your writing career unfolding beautifully—readers loving your stories, your book launch going well—you’re not indulging in wishful thinking. You’re literally training your brain to associate writing with reward, not stress.

Gratitude as a Neural Shortcut

One of the fastest ways to move into a receptive state is gratitude.

Studies from UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center show that regular gratitude practice strengthens neural pathways linked to joy and reduces the activation of fear circuits. Gratitude rewires your brain to expect good things—and therefore notice them when they happen.

Try this quick practice: before you write, list three things you’re grateful for in your creative life. They can be small—like the smell of coffee, a favorite pen, or the fact that you have time to write at all.

You’ll feel a subtle shift almost immediately.

Why Writers Thrive in “The Flow State”

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term flow to describe a state of total absorption in a task. In this state, your inner critic quiets, time dissolves, and your writing feels effortless.

Research shows that flow occurs when:

·       You’re challenged but not overwhelmed.

·       You’re fully focused on one task.

·       You feel safe enough to lose self-consciousness.

That’s why receiving—trusting, allowing, softening—is essential. You can’t enter flow through tension. You enter through surrender.

Openness and the Creative Brain

In personality research, the trait most strongly linked to creativity is openness to experience.

Openness means curiosity, imagination, and the willingness to explore new ideas without judgment. It’s the mental version of receiving.

Writers who cultivate openness see connections others miss. They ask, “What if?” instead of “What’s the point?” They stay flexible, letting inspiration shape their process rather than clinging to control.

When you’re open, you become a conduit for creative energy—not its gatekeeper.

The Simple Science of Surrender

You don’t have to understand neuroscience to benefit from it. You just have to practice what science already knows works:

Breathe deeply before you write. Oxygen increases clarity and calm.

Visualize success. Dopamine rewards the expectation of good things.

Practice gratitude. It lowers stress and primes your brain for flow.

Trust timing. Creativity follows rhythm, not pressure.

The science of receiving is really the science of letting yourself feel safe enough to create.

Next time you feel stuck, remember—your brain isn’t the enemy. It’s waiting for you to relax.

So, take a deep breath, unclench your shoulders, and whisper to yourself: “I am open. I am receptive. I am ready to receive inspiration.”

Science agrees—you’ve just told your brain it’s time to create.

And now, for more information about how the Law of Attraction relates to writing, listen to The Law of Attraction Podcast for Writers. And don't forget to subscribe!

Suzanne Lieurance is an author and a Law of Attraction coach for writers at writebythesea.com

Embracing Change as Creative Fuel

 by Suzanne Lieurance

Writers love comfort. We crave routines, favorite pens, familiar desks, predictable mornings. But life doesn’t always cooperate. Change barges in—uninvited and often unwelcome. Suddenly, the ground shifts. The routines that once worked no longer fit.

The instinct is to resist. We tighten up. We cling to what used to be. But resistance doesn’t stop change; it only stops us from moving with it.

What if, instead, you saw change not as an enemy but as fuel?

Resistance Drains Energy

Think about the last time you resisted change. Maybe a project deadline shifted, or a family routine disrupted your writing hours. How much energy did you spend fighting against it? Probably more than it would have taken to adapt.

 Resistance drains us because it tries to hold back the tide. Flow happens when we step into the current and let it carry us forward.

Change Brings New Raw Material

Every disruption carries new story seeds. A move to a new town brings details of place you’d never have noticed otherwise. A job change brings new characters into your life. Even the loss of something familiar sharpens your perspective.

Writers who embrace change don’t run out of material—they multiply it.

Flow Lives in Flexibility

Flow isn’t rigid. It’s not about controlling the environment so you can write in one perfect way. It’s about showing up with openness, trusting that words will come even if the scene looks different today than it did yesterday.

You don’t need the same ritual every day to write well. You need the ability to bend without breaking.

Turning Change into Power

Here are a few ways to transform resistance into flow:

Shift the Frame: Instead of saying, “I can’t write because everything is different,” say, “Because everything is different, I have new ways to write.”

Shrink the Task: If change steals your time, don’t give up—write one paragraph. Write one sentence. Momentum grows from the smallest spark.

Ask, “What is this teaching me?” Every disruption carries a lesson. Look for it, and your writing will deepen.

A Short Practice

The next time you feel resistance rising, pause. Write a single page beginning with the words: “Change is giving me…”

Let the words flow without editing. You may be surprised by what new energy shows up.

A Writer’s Manifesto

You are not powerless in the face of change. You are a writer. You know how to turn chaos into story, how to transform uncertainty into meaning.

Change is not here to stop you. It’s here to sharpen you. To challenge you. To remind you that creativity is not fragile—it’s resilient.

Every time you resist, you lose momentum. Every time you embrace, you step deeper into your own power.

Closing Affirmation

Repeat this to yourself when life feels unsettled:

I welcome change. I turn resistance into flow. Every shift fuels my creativity. Nothing can silence my words when I choose to move with life, not against it.

And now, before you go, don't forget to get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge for more writing tips and resources delivered to your e-mailbox every weekday morning.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a Law of Attraction coach for writers. Learn more about her coaching services at writebythesea.com.

Look what Adam Cohen of WinningWriters ran today;  it’s a day I really needed a boost (I brought my husband home from the hospital today so it was a an upper at just the right time! Those of you who subscribe (see the right column to subscribe if you haven’t alrady!) know that I have used WinningWriters’ newsletter to find reliable, vetted contests for years and that I highly recommend their own #NorthStreetBookPrize for the added value they offer to those who enter.  His warmth and high standards come through in all his ads and projects.  Thank you, Adam! 

THE GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION BOOK PROPOSAL From the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series This short book, now in its second edition, is the result of Carolyn Howard-Johnson's extensive work with clients who hate writing book proposals and hate learning how to write them even more. She found herself coaching them through the process rather than doing it for them, for who could possibly recreate the passion an author feels for his or her own book better than the author? In doing so, she found she had written a booklet—not a tome—that took her clients only about thirty minutes to absorb. Voila! The Great First Impression Book Proposal was born, and you can get it for as little as $2.99 at Amazon.   CONTENTS 1.  Getting Past Our Own Arguments—and Past Gatekeepers' Resistance 2.  Getting Started: The Short Way to the Gate 3.  Your Overview: How To Make Jaded Gatekeepers Want More 4.  The Details: How To Make a Gatekeeper Open the Door for You 5.  Making It Easy: Quick Formatting and Editing Do's and Don'ts 6.  The Clincher: Keeping the Gate Wide Open 7.  Checklist: Is Your Great First Impression Proposal Ready for Its Closeup? Available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audio formats BUY ON AMAZON UNSOLICITED ENDORSEMENTS "When I first reviewed Carolyn Howard-Johnson's small book, little did I realize how dog-eared my paperback copy would get over time. I've been through it and bookmarked it so many times that it's tattered beyond belief, but I cannot get rid of it. It appears that Ms. Howard-Johnson has also released it in an updated edition, and that's why my review predates this one. And please note that now The Great First Impression Book Proposal is available as a Kindle edition...If you're an aspiring writer in any genre, it's well worth it." —John Williamson, Top 1000 Amazon Vine Reviewer "'This is a really smart proposal,' was one comment from an agent who went on to sell my nonfiction book to a publisher. The 'smartest' thing about it? I used Carolyn's guide to write it!" —Treacy Colbert, medical writer and author of End Your Menopause Misery "I just finished reading The Great First Impression Book Proposal. I like your style and encouragement. I was a bit intimidated about finishing my book proposal. I was thinking it had to be stiff and boring. I even have dialogue in it. I thought I'd have to cut it out. Now, I'll probably leave it in." —Wanza Leftwich, author, blogger "I love [The Great First Impression Book Proposal]! My husband was amazed at all the info crammed into this short book. You could have charged a lot more. I just re-vamped my proposal to follow the guidelines in it for my latest book." —Myrna Lou, palmist, psychic, author "Marketing is never easy...Well, it might be if you follow the easy steps Carolyn Howard-Johnson offers up in The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Book in Thirty Minutes or Less. Howard-Johnson's bulleted lists are superior. They're easy to understand, easy to implement, and even easier to read. (She means it when she says thirty minutes or less). She gives us even more: A list of other resources on book proposals. I will recommend this book to all of our authors and potential authors at Ladybug Press." —Georgia Jones, Editor in Chief, Ladybug Press and NewVoices, Inc. BUY ON AMAZON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carolyn Howard-Johnson has been an instructor for UCLA's world-renowned Writers' Program for nearly a decade, a columnist and staff writer for the Salt Lake Tribune and the Pasadena Star News, and has appeared on hundreds of TV and radio stations nationally and locally. As a publicist for the Eleanor Lambert Agency in New York, she took part in the creation of the first "10 Best Dressed List" with Christian Dior.   Carolyn was honored as the California Legislature's Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment, received her community's Character and Ethics award for promoting tolerance with her writing, and was named to Pasadena Weekly's list of "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen". She presents at writers' conferences nationwide. Her own writing as a novelist and poet has informed the advice she gives to authors regarding sales and genre. Carolyn has worked with Winning Writers for years as a co-sponsor of the North Street Book Prize, helping winners promote their books. View her many offerings for writers on her website.

The Value of Warming Up Before Each Writing Session

by Suzanne Lieurance

You wouldn’t see an athlete sprint onto the track without stretching first, right?

The same goes for writers.

Jumping straight into a writing session without a warm-up can feel like trying to run with stiff muscles—slow, clunky, and frustrating.

A good warm-up gets the creative gears turning, clears mental clutter, and makes writing feel effortless.

A writing warm-up is a game changer.

It helps shift you from the distractions of daily life into creative mode.

It quiets self-doubt, silences perfectionism, and makes the words flow with less resistance.

When you take a few minutes to warm up, you’re not just getting ready to write—you’re telling your brain, This is what we’re doing now. Let’s go.

The Science Behind It 

Writing isn’t just about stringing words together; it’s both a cognitive and emotional process. 

 

Your brain needs a signal that it’s time to shift gears. 

 

Low-pressure, short exercises stimulate neural pathways, improving focus and flow. 

 

Studies have shown that freewriting and other warm-ups activate the brain’s creative center, making it easier to get into the zone. 

 

In short, warming up makes writing smoother and more productive.  

 

How to Warm Up  

 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but here are a few tried-and-true methods.  

 

Freewriting: Set a timer for 5–10 minutes and write nonstop. No editing, no second-guessing—just let the words spill onto the page.  

 

Writing Prompts: A simple prompt can spark ideas and bypass overthinking.  

 

Morning Pages: Julia Cameron swears by this method—three pages of unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness writing.  

 

Sensory Descriptions: Describe an object, place, or moment using all five senses.  

 

Dialogue Snippets: Write a quick, spontaneous conversation between two characters.  

 

Find what works for you. 

 

A warm-up doesn’t need to take more than 5–15 minutes, but it should be consistent. 

 

Make it a habit before every writing session, and over time, you’ll notice how much easier it is to slip into deep work.  

 

Overcome the Resistance 

 

Maybe you’re thinking, I don’t have time for this.

 

But a quick warm-up actually saves time because it makes writing smoother. 

 

Or maybe you feel like you don’t need it.

 

Well, even seasoned writers like Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and Julia Cameron rely on warm-ups. 

 

And if it feels silly? 

 

Good. 

 

That means you’re letting go of judgment, which is exactly the mindset you need to write freely.  

 

Try It Yourself  

 

Pick one of the warm-up techniques and try it for five minutes. 

 

Notice how it feels. 

 

Did your mind loosen up? 

 

Did the words flow more easily? 

 

The only way to know if a warm-up works for you is to test it out.  

 

Warming up is one of the simplest ways to boost creativity, confidence, and focus. 

 

Experiment with different methods, find one that fits your style, and make it part of your routine. 

 

Writing doesn’t have to feel like a struggle—it can be effortless, joyful, and fun.

 

And it all starts with a little warm-up. 

Now, for more free writing tips and resources, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge. 

And, if you've always wanted to write a novel, visit writebythesea.com and accept our July Writing Challenge.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books, CEO and founder of Write by the Sea® and a Law of Attraction coach for writers.