In response to the previous post, “Feedback Should Be a Crystal Ball, Not a Wrecking Ball,” Paige McKinney observed, “Sometimes wrecking balls seem magnetic, and once they’ve hit, a writer’s stuck. Any advice on how to let go or fight the pull?” I’ll talk about how to recover from “feedback fallout” – writer’s block and … More How to Avoid Wrecking Ball Feedback
Judy Reeves, author of Writing Alone, Writing Together, offered this comment to my first post about feedback: “Thanks for this post, Rosanne. I know from personal experience how criticism can do harm, but I also know critique is valuable to me as a writer and to those writers I work with. I wanted to pass … More Feedback Should Be a Crystal Ball, Not a Wrecking Ball
You’d think that praise would be the one form of feedback that always benefits the person receiving it, but it’s not. As Charity pointed out in a comment, “I have a long and varied (and sometimes painful) relationship with feedback. Oddly enough, even praise has paralyzed me. I end up thinking: ‘Well, no way I … More The Problem with Praise or How Good Intentions Can Cause Writer’s Block
The previous post introduced the idea of keeping an appreciative journal where you focus on the positive and on what’s working well in your writing and your life. How to Write an Appreciative Journal Focus on observable facts and state them without judgment. Write about what you’re doing and what’s happening in specific, factual statements, … More Journaling Your Way Out of Writer’s Block Part 2
Do you keep a writer’s journal for any of these reasons: warm-up before writing something else drain your brain of miscellaneous thoughts that would otherwise interfere with your writing keep track of progress on a particular project practice the craft of writing store great ideas and images for future use give future English majors insights … More Journaling Your Way Out of Writer’s Block
Thanks Ellen King-Rodgers for the opportunity to share my passion about how brain science can solve writer’s resistance on the Tellin’ Ellen show on Yellowstone Public Radio! Here’s the link: http://ypr-pc.streamguys.net/podcast/130318tellinellen.mp3
“I need more discipline.” “When it comes to my writing, I just don’t have the will power I need.” When students in my Loft classes say something like this – and at least one or two always do – nearly every other student nods in agreement. “I’m not big on discipline,” I tell them and … More Why Habits Work When Discipline and Will Power Won’t
A primary source of resistance is the assumption that you should be thinking, feeling or doing something you aren’t. You think you need the perfect space to write, but where you are is anything but perfect. You think you should be excited with new ideas and inspired by brilliant insights, but you are dull-eyed and … More Blocked Because You’ve Got Nothing?
Don’t know where you’re going? Excellent! Not sure how you’ll get there? Outstanding! On your way anyway? Kudos! Know everything? My condolences. But take heart in the fact that you’ll be able to get back to not knowing eventually. Most resistance is caused by fear. And fear of the unknown is the biggest fear of … More Certainty is a Certain Route to Resistance
One of my coaching clients is in an exciting and expansive place with her novel after years of feeling stuck. She has such wonderful insights, I asked her if she’d be willing to describe what’s working so well for her in a guest post. Since this post first appeared, Susan has made excellent progress and … More Balance From A Stack of Cards: Guest Post by Susan Gaines Sevilla
Bane of Your Resistance 