Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

Become a Freelance Writer in 2017 They say it takes about a month to change a habit. That's why rehab centers use a 28 day program. A month is roughly how long it takes for the body and mind to adjust to a new set of rules and circumstances. There's no real cure for an addiction. The best therapists know that replacing a bad habit with a new obsession is way more effective than simply denying an urge that will no doubt resurface. The reason why most drug addicts go back to taking drugs is that, even though they may have rid themselves physically once, their situations, their daily lives, their friends and influences conspire to get them back on the road to their ingrained obsessions. Our brains are chemically designed to associate pleasure with familiarity. This is why self-destructive behavior can be so frustrating to observe - and counter. This is why too, if you sometimes have a defeatist attitude towards your writing - one that may tell you that you'll never succ...

Visit Rob Parnell's Writing Academy   to get FREE resources for aspiring writers. I recently conducted a survey of certain of my Writing Academy students - via mail. You know, using real post, with stamps!  I did this to find out specifically what OFFLINE writers feel about writing - to see whether their worldview was different from the thoughts and feelings of ONLINE writers. I think you'll be surprised, shocked even, by the results. (Big mega shock: 73% of OFFLINE WRITERS don't use the Internet at all!) Right. The first thing you have to remember about surveys is that the data may not be a totally accurate reflection of reality.  Most surveys are, in fact, just a reflection of the kind of people that fill out surveys! For instance, this survey was sent out to thousands of writers, of whom only 10% responded.  Therefore the views of this other 90% might be completely different from the hundreds that took the time to mail me their ans...