I recently (re)watched Netflix’s Inventing Anna. The incredibly done limited series highlights Anna Delvey, who swindled New York’s elite into believing she was a German heiress opening a social club. 

The first time I watched the series, I immediately felt drawn to the character of Vivian Kent — and now, in my third trimester of pregnancy, I feel it even stronger: 

• About to have a baby. 
• Wild passion for writing. 
• The feeling of “I need to get this done before the baby is here.” 
• Other people possibly not understanding that nesting comes in different shapes and sizes for all. 
• The star actress in one of the movies I grew up on.

However, watching it while building my website, freelancing, job searching, and finishing my first children’s book, I had this terrible, funny, possibly genius thought: Can I become the Anna Delvey of the Writing World? 

Obviously, I mean this without the swindle. A lot of what Ms. Delvey excelled at was making a name for herself — which, in itself, was not a crime. She put herself in an elite status (sure, those hundred dollar bills didn’t hurt), played the part, benefited greatly (um, a yacht in Ibiza, anyone?), and while ultimately it did all come crashing down… she got a few things right: 

1. Creating the Image. If you’re an author or a writer, you’re also a marketer. Sorry if this is news to you. You will spend a lot of time marketing your book (even traditionally published) and yourself (to agents and editors). This includes creating an image around who you are; however, I recommend authentically doing it. 😉
2. Playing the part. Fake it until you make it, right? You play the part of a successful author somewhere between creating the image and having confidence. Even if it’s just in your own mind. 
3. Confidence, confidence, confidence. Or maybe it’s delusion. Displaying the confidence that you believe what you write needs to be read, that your book belongs on the New York Best Time Seller List, or that you will get an agent, editor, beta readers, ARC readers, all of the above. 
4. The HUSTLE. I actually don’t mean the “hustle” as in the lie, but the hustle as in the amount of work she did to keep people intrigued for so long– the networking, planning, persisting, hair-dyeing, and everything in between.
5. Go down in style. When something does flop (a social post, a blog, an ad campaign, or an entire book), gracefully go down. Even at the end, Anna was most worried about what she wore. I can’t say I recommend avoiding the obvious, lying, or being more worried about what others think than the law but definitely own your outfit, smile for the pictures, and pick yourself back up to try again. 

In summary, most of what Anna succeeded at was the mindset — the mindset that she truly believed she would open an elite social club at 281 Park Avenue South. And if it hadn’t been for the whole breaking-the-law thing, she may have gotten there.

Like this post? Check out some others: 

• 11 Times New Girl’s Nick Miller Was Spot On About Writing
• 40 Writing Prompts for Writers, Dreamers, and Doers.
• 10 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block.