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Hands up if you’ve got an idea for a book — or any creative project, for that matter — and yet you struggle with procrastination and can’t seem to birth it out into the world?

I’ve definitely been there myself, and SO many of you ask me questions about this topic… which is why I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you, where I chat with Alexandra Franzen — prolific writer, champion excuse-buster, and all-around creative goddess.

Alexandra Franzen is the author of So This Is the End: A Love Story, along with a slew of other books, and has also written articles for Time, Forbes, Newsweek, The Huffington Post, and Lifehacker. When she’s not scribing her own stories, she also works as a copywriter, ghostwriter and writing coach, helping her clients to develop podcasts, videos, websites, pitches, proposals, and books.

I’ve been a fan of Alexandra’s word wizardry for years. Her insights on creativity, following through on what’s important to you, and busting through procrastination are laser sharp, but somehow at the same time, still loving and gentle. (I’m also a huge fan of her personal mantra: Today is not over yet… Try it out the next time you’re Netflix-ing instead of working on your novel, and feel the motivation start to surge!)

So beautiful, if you want to find the courage to express yourself, unlock the creative idea that’s been tugging at your soul, and write like you mean it, then press play — this episode is for you!

In this episode we chat about:

• Alexandra’s uncommon journey to where she is today (09:08)
• How to move through fear to write a book (11:40)
• The key starting point for book writing that most people overlook (13:33)
• Does everyone have a book in them? (I loved her take on this!) (14:16)
• What happens when we suppress our creativity (15:39)
• The 3 ingredients for masterful writing (20:37)
• The 2 things that make a piece of work successful (30:13)
• Her excellent strategy for moving through a ‘vulnerability hangover’ (34:21)
• Why she quit social media for good (38:35)
• The unexpected benefits of disconnecting from the online world (50:58)
• Plus so much more!

Episode resources:

• Alexandra Franzen’s website (website)
• So This Is the End: A Love Story by Alexandra Franzen (Amazon)
  
• Books by Alexandra Franzen (Amazon)
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Amazon)
  
• Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry (Amazon)
  
• Philips Wake Up Light Alarm Clock. (Amazon)
• Join the Melissa Ambrosini Tribe on Facebook (Facebook Group)
• Open Wide by Melissa Ambrosini (Amazon)
• Open Wide Video Masterclass (podcast)

Thank you so much for listening to this episode. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could take 2 minutes to leave me a 5-star review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire even more people together.

P.S. Please seek advice from a qualified holistic practitioner before starting any new health practice.

P.P.S. If you’re looking for a high-impact marketing opportunity for your business and are interested in becoming a sponsor for The Melissa Ambrosini Show podcast, please email pr@melissaambrosini.com for more information.

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