If you think it might be time to give up your dreams of writing, you already have. “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they’re yours,” wrote Richard Bach. But if there is the tiniest bit of hope that your dream might still be achieved, it is NOT time to give up, no matter how … More Is It Time to Give Up Your Writing Dream?
I’ll admit it: I’m a fan of Masterpiece Theatre’s Downton Abbey. I suppose if I’m going to publicly admit I watch TV, Masterpiece is the one to admit to – it’s literature, after all. I’m not just confessing to unburden myself; I promise this applies to writing and writing resistance. If you’re a fellow fan, … More Master Writer’s Block: What Masterpiece Theatre Teaches Us about Writing Resistance
Last Friday, I wrestled with back cover copy for my book, struggling to balance my editor’s extensive experience writing this kind of copy with my impulse to include everything a potential reader needed to know to buy the book. (Since then, it’s occurred to me that I’ve already written that – it’s called “Chapter 1: … More Is Writing Really Important or Merely Important?
In the previous post, I explained that I’m not a fan of discipline (aka punishment). Here’s why. Why Discipline (aka Punishment) Rarely Works The human brain remembers every little thing associated with a negative experience. Because any of the little details might have caused or contributed to the experience, it pays to remember those details … More Why Writers Need Habits, Not Discipline, to Overcome Resistance
When my next Writing Habit class starts on March 12th, about half the students will say they’re taking the class because they need more discipline or will power. Most of them will be relieved when I’ll tell them that we aren’t going to focus on discipline and will power in this class. “I’m not big … More Does Discipline Improve Writing or Increase 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. I’m honored and delighted to introduce you to Susan Gaines Sevilla, … More A Stack of Cards: Guest Post by Susan Gaines Sevilla
It’s not a new idea: I just heard it in a new way. In Oprah’s Next Chapter, life coach Tony Robbins says, “We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves… Is your story empowering you… or is your story causing you to fall short?” I wondered, “What story am I telling myself about my … More What’s Your Writing (Resistance) Story?
I shared a Wall Poster on my Facebook page with the “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners…” quote from Ira Glass that’s making the rounds right now. If you’re getting started as a writer, the advice is right on target. If you’ve been writing awhile, it’s an excellent reminder. If you haven’t seen … More Sidestep Writer’s Resistance with the Willingness to Suck
In an interview with The Paris Review, James Thurber said, “I never quite know when I’m not writing. “Sometimes my wife comes up to me at a party and says, ‘Dammit Thurber, stop writing.’ She usually catches me in the middle of a paragraph. Or my daughter will look up from the dinner table and … More Falling Into – And Out of – Writing
Do you think you have to write something good, that if you’re going to take the time to sit down and write, you should produce something worthwhile? And by good, most of us mean perfect or almost perfect, logical, fascinating, funny, grammatically correct, sexy, grab-the-reader-by-the-throat thrilling, coherent, deep and wise and inspirational – despite the … More Don’t Let Writer’s Resistance Stop You — Soldier On
Bane of Your Resistance 