Nothing demonstrates the Poop Principle better than housetraining – your puppy or your writing. When you get a puppy, you know the poop side of the Love-to-Poop ratio is going to be high. For a while it seems like all you do is take the puppy outside or regret not taking the puppy outside! Fortunately, … More Housetraining Your Writing
In response to a previous post, Nasreen Fynewever wrote: “I am leaving a comment to hold myself accountable to print the guides your book Around the Writer’s Block encourages us to use. I am also gently reminding the multitude of writers, like me, who are reading your words, nod our heads, and then fail to … More Get Ready for NaNoWriMo: Make October NaShoUpoWriMo!
The demand that we be constantly busy producing something worthwhile can get us stuck in a linear style of thinking that is not conducive to creativity. In other words, all work and no play makes Jack a blocked writer. One of the solutions I recommend is Process, creative play for the sake of the play, … More Bust Writer’s Block Wherever You Go
After the last post on the neurology of resistance, many of you may be thinking “Okay, so writing resistance is normal and I don’t have to feel guilty or embarrassed. That’s a huge relief, but what do I do next? How do I get past resistance and start writing again?” The key is the RAS … More Relax Your Way Out of Writer’s Block – Brain Basics Part 2
Remember that writing project that you stalled out on (or are currently stalled with)? The one you just couldn’t get any traction on because your brain is in neutral or reverse? Obviously, you need to shift gears to a creative brain state to get moving on that again. The trouble is there isn’t just one … More Do You Know How to Shift Your Brain to “Creative OverDrive”?
To revise your writing, of course you must evaluate it. But evaluating is not the same as judging. Judging engages your mental filters and you stop seeing what’s really there. Once you assume something is good, you start seeing all the good things about it. Even neutral aspects will seem positive and negative aspects will … More Discerning Writer’s Guide to Revision
The previous post identified Essential #4 Care For Your Creative Brain. One of the things that creative brain of yours needs to do is to: 5. Understand and respect the stages of the creative process. Although it is possible to stumble through the creative process without understanding it, writing is so much easier, effective and … More Eight Essentials Every Writer Must Master – Part 3
For those of you who haven’t heard about it, PInterest is like making collages on your computer combined with show-and-tell. For those of you who are new to the blog, “Process” is creative play for the sake of play where outcomes are unimportant. Some people take to Process like ducks to water – others take … More Please Participate in the Poll: Is PInterest Process?
Pam McAlister, my friend, fellow writer and former student, sent an article from Southern Living with this observation; “I thought you might enjoy this little piece on piddling. Reminds me of my wrestling with what IS process and what ain’t…” Because the author of the article, Rick Bragg, gives such a charming description of … More Process is Pretty Much Piddling
Sometimes you need an even more hands-on solution to writing resistance than picking up a pen. Sometimes you need to back away, not just from the keyboard, but from words themselves, at least for a while. Borrowing from the storyboarding technique screenwriters use, Edwidge Danticat starts her novels with collages. After creating several collages, she … More Even More Hands-on Solution to Writer’s Block
Bane of Your Resistance 