When E. L. Doctorow observed that planning to write, outlining, researching or talking about you’re going to write is NOT writing, I think he meant we can’t just hope to write or dream about writing, we have to take action. Unfortunately, many of my students and clients have interpreted that mindset (wherever they know the … More Only Writing Is Writing, Right? Wrong!
Frustration is the hallmark of Incubation, the stage between active investigation/research (Saturation) and the aha moment/ flash of insight (Illumination). In the research stage, you had a pretty good idea what to do: go look for answers, look for related questions, look at what others have done. You knew whether you’re doing your research or … More How to Create While Doing Nothing or What to Do in Product Time When You’re Incubating
What’s the difference between writer’s block and Incubation or Hibernation? Incubation and Hibernation, the third and sixth stages in the creative process, can look and feel an awful lot like writer’s block. So how you do tell the difference? Take the quiz and find out. Identify which statements describe writer’s block, Incubation or Hibernation. You … More Writer’s Block Quiz
In the previous New Book Update, I talked about how, when I’m writing nonfiction, I strive to get as much out of each stage in the creative process before moving on to the next stage. But when I’m writing fiction, I spiral through some or most of the stages, then drop back and spiral through … More New Book Update: Fiction Spirals
Bane of Your Resistance 