Do you have commitment issues?
Writing a book takes a great deal of commitment and discipline. Unfortunately, commitment and discipline are problem areas for us scatterbrained writers. I know you’re such a busy person and so many other things demand your time and attention. I’m sure writing your book isn’t as high on your list as raising your children, paying bills or dealing with everyday life. However, I promise once you finish your book, your life will change. Your confidence will soar because you’ll know that you actually can finish something! You prove to yourself and others that you can have the discipline to see a project from beginning to end. Although I’m a writer, I can’t find the words to describe the feeling of finishing! But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Break the no commitment cycle of starting a project, becoming frustrated or uninterested, and starting another project…becoming bored and starting another...and repeat. Stop sowing your wild writing oats by creating bastard story after bastard story. It’s time to commit.
Are you emotionally available?
You have to be in love with you story or at least like it a lot! I mean, you’re gonna be spending lots of time with it, right? It’s easier to emotionally connect with your writing if your personal life is stable. If you’re living a drama-filled lifestyle, you may want to wait until things stabilize before venturing into writing your book. Sure, it’s possible to write in the midst of chaos—some of your best writing might happen during this time—but there’s a big difference between writing and finishing! Writing a book isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Put yourself in a position to succeed. The moral here: eliminate as much drama and stress as possible before you start writing.
Can you handle solitude? Some people don’t like being alone. If you’re one of those people, you might have some difficulty at first, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome. Writing is a lonely task. It’s you and your computer or you and your notepad together for extended amounts of time. You must temporarily neglect your family, friends, and other responsibilities during the time you set aside for writing. Later on I’ll discuss ways to get your writing done without isolating your family and friends.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Having Trouble Writing Your Book? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions
Is It Hard to Write a Book?
YES!
I don’t lie or sugarcoat the truth. Writing a book is extremely tough for a scatterbrain. Heck, writing a book is tough for just about anyone. It requires extreme focus and commitment. To achieve writing success, you must discipline yourself, trick yourself, and sometimes force yourself to complete the task. Some days you’ll want to throw your laptop across the room, bang your head against the wall or maybe both! No matter how tough it seems, keep going, keep writing! I can’t begin to count how many times I had an idea of where I wanted a story to go, but I had no idea how to get there.At the beginning, I was flowing, staying in the groove, and feeling good. When I started to reach the middle of the book, the meat, I felt like the worse writer ever. I’d go back to read my work and utter those famous words: “This sucks!” Spending large amounts of time alone staring at a computer or a notepad can get to you. It can take a toll mentally. You may start to see things in a distorted manner. I don’t mean literally, but metaphorically speaking. The same chapter that I thought was a complete piece of crap yesterday, may read much better three days from now. When writing your novel, your mind gets so saturated with your story that you become numb to your work. A good way to avoid this is to take short breaks. It’s perfectly okay to set your story aside for a few days and come back to it. The only problem is that with being a scatterbrain, other things may distract you. Before you know it, weeks, days or maybe weeks pass and now you’re feverishly working on three new projects! So, be careful!
I don’t lie or sugarcoat the truth. Writing a book is extremely tough for a scatterbrain. Heck, writing a book is tough for just about anyone. It requires extreme focus and commitment. To achieve writing success, you must discipline yourself, trick yourself, and sometimes force yourself to complete the task. Some days you’ll want to throw your laptop across the room, bang your head against the wall or maybe both! No matter how tough it seems, keep going, keep writing! I can’t begin to count how many times I had an idea of where I wanted a story to go, but I had no idea how to get there.At the beginning, I was flowing, staying in the groove, and feeling good. When I started to reach the middle of the book, the meat, I felt like the worse writer ever. I’d go back to read my work and utter those famous words: “This sucks!” Spending large amounts of time alone staring at a computer or a notepad can get to you. It can take a toll mentally. You may start to see things in a distorted manner. I don’t mean literally, but metaphorically speaking. The same chapter that I thought was a complete piece of crap yesterday, may read much better three days from now. When writing your novel, your mind gets so saturated with your story that you become numb to your work. A good way to avoid this is to take short breaks. It’s perfectly okay to set your story aside for a few days and come back to it. The only problem is that with being a scatterbrain, other things may distract you. Before you know it, weeks, days or maybe weeks pass and now you’re feverishly working on three new projects! So, be careful!
More Tips for Beating Writer's Block
3. Print your work. This sounds simple enough. Similar to changing fonts and spacing, printing your work gives a new perspective. It also helps you see things you may have overlooked. Many times I’ve printed my work and took it with me to a completely different location to read it. With a pen in hand, I jotted down notes as new ideas came to me.
4. Read aloud and record it. Hearing your story read aloud brings it to life. It also lets you know if your story flows naturally. This technique is great if you’re experiencing writer’s block with your dialog. If you aren’t able to record yourself, have someone else read the scene to you.
5. Take a break. This tip seems easy enough. If writer’s block becomes a problem, take 5-10 minutes to get a snack, read the newspaper, or go for a walk. This will revive your mind before you jump back into your work.
4. Read aloud and record it. Hearing your story read aloud brings it to life. It also lets you know if your story flows naturally. This technique is great if you’re experiencing writer’s block with your dialog. If you aren’t able to record yourself, have someone else read the scene to you.
5. Take a break. This tip seems easy enough. If writer’s block becomes a problem, take 5-10 minutes to get a snack, read the newspaper, or go for a walk. This will revive your mind before you jump back into your work.
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