Last month, our mini theme was Success. We had a great time sharing and celebrating our successes. This month at Grow Your Writing Business is in part, at least, about S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G.

Here’s my October Challenge. Get out of your comfort zone and do something writing or business wise you don’t normally do, haven’t been game to try, or just haven’t got around to. No cheating though, you have to commit to it. It doesn’t have to be a big thing…. just S-T-R-E-T-C-H!

Eleven Ideas For October S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G - OR Go With Your Own Ideas

• Send a query to an outlet or prospective client you’ve been meaning to try.
• Comment on 1 or 2 new blogs where your audience or potential audience is… somewhere you haven’t commented before. Add to the conversation. Remember, one comment does not a relationship make.
• Do a health check on your work homelife balance. Is there something you can realistically do to improve it. This may require some stretching of the mind, of your time, of being flexible, of being open to change, of your resources etc.
• Go back to some old writing, no matter how old, and see if you’d like to move ahead with it or play with it.
• Write something just purely for your own enoyment, for publication or just for yourself.
• Help a colleague or a new writer, even if it’s just to offer encouragement. The Grow Your Writing Business Writers Cafe is a great place to do this, and to network. This Friday to Sunday you’ll need your passports for the Weekend Writers Cafe. We’re heading overseas… No, I’m not telling you where… (yet)
• Try a social networking site you haven’t tried before if you want to, or see if the one you use already has more to offer than what you are using it for. Can you make it work for you?
• Try out some new technology or programs e.g. a mind map program, a free online photo generator, Skype or a podcast. You don’t have to master it - just have a play around to get the hang of things.
• Try a different style of blog post from what you usually do e.g. include a list post, a themed post, a story post, a review etc.
• Improve one thing on your blog - layout, frequency of posting, add an image, add your photo, a new feature etc.
• Do one thing to improve your business

You will no doubt have other ideas which relate more specifically to your own writing business. Okay, I’m off to try some new things… more on S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G tomorrow. Keep us posted about what you’ve been trying and how it went. Let’s share what we did and learned.

I’m noticing that S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G sometimes has an awful lot to do with overcoming procrastination, and getting on with it, for me at least. How about you?

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