9: My Favourite Tools I Use for Writing (And No, They’re Not What You Think They Are)

Here’s a little truth I’ve learned on this writing journey:

Writing a book has far more to do with mental strength than writing skill.

You could be the most talented writer in the world but if your mind is hardwired to keep you “safe,” your book might never make it past that dusty Word doc on your desktop.

That was me for years. The one thing standing between me and my dream of being a published author was my own mindset. And it wasn’t until I started investing in myself and developing my mindset that things began to shift. That’s when I finally felt ready to take on the huge, terrifying, incredible goal of finishing my debut novel.

So, I want to share the five mindset tools I use the most. Not necessarily every single day (I’m human), but regularly enough that they’ve completely transformed how I show up to write. These aren’t your usual “have a writing playlist and goal setting” kind of tips. These are the real tools that have helped me show up even when fear, perfectionism, and self-doubt want to steal the show.

Meditation & Visualisation

This is hands down my most used tool when it comes to mindset and writing.

Meditation helps me regulate my emotions, stay present, and actually think clearly. It trains me to focus, which is the antidote to those can’t-concentrate writing days when your to-do list won’t stop stealing your brain space.

Some of the key benefits of meditation:

• Reduced stress + anxiety

• Improved concentration

• Better emotional regulation

• Higher quality sleep

• Enhanced overall brain function

These are all things that make writing easier. When I meditate consistently, I don’t sit down and write 100 words in a fog, I sit down and write 400, laser-focused and in flow.

Visualisation is a specific type of meditation I use less often, but when I do? Powerful.

This is where I mentally rehearse my dream outcome. Seeing myself as a published author. Feeling the weight of my debut novel in my hands. Hearing the screams of the countdown as I celebrate the book launch at a midnight launch party.

Here’s why it works:

The brain believes what we tell it.

If you tell your brain, I am a published author, and you feed that message to it with enough emotional intensity and repetition, it will believe it. It starts building the neural pathways to support that belief.

So, when I visualise vividly, like smell-the-salt-air kind of vivid, my brain logs it as if it already happened. That memory gets stored. And when that happens, your reality starts to rise to meet it.

It’s not “one and done.” It’s repetition. But it works.

Your ego might fight back at first (“who do you think you are?”) but the more you practice, the quieter it gets.

It’s already done.

Journaling

I use journaling in two key ways: manifestation scripting and limiting belief excavation.

Manifestation Journaling is the fun one. I set a timer, pop on some binaural beats or gentle music, and just write, nonstop, as if all my dreams have already come true. Sometimes for as little as 5 minutes, sometimes I am really feeling the entry and I write for 30 minutes.

Not: “I want to publish my book.”

But: “I’m holding the very first copy of my debut novel. It’s here. It’s real.”

You’re not wishing. You’re telling.

Some things I regularly journal on:

• A day in my future life

• I just published my first book

• What my dream book launch looks like

Limiting Belief Journaling is the deep work. Less fun, more necessary.

One of my favourite prompts is:

• Why DON’T I want [insert goal]?

It sounds backwards, but it uncovers the hidden fears holding you back.

I once realised I wasn’t writing because I was terrified to fail publicly. To try, and still fall short in front of the people who know me. That awareness gave me something to actually work on and heal.

Nervous System Expansion

Your next level won’t meet you in your comfort zone. And let’s be real, writing a book and putting it out into the world is very outside most of our comfort zones.

“Nervous system regulation” has become a bit of a buzzword in the personal development space lately and while I love that the conversation is happening, I’ve also noticed how often it’s misunderstood.

Social media sometimes paints it like the goal is to neutralise every big emotion. Stay calm. Be unbothered. Respond, don’t react. And while those things have their place… that’s not regulation. That’s emotional suppression with better branding.

Here’s the truth:

We are human. And part of being human means feeling the entire emotional spectrum: gratitude, joy, rage, embarrassment, shame, love, frustration, grief, elation, all of it.

There is no such thing as a “bad” emotion. Emotions are information. They show us where we’re aligned, what needs healing, and what matters to us. When we suppress those so-called “big” or “messy” feelings in the name of staying regulated, all we’re really doing is storing them in our bodies until they inevitably burst out (usually in a moment that feels completely disproportionate).

True regulation comes from actually feeling the emotion and letting it move through you in a safe, healthy way.

That might mean screaming into your steering wheel. Or ugly crying into your pillow for 30 minutes. Whatever helps the emotion be fully felt.

Only once the emotion has been expressed can your nervous system come back into regulation.

So no, the goal isn’t to be calm all the time. The goal is to feel it all and to know how to come back to safety when you're ready. That’s what creates long-term nervous system expansion.

Okay, side tangent over.

Nervous system expansion takes it a step further. It’s about training your body to hold a bigger level of success, visibility, and power.

Want to be a published author? Amazing.

But if your nervous system doesn’t feel safe with that identity yet, it’ll sabotage you.

Procrastination. Avoidance. Perfectionism.

That’s why I work regularly with Monica Yates’ expansion techniques. She’s been my coach all year and honestly? The growth I’ve experienced in 2025 is because of the mindset mastery I’ve built through her work.

Talking to My Ego (Yes, Out Loud)

Your ego’s job is to keep you safe. And chasing a big dream like writing a novel? That feels risky to the ego. Vulnerable. Exposing. Dangerous.

So, the ego will whisper things like:

“You’re going to fail.”

“Everyone will judge you.”

“This is a waste of time.”

And when that voice gets loud? I talk to it. Out loud.

I say, “Hey, I hear you. I know you’re trying to protect me. But I’m safe. And the only way I fail… is if I never try.”

It’s not about getting rid of your ego. It’s about creating a conversation. Reassurance. Safety. I’ve been doing this for years, and my ego still pops up from time to time but not nearly as often. The more you practise this, the more calm and empowered your writing space becomes.

Discipline (And No Mental Negotiation)

The last tool I use in my writing toolkit? Good old-fashioned discipline.

I’m not going to lie, I never feel like writing when the time comes. Every single day, it feels like a big, overwhelming task, and my brain’s immediate response is to avoid that overwhelm at all costs.

So instead of relying on motivation (because she’s flaky), I rely on 100% discipline. Because I know that once I start, I almost always find flow, and usually don’t want to stop.

If the word “discipline” makes your body recoil a little, here’s a trick I use:

• Call it self-commitment.

It’s not about being rigid, it’s about showing up for your future self.

One thing I absolutely do not allow is the avoidance dialogue.

You know the one I mean:

“Okay, we should start writing now.”

“Ugh, I really don’t feel like it.”

“But we’re already behind this week, and if we skip another day…”

“It’s fine, we’ll just write double tomorrow.”

“Will we though?”

“Yes! Tomorrow’s my day off. I’ll smash out three scenes.”

...and on and on it spirals.

I call this the procrastination loop. It shows up any time we’re about to do something uncomfortable but necessary: writing, exercising, saving money, eating better, you name it.

So, I’ve trained myself to shut that loop down before it even gets momentum.

I hear the thought trying to start... and I move anyway.

Because honestly? Based on my personal, very scientific research (read: my life), 90% of the time, when you entertain the avoidance dialogue, your comfort zone wins. You don’t do the thing. You say you’ll do it tomorrow, but tomorrow turns into next week, and next week turns into "why did I even start this draft in the first place?"

Now? I just do the thing.

Because I know for a fact I’ll feel so much better after I’ve done it than if I let myself avoid it again.

It’s the daily choice to act in favour of your future self, not your current comfort.

And if you want to go deeper into the mindset of discipline, read The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.

Final Thoughts

So those are the five tools I rely on regularly while writing my debut novel.

They’ve helped me enjoy the process.

They’ve helped me stay in the process every single week of 2025.

And they’ve helped me know that I can actually finish the process.

If you’re trying to write a book and your mind is throwing perfectionism, fear, or doubt your way every time you open your laptop, start with just one of these tools. Use it a few times a week. See what shifts.

Writing a book is a dream worth showing up for.

Happy writing,

Renee Ella

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