The paralysis of writer’s block feels like your brain is frozen. All mammals freeze when we’re threatened. When mammals first appeared on the evolutionary tree, freezing was a good way to escape notice of the reigning kings of creation, dinosaurs. True writer’s block – the paralysis of not being able to write, being unable to … More If Writer’s Block Is Brain Freeze, How Do You Thaw Your Brain?
Because you have brain loops. Brain scientists are still exploring the nuances of how memory works, but we do know that we have long-term memory, where you’ve stored the capital of France and how to drive, and working memory, where you would hold the memory of what you just read in an email. The capacity … More Why Do Brain Dumps Break Writer’s Block?
1. Dogs remind us to play. Especially as puppies, dogs know that play is the best way to explore the world. If you need a reminder about the value of play, check out the Top 10 Reasons to Play. 2. Training a dog gives you practical lessons in how to reward and motivate yourself to keep … More Top Ten Reasons Dogs Are a Writer’s Best Friend
One my coaching clients asked me, “Why didn’t you tell me writing was going to be so hard?” I’m pretty sure I did. And I’m pretty sure my mentors told me writing is hard work and yet I remember how surprised I was when I made my own transition from the high of writing when … More Writing Is Hard, Not Writing Is Harder
In our previous post, we illustrated how to use an Action Map to break big writing projects into small steps you can work on in a 15 minute Product Time session. You don’t need your Action Map to be perfect, but the more details you capture on Post-It Notes™, the more effective you can be … More Personalize The Action Map to Free Your Writing
In our previous post, we explored how Action Maps break through writer’s resistance by breaking big writing projects into manageable steps. To help you identify the multitude of small steps your Action Map might include, I provided a list of possible tasks. The relevance of the tasks listed will depend on the type of writing … More Action Map Your Way Out of Writer’s Resistance Part 2
The bigger a writing project is, the more likely it is to create anxiety. The more anxiety you feel, the more likely you are to employ your favorite form of resistance. You might decide to wait until you have more time or know more about how to get started (procrastinate). Or you might find something … More Action Map Your Way Out of Writer’s Resistance
When I started revising my novel, The Essential Path, back on January 3, I started keeping a new journal just for the novel. It didn’t include as much detail as my Product Time Tracking Table, but the short, simple journal entries worked for me. Around the Ides of March, I realized I hadn’t written in … More New Book Update: Easy Doesn’t Always Do It
What’s wrong with this picture? The writer is asking to be rewarded; he should be rewarding himself! It’s no accident that the Get Around Writer’s Block flowchart says “Reward myself,” not “Ask for reward.” The research is clear: when incentives are offered for routine work, they work; when incentives are offered for creative work, they … More What’s Wrong with this Picture of a Writer?
In our previous post, we illustrated how to use an Action Map to break big writing projects into small steps you can work on in a 15 minute Product Time session. You don’t need your Action Map to be perfect, but the more details you capture on Post-It Notes™, the more effective you can be … More Personalize the Action Map to Free Your Writing
Bane of Your Resistance 