Feeling stuck? Avoiding your writing because you feel uninspired? You’re in luck! You have a reason to eat dark chocolate – and just in time for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate may be the most flavorful cure for writer’s resistance ever. Dark chocolate is a source of flavanols, which have been shown to improve both your coronary … More Sweet Cure for Writer’s Block
It helps to surrender yourself to the story (poem, essay, script, etc.) early in the day when your creative energy is highest. You won’t get all of the story out, but your unconscious will trust you to return tomorrow and so won’t find it necessary to send you agony signals the rest of the day. … More Bless Your Agony – It Will Lead You to Write
Imagine trying to run a race when your lungs can only inhale. Carbon dioxide would build up in your body. First, you’d feel drowsy, then your heart rate and blood pressure would spike. As carbon dioxide increased, you’d become confused, dizzy, short of breath. Eventually, your vision would fail, you’d lose consciousness and your muscles … More Is Your Writing Brain Waiting to Exhale?
Be like the bird that, Pausing in her flight Awhile on boughs too slight, Feels them give way beneath her, And yet sings, Knowing she hath wings. – Victor Hugo What creative leap have you been thinking about? Starting a new piece of writing? Going public with your writing in a blog or querying a … More Take a Creative Leap – You Have Wings!
My previous post showed you why New Year’s Resolutions are dangerous for writers. So cancel any resolutions you may have made and read on…. Breaking promises to yourself damages your trust in yourself, increases resistance and makes it harder to do what will work for your writing. Norman Mailer points out in The Spooky Art: … More Cancel Resolutions and Rebuild Trust to Reduce Writer’s Resistance
How do you define ideal writing conditions? Is caffeine essential to kick your brain into writing mode? Would writing be impossible if your computer crashed? Do you need absolute quiet and solitude? Or are background sounds and activity a must for you? Would you delay writing for more than five minutes looking for a special … More “Ideal Conditions” Is Code for “Writer’s Resistance”
Today’s post has migrated — you’ll find it on Penquin’s Book Country blog. If you recently completed a big writing project or hope to complete a writing project in the future, you need to know about the Afterglow or Aftershock that can be part of the Hibernation that follows finishing a project. Please Don’t Feed … More Writer Announcements & Links to All Sorts of Writer Fun
What if you were a kid playing hide-and-seek and no one came to find you? You’d probably a) feel hurt or angry and b) stop playing. What if it turned out you were “It” and everyone else was waiting for you to find them? You’d probably a) stop feeling bad and b) start playing again … More When Waiting Leads to Writer’s Resistance
Sometimes resistance is invisible because it disguises itself: “I’m not blocked, I just don’t know what to write about.” Sometimes it partially hides itself: “I’m not ready to write; I don’t know how or where to start. Not knowing is not a reason to stop writing! Simple Solution #1: Stop thinking of “writing time” and … More Don’t Know How to Start Writing? Don’t Let That Stop You!
Perhaps the most common belief that creates invisible resistance is “I don’t have time to write.” Simple Solution Give up the expectation that you need large blocks of time to write. Remember the power of 15 Magic Minutes. You will get far more accomplished showing up for your 15 Magic Minutes four or five times … More No Time to Write — Really?
Bane of Your Resistance 