Writers who resist research often have only a vague idea of what they’re looking for, so they don’t know how to start, where to go, or when to stop. Overwhelmed by the idea of research or hoping to not have to bother with it, their writing grinds to a halt. Writers who get in stuck … More When Research Blocks Your Writing, Questions are the Answer
In my last post, I suggested that in addition to darlings that appear in our writing – sections we are inordinately proud of that simply don’t serve the whole of the piece – we have darlings in how we show up to write. Process darlings are the things you believe you must have, do or … More Kill the Darlings in Your Writing Practice
Second-year medical school students are known to experience symptoms of many of the diseases they study, at least for the week they’re studying that particular ailment. It’s the placebo effect in reverse – focusing so much attention on symptoms causes med students to think they have them. “It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, … More Writer’s Block and Medical Student Syndrome
There’s nothing wrong with distracting yourself sometimes. Distraction is one way your brain copes with stress and anxiety. What We’ve Learned So Far The challenge with being too distracted to write is that you’re usually too distracted to notice. Hence, Step 1 is to Recognize when you’re distracting yourself. Since we distract ourselves to diffuse … More Step 4: Redirect Your Writing Past Distraction
From previous posts, you know that Step 1 is to recognize you are distracting yourself away from writing (or using another form of resistance). Step 2 is to relax, which will bring your creative cortex back online. Your next step is to respect the wisdom of your resistance. How can there possibly be wisdom in … More Step 3 Out of Too Distracted to Write: Respect Your Resistance
When you realize you’re too distracted to write, kudos! Recognizing distraction (or any other form of resistance) is Step 1 in responding effectively. As soon as you recognize the distraction, you can stop wondering if you have ADHD and takes steps to refocus your attention and get back to writing. Your next step is to … More Too Distracted to Write? Here’s Your Next Step
There’s nothing funny about feeling blocked or recognizing that you’re spending more time resisting than writing. But the solution might be a laughing matter. Humor Increases Creativity Recent research shows that “mirthful laughter” triggers your brain to release gamma waves, which are the brain’s highest electrical frequency. Gamma waves are required to achieve an aha! … More Laugh Your Way through Writer’s Block
Transitions are usually difficult for me. Which is why I’m so surprised that the current transition is – I’m almost afraid to jinx it – easy. Typically, while I’m clipping along in one stage – doing research or drafting, for example – I’ve got momentum working for me. I show up for Product Time and … More Big Significant Next Steps Make Writing Harder
“The artist’s life is frustrating not because the passage is slow, but because s/he imagines it to be fast.” David Bayles and Ted Orland, Art and Fear A corollary to Bayles and Orland’s observation is that creativity is frustrating not because we fail, but because we think we should always succeed. Failures are not stop … More Writing Failure Lesson #4: Put It in Perspective
Thomas Edison’s genius was partially his ability to rewrite the story. When everyone else said he’d failed 700 times, he had the audacity to claim he hadn’t failed 700 times, he hadn’t even failed once; he had, in fact, successfully found 700 ways that wouldn’t work on his way to ultimate success. Writers need this … More Writing Failure Lesson #3: Rewrite the Story
Bane of Your Resistance 