Sue interviews DIY MFA founder Gabriela Pereira at the Write Anyway Summit about five mindset shifts to help writers overcome stuckness, time constraints, resistance, and self-criticism. Pereira introduces (1) “honor your reality,” reframing writing vs. life responsibilities as an ebb-and-flow balance and suggesting setting a deadline for writing breaks; (2) “resistance is your compass,” interpreting resistance as fear that signals high-stakes work, while noting some projects may need support or a “not now” pause; (3) rejecting “writer’s block” as usually life issues, resistance, or excuses, and encouraging adapting writing advice to what works for you; (4) “don’t compound failure with guilt,” distinguishing pain from suffering and offering an “angst jar” practice to process emotions; and (5) replacing “I can’t” with “how can I” to restore agency and take the next doable step. Pereira shares a freebie at diymfa.com/writeanywaysummit2026 and invites viewers to join the DIY MFA newsletter.
00:00 Welcome and Intro
01:23 Why Mindset Matters
03:02 Honor Your Reality
08:34 Resistance as Compass
13:55 Writers Block Myth
19:17 No Guilt on Failure
26:43 Ask How Not Cant
31:11 Final Takeaways and Freebie