Weekend Writer: Stop Worrying; Start Writing: How to Overcome Fear, Self-Doubt, and Procrastination by Sarah Painter
Hey all, Sam here.
Welcome back to another installment of the Weekend Writer series here on the blog. I had meant to really get things together for the new iteration of this series last month, but all I managed was the usual prompt generation and then prompt share. I hope to not drop the ball again this month.
I have decided to change how Weekend Writer is done because I was spending so much time prepping and writing these weekly posts, doing chapter by chapter deep dives, and it left me so drained. I absolutely loved writing all the writing posts and doing the writing craft book deep dives, but I have to start thinking of my mental health and clearing the path for me to have more time to actually work on my creative writing.
So the first weekend of the month, I will have a creativity prompt post up, and the final weekend of the month, I will share some of my writing: sometimes based on these prompts, sometimes based on whatever novel I’m writing, and sometimes both.
For the other weekends of the month, I will be talking about the writing craft, whether that is sharing writing craft books I’ve read and giving a general review for them, or having a writing related topic to discuss. I’m not strictly planning any of these other weekends. Some of them might even end up being extra prompt shares. So who knows what will happen…I’m just trying to figure out my new process and enjoy myself as I do it.
Today I am bringing a general review for a writing craft book I read recently, so let’s get started.
My Thoughts
Do you want to write but can’t seem to get started? Are you struggling to finish your novel or frustrated by your slow progress? Perhaps you are starting to worry that you aren’t cut out for the writing life… Let bestselling novelist and host of the popular Worried Writer podcast, Sarah Painter, show you how to skip past negativity, free-up writing time, cope with self-doubt, and beat procrastination. Along with mega successful authors such as C.L.Taylor, Mark Edwards, and Julie Cohen, Sarah will show you how to: smash writing blocks to finish stories faster, handle self-doubt so that it doesn’t stop you creating, trick yourself into being more productive, schedule your time, and much more. Packed with honest, supportive, and hard-won advice, this is your practical guide to getting the work done. Don’t let creative anxiety kill your writing dreams: Stop Worrying and Start Writing today!
‘Inspiring, comforting, warm and wise. Both new writers and established authors will find something helpful here.’ Keris Stainton, YA author.
‘The best book on writing and productivity I have read in a long time. It tackles the fear and self-doubt we all feel when it comes to our writing in such an engagingly honest way, that there are times when I was laughing aloud because here was someone who truly understood. Written with such heart, Sarah, in her characteristically kind, and gentle way that listeners of The Worried Writer podcast have come to love and appreciate, offers solid, actionable advice that will inspire you to approach your writing with enthusiasm and renewed determination!’ Lily Graham, author of The Cornish Escape
Rating: 4 stars
I have numerous flags and tabs marking passages that resonated with me as I read this. I think it is a helpful book, and one that was a little inspiring and motivational too. Now I just have to see if some of the tips and tricks end up working for me.
Anyway, I purchased this book on January 2nd, and I can say that this is a very reasonably priced book. On Amazon US it is listed at $4.99 for the Kindle, $7.99 for the Paperback, and $9.99 for the Audiobook. It is also a quick read, coming in at 132 pages in length. So if you want to stop procrastinating and get writing, this book gets to the point quickly and gets you writing again.
That’s the hope anyway, that it delivers on the title’s promise. I mean, sure, I still deal with self-doubt, and I’ve had to go toe-to-toe with procrastination my whole life, so it is what it is.
But I feel that this book gives some quick tips and steps to help you set yourself up for combating that doubt and fear a bit and have a better chance at writing. The 16 short chapters each have a different tip or step to help you…and I can say that I’ve already implemented a few of these suggestions into my life.
One step mentions equipping yourself with the right tools, making sure you have notebooks and writing utensils and writing software that speak to you. It’s actually important to invest a little bit into this step, because putting a little money into it means that you’re investing in yourself and your writing. I already do this…probably in excess. I love walking down the office aisles in the store and picking up notebooks, notepads, and pens that call out to me.
Another step has you setting up a writing space, and I definitely took the time to tidy up my writing desk and space, so it feels more welcoming for me to be working in.
Overall, I really enjoyed the little pieces of advice and suggestions throughout this book. It talks about having a writing community, and how to trick and rewire your brain so you can bypass those negative intrusive thoughts and get creating, and what to do if you have a block or a bad writing day. and making time for your writing. These are all things that we probably already know but might have shoved into some dark recess of our minds to ignore.
So I definitely think this little book could be a useful one to people like me who have mostly pushed away from writing out of all of that fear and doubt and belief that we’re not good enough. We are good enough, and we can get better by actually sitting down and getting words on the page/screen. It’s time to stop doubting, stop worrying, and just start writing. After all, every story and every journey has a starting point. This could be yours.
There is even another book in the series: Stop Worrying; Start Selling: The Introvert Author’s Guide to Marketing, and obviously I’m not at that point in my writing life just yet, but I will be picking it up too, because I think it will be just as useful.
For next week’s Weekend Writer, I think I’ll actually just share a bunch of the quotes from this book that struck a chord with me, that really resonated…and then for the final Friday of the month, I’ll get to share some writing snippets and perhaps I’ll even give an update on my current WIP.
That is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
