1. The Inner Critic
Writers seem to excel in self-flagellation.
“Who am I kidding,” you may say to yourself when you re-read a paragraph or a chapter. “I’m not a writer.”
That’s not you talking. That’s your inner critic. You’re going to need that inner critic once you get to the editing stages, even though you’ll probably have fallen in love with your prose by then. For now, however, you need to do whatever it takes to silence that inner critic. My trick is to opt for sloppy copy and to remind my inner critic that there’s nothing to judge if it’s supposed to be sloppy.
2. Revisions Before Their Time
If you tend to get swallowed up in manuscript revisions while you’re still trying to write a rough draft, you’re probably either a procrastinator or a perfectionist. Either way, you’re making your writing life harder than it needs to be. We need to feel safe when we create. Introducing that inner critic in the form of “the editor” is downright counterproductive on that front. It’s also downright inefficient, since by the time you get to the end of your book, you may wind up deciding that you need need to overhaul that section to make it work or dump it altogether.
3. Idea Desert
Want to write but can’t figure out what you want to write about? Start a Sloppy Letter to Linden (or whomever) about why you want to write in the first place. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, logic or continuity. Just write as fast and as much as you can. I’m betting that somewhere along the line, one or even several ideas will emerge. When that happens, switch gears and hammer out even more sloppy copy about that. If you hit a dead-end, go back to the original topic. Eventually, you’ll find that idea that sings. Meanwhile, writing your sloppy letter will help you discover your voice.
4. Idea Overload
The Sloppy Letter to Linden is a terrific way to figure out which idea speaks to you. The same rules apply. Write, write, write like crazy without worrying about anything else, then see which one will work best. If you can’t choose between two ideas, start them both. Jumping between two book projects can give you a break and provide new perspective when you inevitably get stuck.
5. Getting Stuck
Most of us won’t have that alternate project to jump to when we’re feeling stuck. Thankfully, just taking a short nature walk will help. If you can get out, head for green space like parks, or even a pretty neighborhood with lawns, rather than an urban jungle. If you have to stay in, opt for the armchair version of that walk and look through nature photos. Research shows that’s actually enough to reset your brain and juice up both problem-solving and creativity. Nothing like letting your subconscious do the heavy lifting when push comes to shove.
6. Fear
My dad, who authored, co-authored and ghostwrote more than 20 books, once went to a two-day writing course led by a famous author. At the end of the two days, one of the attendees raised his hand.
“So what you’re saying is that to write a good book, you have to write about what other people don’t want to know. And to write a great book, you have to write about what you, yourself, don’t want to know.”
That’s scary. But it can also lead to greatness. So go bravely into that dark book and explore those thoughts with abandon, remembering that anything you write in your sloppy copy first draft is just that — sloppy copy, first-draft material. Just because you wrote those words doesn’t mean you have to publish them. Or, to put it another way, don’t worry. Just write.
7. Lack of Time
If you’re counting on finding the time to write, I’m here to tell you that will rarely happen. You have to make the time to write. That might mean getting up earlier, writing during lunch breaks, or choosing to forgo certain events. It’s all a question of priorities.
What choices are you making with your time? If writing your book is a priority for you, then treat it as such and schedule it in your day or your week.
8. The Right Head Space
Whether you’re having trouble getting started or staying the course, check out my blog post on how to manage the writing process.
9. Sense of Overload
When we’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s sometimes hard to see the obvious solutions. One of my very first writing coach clients complained she couldn’t write because her home was being remodeled.
“There’s a toilet in my living room,” she said to emphasize her point.
“Ask your construction crew to move it,” I replied.
She obviously couldn’t eliminate the problem. But she could help minimize it.
Where does your sense of overload stem from?
If it’s your environment, take the time to de-clutter it. I can’t cook in a messy kitchen, and I can’t write in a messy office surrounded by piles of paper.
If it has to do with everything that’s on your plate, start by deeply inhaling and exhaling several times. Then look at your calendar and refer back to point #7 about priorities.
10. Bestseller Syndrome
Expectations can work for you or against you when it comes to writing. Expecting yourself to write the best possible book will drive you to excellence. Expecting yourself to write a bestseller can set you up for failure as a writer. The fact is that if any individual on the planet could provide the recipe for writing a bestseller, they’d have cornered the entire publishing universe. So control what you can — the quality of the book you’re writing — and forget about the rest until you get to the marketing phase.
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