Tag Archives: journaling

typewriter

Problems for Aspiring Writers and How to Combat Them

Writing is such a wonderful form of self-expression. For the brief time I taught middle school, I required my students to dedicate one of their notebooks for journal writing. For the first ten minutes of class, I had them sit, pull out their journals, and write. Sometimes I gave them a topic, and sometimes I didn’t. When I didn’t give them a topic, it wasn’t uncommon to hear a collective moan reverberate through the room, followed by the inevitable question: “What are we supposed to write about?” My answer: “Anything you want.”

journal writing with penI tried to instill in them the idea that when you write, you can be anything you want, you can say anything you want to say, you can create your own reality for that brief ten minutes. Live large. Let your imagination take you away. The page is yours to bring to life.

Some of them dove right in and I didn’t see them look up until the timer went off. Others weren’t so enthused. They drummed their pencils on the desk or sat staring into space. I think a lot of people who want to write but haven’t started yet, can relate to the latter experience.

In this series, I will highlight some of the problems aspiring writers face and provide some ideas that have helped me in the past. I hope you find this series helpful, and that you will be empowered to face down those demons and write whatever it is you are longing to write.

Disclaimer: The following exercises will require a journal and ten minutes of writing per session!

Problem #1: “What Do I Write About?

What is it you want to write?

Do you want to write a novel? If so, what kind? Mystery, romance, a great piece of inspired literature? Do you have an awesome idea for the next best sci-fi thriller? Do you want to express yourself through poetry? Or, do you have certain knowledge or experience that would lend itself to a self-help book or a memoir? Do you fancy writing essays for magazines, or creating your own blog?

Why do you want to write?

What does it mean to you to express yourself through the written word? Do you crave a connection with others on universal themes? Do you want to entertain? Do you feel called to help people, or bring to light the social injustices of the world? Maybe you have experiences or knowledge you feel people can benefit from.

Exercise #1

Spend some time thinking about why writing is important to you. Jot down a list of your reasons without putting them in any particular order. Then go back and pick the 3 to 5 most important reasons. Then, narrow it down to the single most important reason you want to write.

Setting Intentions

Exercise #2

I find setting intentions is always a good way to get in touch with what I really want and why I want it. An intention is what your “want” looks like when you’ve obtained it.  Below are some examples to get you started. Note: When setting your intention always use positive language, i.e. “I am” or “I have,”  or “I do.” You can set as many intentions as you want, and then go back and list them in the order of importance to you, as you did in the previous exercise.

I write because I want to _______.

My knowledge of ________allows me to help people understand ________ through the writing of my book/blog/articles.

I am talented at _________ and can entertain people with my story of __________.

I have a passion for _________ and want to change the world with my message.

I have a deep understanding of _________ and can share my experiences to relate to others through my writing.

I love to ________ and want to share my passion for it in my book.

Check back with me June 20, 2018, for “How Do I Start? I will be posting about themes in writing.

 

 

The Importance of Ritual for Productive Writing

In the age of electronics, computers, social media, technology – life has become a great balancing act. We try to balance our work, our families, our social life, and our hobbies. Often, little time is left for our passion. Sometimes, we have to schedule time for ourselves and our art. In fact, it has become necessary to do so in order to complete or fulfill our passion.

I have had trouble recently with scheduling time for myself due to some family issues. In my life and in my world—as I am sure it is with you—family comes first. But, we also need to make time for ourselves and our passions, or we are not complete, and we are not able to be there as effectively for our other responsibilities.

The best way I have found to make time for my writing is to create rituals around it. I don’t stick to a strict schedule, but I find that using ritual helps me to make time every day for my writing. First thing in the morning, I think about what I am grateful for—it gets me into a pleasant frame of mind and helps me to tackle any of the tasks I don’t like doing. I often do a little meditating and then set an intention for the day. I also read the affirmations that I have created for myself to myself out loud. It’s best to read them to yourself in the mirror, but that isn’t always possible. Then I go on to do the “life” things I need to accomplish.

When it is time for me to sit and write, I get out my essential oils. I’ve been using essential oils for about two years now to settle, inspire, comfort, and focus me. I take a whiff of a couple and try to be open to which one is speaking to me – not literally of course—but which one fills me with good feelings and inspiration. Some of my favorite include Envision, Highest Potential, Joy, and Oola Balance from Young Living Oils. They are all high frequency, emotional oils and they just make me feel good. Grapefruit, Lemon, Peppermint, and Cypress are the single oils I like to use for creativity. Once I’ve picked the “oil of the day” I put some drops in my diffuser, put on some ambient music and sit down to write.

Other rituals I have used  to get the creative juices flowing are:

Freeform journal writing. I’ll write down whatever comes into my head no matter how crazy or disorganized—I just spew.

Write down 10 things I am grateful for. This puts me in a great frame of mind and makes me feel like I can conquer anything.

Read inspirational quotes from other writers.

Brainstorm with a writing friend.

Make a date to write with a friend.

Always write in the same space. I like to write in my office, but for you, it might be your dining room table, Starbucks, or your favorite tea house.

I’ve heard somewhere that to develop a habit, you must do the thing 12 times. Consistency is key. Once you have developed the ritual, you will find that your day is not complete without it–it will magically have worked its way into your daily life, and you will feel odd if you don’t complete the ritual.

Give it a try. Set a ritual around your writing. I hope you find it as comforting, inspiring and enlivening as I have.

 

Fear Series #4: Fear of Failure

Woman holding hands over face in failureFear of Failure. We’ve all faced it at one time or another. But, does it stop you from doing what you feel you are meant to do, or called to do, or simply want to do? Like writing that book you’ve always wanted to write. Or perhaps, sharing your experiences and stories in a blog. Maybe it prevents you from querying an agent, or editor, or diving into self-publishing.

The fear of failure can be immobilizing. It can prevent us from reaching our goals, and sometimes prevents us from setting goals. It can stop us from living our dreams and doing the things we want to do or need to do in life. It can also prevent writers and would-be writers from expressing their thoughts and feelings through their words, or sharing their message and stories with others.

What does failure mean to you? Maybe it means that others won’t accept you, or believe you, or like you. Maybe it means you will be laughed at or ridiculed. Maybe whatever it is you want to do won’t be perfect. (Is anything in life?) Maybe it means you might not get that agent or book deal that you want. Well, you might be right.

So then what?

You can either choose to give up in the hopes you will never fail again, (not possible) or you can accept your failure, learn from it, and see the opportunities that might arise from it.

Here are some tips I hope will help you confront and manage your fear of failure. The tips come from my experiences with AFT, (The Aroma Freedom Technique) some practical advice I’ve received from others, and from my experiences in dealing with my own fear of failure.

#1) As with the first step in AFT, we must set an intention.

This intention should be something you intend to do if you knew—beyond doubt—you wouldn’t fail. Write a book. Publish a book. Start a blog. Write a newsletter. Query your dream agent. Get the picture? Write down your intention.

#2) Write down what failure means to you, as mentioned above.

woman writing in journal

#3) Identify where that fear of failure came from.

Unsupportive or critical parents? A bad teacher? Perhaps you had a bad experience in the past where you failed and had difficulty recovering. Maybe you lost a job over your “failure.” In AFT we try to capture what the negative voice in our heads is telling us. Or, pick a moment in time when we had the same emotions of unworthiness or despair. Write down what you came up with.

#4) Next, write down the absolute worst thing that can happen if you “fail” at whatever it is you want to accomplish with your writing.

What will you lose? Did you really need it anyway? How long will this affect you? Forever? A couple of weeks, days? Be honest with yourself.

#5) Establish what you have control over.

You have control over what you do with your writing. You have control over what you wish to share. But, can you control what others think, say, or do? If you could, how would that be satisfying? Maybe if you are a narcissist it would be satisfying, but I know you aren’t!

#6) Understand that others have this same fear. Even extremely successful writers. The difference is, they’ve made the choice to not let their fear of failure hold them back. One of my favorite Ted Talks of all time is Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating.” You can find it here. I hope you are as inspired by it as I am.

#7) Write down what positive things you’ve learned from failing – no negativity here.

Did it help you to change direction or try something different? Maybe it caused a falling out with someone who only brought you down or made you feel bad about yourself. Failing is an opportunity to better yourself, learn, reflect and plan. Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone fails. It is what you do with that failure that counts.