As you develop a perspective like Thomas Edison’s that there is no failure, that you’re just discovering ways that don’t work on the way to finding what does work, you’ll probably feel relief. Thank God, I don’t have to worry about failing any more. You might try to talk yourself into false cheer. Alright! Good […]
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Writing Failure Lesson #1: Don’t!
Edison Refused to Fail – You Can Too Thomas Edison’s observation that he had not failed, he’d found 10,0000 ways that didn’t work (or 1,000 or 700 depending on the source) is remembered because it is unexpected. Edison’s lesson from failure was to refuse to see it. Most of us couldn’t endure finding even 100 […]
The One Thing Writers Must Do Every Day — It’s Not What You Think
Do you think writers must write every day? We don’t. Daily writing is a must for some writers; freedom to not write every day is a must for others. Do you think writers must read every day? Reading is essential for writers, but it is not a daily requirement. The same is true with daily […]
Forget Answers – Writers Need Questions!
One of the more common sources of writing resistance and block is the lament “I don’t know what to write!” As if “real” writers wake up every day with a clearly defined writing plan that details exactly where to start and how to progress at every moment. Western education sets us up for the belief […]
Writing Is Not Your Servant: Guest Post by Kathy Hopewell
Dr. Kathy Hopewell, writer, performer, teacher and blogger at The Freewriter’s Companion, candidly describes the disappointment of discovering that writing cannot be a command performance. Thanks to Kathy’s willingness to share her insights, you can follow Kathy’s suggestions for partnering with, instead of trying to dictate to, your writer-self and thus avoid that particular frustration. […]
Praying for Writing Miracles
If you’re like me, and I have a strong feeling you are, some days, the words and images appear in our mind and flow effortlessly and joyfully out of our hands onto the screen. Some days, we’re afraid they won’t. But it’s certain that if we don’t show up for our writing practice, the words […]
Ten Reasons to Invest in 15 Magic Minutes
Are you feeling guilty because you’re not writing for hours or jotting thousands of words a day? There’s no need. Instead of sweating the details, try 15 Magic Minutes. Note: Originally published on The Huffington Post. Reprinted with new graphics. You can do anything that advances your writing in those 15 Magic Minutes. I’ve had […]
Multiple Writing Projects: Avoiding Resistance Roadblocks on Route 3
After you’ve identified possible projects (Route 1), prioritized those projects and selected a reasonable number of projects (Route 2), you’re ready to cruise down Route 3, where the “real writing” happens, right? If you saw the trick question there, good for you! First of all, Routes 1 and 2 are just as much “real writing” […]
Real Writers Fight Resistance, Right? Wrong!
Despite the militaristic metaphors found in The War of Art and similar books, blogs and articles, resistance is not our enemy and does not need to fought, blasted or defeated. Don’t get me wrong, I love Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art. It was a powerful early influence. I was relieved to learn Pressfield perspective […]
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