Week One: #BreakTheBlock
Do you ever look at your word count and stress? Are you stalled in the middle of the book? Do you keep walking away from your desk because the words won't come? Has it been so long since you've written than you're afraid you don't know how to put a good story on paper anymore?
That's me. Right this moment, I'm living in a world of can't. Can't make the words come, can't get an original idea if I cut open my brain, can't follow the tons of advice on writers block because it just makes me feel more lame and helpless. If this is you too, join me for a journey. It's called the #BreakTheBlock Challenge, and it starts today.
You can take a moment if you'd like to analyze why you're suffering from Writer's Block. For me, it's not a block of words, but a block on producing fiction words. I took on freelance writing 2 years ago to support myself, and the necessity to make money makes me put those dollar words first. I consistently produce those words (mostly), but to my chagrin, I exhaust my supply apparently, and fiction writing leaves me staring at the page. Add a crazy routine with tons of responsibilities - whether external (as a job or family) or character driven (as a goal you just won't compromise), and here we sit together. I went back to school to earn a graphic design degree, already own a digital publishing company that does take attention to run properly, and am committed to help my grandson with anything he needs. He has autism, so it's a big commitment, and no matter what's happening, he remains my first priority. Is your life as complicated? I suspect it is. You may be beating on yourself to do more and struggling with the pileup of guilt when goals go unmet. You're not alone.
However, I've come to realize...and I'll state this succinctly:
You live what you put first. Patti Ann Colt
Let me digress for a minute. I'm in my mid-50s, so going back to school wasn't a simple decision. But I believe when you find something that sparks your passion, you should follow that trail. The decision supports my digital publishing company and my indie author publishing goals, but I never expected to find a different creative side. What I learned from finishing my first year: doing what you love is really important, and nobody else can make the changes necessary to put you where you need to be. I can write anything, but I don't love freelance writing. I can do it, but it doesn't spark any creativity. It's just a means to eat. Important, yes. I'm not arguing that, and if you're in that situation, by all means keep plowing forward. Stability is important. But if you're like me, your next novel (or 5) is stuck in your head and you need a tweak to your lifestyle to make your novel a reality. This challenge is for you. Don't expect massive goals and demanding changes. As I've discovered, they won't work.
So here it is - simple and straightforward.
This week:
1) Write for 5 minutes every day.
I don't care how you accomplish this. But don't make a big deal out of setting aside the right space and the right time. You'll fail. Use your computer on the sofa or in bed, put your show on pause and use your iPad, grab your iPhone at the next really long light (Please don't type while you're driving!), or pull into Sonic or your favorite coffee shop, grab a receipt off the floor, and write for five minutes in the parking lot! Five minutes is only five minutes. It doesn't give any time for fear to build or for your internal editor to click on, and most things can be ignored for 5 minutes. BUT you can accomplish 100-200 words in that 5 minutes. Don't believe me? Time yourself. I have, that's how I know. If you can't get 100-200 words, you're thinking too hard. Work on your novel, write about the car next to you, write a note to your spouse, or take a random word and see where it takes you. There's hundreds of creative writing prompt choices. Find one. Now I know, 5 minutes seems like a really low goal. If you're a seasoned writer, you're thinking I CAN DO MORE THAN THAT. Yes, I'm living in your head. No, seriously, I think that to myself all the time. I also think - I can do it later. Then later comes, and presto, the goal hasn't happened. So set your time. Can you meet a 5 minute promise to yourself? I think I can. And so can you.
I write better first thing in the morning, but I also spend a lot of time in my car driving - another commitment I won't explain. But if I adjust my timing and take a CAN notebook (see how I worked CAN into a CAN'T situation), a pen, and my story notes (which are on sticky notes), I can pull over a couple places along my route and set my iPhone to time a 5 minute write.
A habit takes a few days to settle in, so don't give up. 1400 words a week writes a full novel in 42 weeks. And if you snorted to that, tell me how long it's been since you produced a full novel and just do it!
You numbered that, you say. Where's the #2?
2) READ. Find a book in your genre and read - whether lunch hour, cooking dinner, or bedtime, spend some time with a favorite.
"Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very successful careers." Ray Bradbury
That's all. Take some steps today to #BreakTheBlock. Feel free to leave your comments!
That's me. Right this moment, I'm living in a world of can't. Can't make the words come, can't get an original idea if I cut open my brain, can't follow the tons of advice on writers block because it just makes me feel more lame and helpless. If this is you too, join me for a journey. It's called the #BreakTheBlock Challenge, and it starts today.
You can take a moment if you'd like to analyze why you're suffering from Writer's Block. For me, it's not a block of words, but a block on producing fiction words. I took on freelance writing 2 years ago to support myself, and the necessity to make money makes me put those dollar words first. I consistently produce those words (mostly), but to my chagrin, I exhaust my supply apparently, and fiction writing leaves me staring at the page. Add a crazy routine with tons of responsibilities - whether external (as a job or family) or character driven (as a goal you just won't compromise), and here we sit together. I went back to school to earn a graphic design degree, already own a digital publishing company that does take attention to run properly, and am committed to help my grandson with anything he needs. He has autism, so it's a big commitment, and no matter what's happening, he remains my first priority. Is your life as complicated? I suspect it is. You may be beating on yourself to do more and struggling with the pileup of guilt when goals go unmet. You're not alone.
However, I've come to realize...and I'll state this succinctly:
You live what you put first. Patti Ann Colt
Let me digress for a minute. I'm in my mid-50s, so going back to school wasn't a simple decision. But I believe when you find something that sparks your passion, you should follow that trail. The decision supports my digital publishing company and my indie author publishing goals, but I never expected to find a different creative side. What I learned from finishing my first year: doing what you love is really important, and nobody else can make the changes necessary to put you where you need to be. I can write anything, but I don't love freelance writing. I can do it, but it doesn't spark any creativity. It's just a means to eat. Important, yes. I'm not arguing that, and if you're in that situation, by all means keep plowing forward. Stability is important. But if you're like me, your next novel (or 5) is stuck in your head and you need a tweak to your lifestyle to make your novel a reality. This challenge is for you. Don't expect massive goals and demanding changes. As I've discovered, they won't work.
So here it is - simple and straightforward.
This week:
1) Write for 5 minutes every day.
I don't care how you accomplish this. But don't make a big deal out of setting aside the right space and the right time. You'll fail. Use your computer on the sofa or in bed, put your show on pause and use your iPad, grab your iPhone at the next really long light (Please don't type while you're driving!), or pull into Sonic or your favorite coffee shop, grab a receipt off the floor, and write for five minutes in the parking lot! Five minutes is only five minutes. It doesn't give any time for fear to build or for your internal editor to click on, and most things can be ignored for 5 minutes. BUT you can accomplish 100-200 words in that 5 minutes. Don't believe me? Time yourself. I have, that's how I know. If you can't get 100-200 words, you're thinking too hard. Work on your novel, write about the car next to you, write a note to your spouse, or take a random word and see where it takes you. There's hundreds of creative writing prompt choices. Find one. Now I know, 5 minutes seems like a really low goal. If you're a seasoned writer, you're thinking I CAN DO MORE THAN THAT. Yes, I'm living in your head. No, seriously, I think that to myself all the time. I also think - I can do it later. Then later comes, and presto, the goal hasn't happened. So set your time. Can you meet a 5 minute promise to yourself? I think I can. And so can you.
I write better first thing in the morning, but I also spend a lot of time in my car driving - another commitment I won't explain. But if I adjust my timing and take a CAN notebook (see how I worked CAN into a CAN'T situation), a pen, and my story notes (which are on sticky notes), I can pull over a couple places along my route and set my iPhone to time a 5 minute write.
A habit takes a few days to settle in, so don't give up. 1400 words a week writes a full novel in 42 weeks. And if you snorted to that, tell me how long it's been since you produced a full novel and just do it!
You numbered that, you say. Where's the #2?
2) READ. Find a book in your genre and read - whether lunch hour, cooking dinner, or bedtime, spend some time with a favorite.
"Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very successful careers." Ray Bradbury
That's all. Take some steps today to #BreakTheBlock. Feel free to leave your comments!
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