Chances are you’ve asked “Who can I get to read my writing and give me feedback?” There’s no good answer to that question. It’s the wrong question. In a recent episode of Holmes on Homes, homeowners needed help with a leaky basement. In the process of taking down walls to discover the source of the … More The Wrong Question Writers Ask
One step forward, one step back. Two steps forward, two steps back. Does this sound like a route through the push-pull of procrastination? It is. And it makes perfect neurological sense. Let me tell you about our dog Kelda to illustrate. As I mentioned in a previous post, Kelda notices anything that is out of … More Wise Writers Step Back From Procrastination
Procrastination is one of the most common forms of writer’s resistance. You know how it goes: some variation on “Of course I’m going to write. But first, I’ll just…” No doubt you’ve berated yourself for procrastinating at some point in your life. Or you’ve questioned your will power, discipline or desire to write because you … More Break Free of the Push-Pull of Procrastination
Come on Virginia Woolf, don’t make me wait, Perfect writers start much too late. I’d rather laugh with the hacks than languish with the saints, To the hacks, fans have flocked, You know that only the good get blocked. (Apologies to Billy Joel) I am a fan of Robert Olen Butler. I’ve recommended From Where … More Only the Good Get Blocked
Because writers who resist research often have only a vague idea of what they’re looking for, the task overwhelms them. They don’t know what they’re looking for, so they don’t know how to start, where to go looking, or when to stop. Writers who get in stuck research, on the other hand, are so engaged … More Questions are the Answer for Writers Who Resist Research and Writers Who Can’t Stop
Writers who don’t like research often don’t know how to start. Writers who love research often don’t know when to stop. Paradoxically, the solution is the same for both types. Stuck in the Research Some writers say they get stuck in the research because they love it. Whether they know it or not, many writers … More Writers Who Resist Research and Writers Who Can’t Stop
I asked Joli Jensen, Hazel Rogers Professor of Communication and Director the Henneke Center Faculty Writing Program at the University of Tulsa, to revise an article she published in the July 9, 2014 issue of VITAE, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s website. She generously accepted my invitation and in turn invites you to: Invite Your … More Invite Your Writing Demons in for Tea: Guest Post by Joli Jensen
Today’s guest blogger Joli Jensen is the Hazel Rogers Professor of Communication and directs the Henneke Center Faculty Writing Program at the University of Tulsa. She shares insights based on 30 years of helping colleagues and students complete writing projects. She acknowledges that her suggestions are “also based on my own finely honed ability to … More Myths We Stall By: Guest Post by Joli Jensen
“In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” – Robert Heinlein Even when you have a clearly defined goal, resistance can push you away from the writing. Goals are vital, but by themselves, they are not enough to eliminate daily acts of … More Is Your Writing Blocked by Trivia?
Writer’s resistance often comes from fear, but sometimes it comes from not understanding and respecting the creative process and our own unique way of working within that process. We can get so wrapped up in how we think we should write and worried that we’re doing it wrong that we cause the anxiety that triggers … More Avoid the Shoulds that Cause Writer’s Block
Bane of Your Resistance 