Real Revision
September 2, 2011
Don’t resist rewriting; good writing comes from rewriting. You have to see what’s really there before you can change what’s there. … More Real Revision
Category: Overcoming Resistance
Revised Definitions of Revision and Resistance
August 30, 2011
Re-vise: def to re-tighten the screws on a vise attached to your head. (Definition suggested by Kurtis Scaletta.) Re-vision: def to see differently because of the tears brought to your eyes by the tightening of the vise on your head. Re-sist: def to insist, despite all evidence to the contrary, that what is, is not … More Revised Definitions of Revision and Resistance
Stop Shoulding Yourself into Writer’s Block
August 16, 2011
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 get wrapped up in how we think we should write and worried that we’re doing it wrong. “I should have this figured it out by now.” … More Stop Shoulding Yourself into Writer’s Block
Seriously Uncommit Yourself
August 11, 2011
The previous post, Want More Time to Write? Uncommit Yourself!, was tongue-in-cheek because if you can laugh about yourself and your commitments, you can decide to do something positive about the serious consequences of being overcommitted. Sometimes we truly have so much to do and so many commitments to honor, we don’t know which end … More Seriously Uncommit Yourself
Want More Time to Write? Uncommit Yourself
August 9, 2011
Feeling overwhelmed? Have so many things on your To Do list you don’t know where to start? Tempted to postpone your writing – again – so you can take care of all those other things that somehow you ended up being responsible for? You need the new, patented UnCommit Yourself Method to create spare time! … More Want More Time to Write? Uncommit Yourself
Feedback Can Cause or Cure Writer’s Block
August 2, 2011
As I mentioned in my previous post, feedback can be dangerous. Without direction, feedback can become veiled (and sometimes not so veiled) criticism and judgment that slams the brakes on your writing. Even well-meaning praise can block you. We need feedback to know where our writing is working and where it isn’t, but we need … More Feedback Can Cause or Cure Writer’s Block
Jettison Judgment and Develop Discernment (to Reduce Writer’s Block)
July 29, 2011
My second recommendation to Liz’s question about achieving a healthy balance between pride and humility is to jettison judgment and develop discernment. I have a theory that judgment is at the heart of every writer’s block (and most other forms of writing resistance). Usually it’s negative judgment and harsh criticism that creates resistance. But I’ve … More Jettison Judgment and Develop Discernment (to Reduce Writer’s Block)
Balance Pride and Humility to Reduce Writing Resistance
July 28, 2011
In response to previous posts on humility, Liz Ward asked, “Could I be humility on steroids? If someone compliments my writing, I dismiss them because I KNOW I’m merely an adequate writer with only a hope of being better–it doesn’t matter that I’ve been trained and have made writing a part of a 30-year career. … More Balance Pride and Humility to Reduce Writing Resistance
10 Reasons Every Writer Should Have a Dog
July 21, 2011
Sound familiar? Well it is summer and that means re-runs. Here’s why I’m repeating a previously published post: I talked with my editor about revisions on Around the Writer’s Block last week and that’s where my focus is right now. I tried drafting a new post today but realized it’s just not ready for prime-time … More 10 Reasons Every Writer Should Have a Dog
10 Ways Humility Reduces Resistance
July 18, 2011
Humility does not mean we’re worthless worms who have no right to feel proud of our work; it literally means we are “capable of being educated.” Without humility, we cannot learn. In his Modesty Manifesto, David Brooks asks us to embrace the virtue of modesty to restore balance. He’s not suggesting we should never feel … More 10 Ways Humility Reduces Resistance
Bane of Your Resistance 