“Writing is a lot like working out. It’s getting into a routine that you can do every day.”
— Melisa Torres
If you’re thinking of writing a book to support your business, then this episode is for you! We are joined today by professional author Melisa Torres.
About Melisa Torres
Melisa Torres is the author of the Perfect Balance Gymnastics Series and the Mom and Dad Love Me Books. She writes about her passions; gymnastics and explaining divorce to kids.
Melisa was a competitive gymnast for 14 years and an NCAA division 1 gymnast at Utah State University. She draws from her experience as a gymnast to create authentic stories in the Perfect Balance Gymnastics Series. She holds a BA from Utah State University where she studied Psychology and Literature.
Melisa is a single mother to two boys. She continually tries to create a healthy secure life for her boys in a non-traditional home. She draws on her experience as a mother to create the Mom and Dad Love Me Books. When Melisa is not writing or parenting, she enjoys weight lifting, skiing, and ballroom dancing.
Melisa’s Top 5 StrengthsFinder Strengths
- Achiever
- Input
- Strategic
- Learner
- Maximizer
Key Takeaways
- Input and Learner often show up together in results.
- Maximizer is all about taking something good and making it great.
- Strategic Thinking Strengths can be anywhere from near to the ground to a thousand feet in the air. Strategic is pretty close to the ground.
- You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!
Listen in now!
Alissa Daire Nelson Tactics for Writing a Book With Your Strengths with Melisa Torres
Time-Stamped Show Highlights
- [5:10] – Melisa’s reaction to her StrengthsFinder results
It was so fun to read because it was so positive.
- [6:32] – The difference between Learner and Input
Learner is all about the process of learning. Learners also like to teach so they can bring people through that learning process. Input is all about gathering information or collecting items.
- [10:00] – Maximizer for writers
If you have this perfectionist trait, you can always rewrite it, make it better, develop the character more… Sometimes you just have to stop.
- [11:12] – How to know when “enough is enough” for authors
Going outside of myself! I knew I’d always find problems with it—it’d never be enough for me.
- [13:39] – The role of beta readers and how many to have
- [15:01] – Strategic and making critical decisions
Strategic is a Thinking theme that is pretty close to the action.
Fictional characters get exaggerated with one personality trait to experiment with different things that happen.
- [20:48] – Melisa’s thoughts for a budding author
Get into a routine of doing it every day! That is the hardest part, but it is what moves you forward. Set aside time every day to write. It doesn’t have to be good—just set pen to paper! Do not delete anything. If you cut it, put it somewhere else so you can go back to it.
