Killer Thoughts (And How to Fix Them)
Writing is hard. Though, perhaps not in the way most people think.
The difficulty is not the creative part. Writers have lots of ideas and think of new ones all day long.
Nor is it the craft itself that is challenging. Mastering vocabulary, grammar, plot, character development, narrative flow, dialog, etc. takes a few hours of education and several hours of practice. It is time-consuming, but easy. Heck, for most of us, that is the fun part.
Writing is hard because we are writers. Our brains function differently. While our thought processes are great for creating entirely new worlds, we stink at all the practical, day-to-day stuff.
How many of us can develop a heart-wrenching love triangle, think of new sci-fi technology, create complex plots, and invent new characters … but often cannot find our car keys?
I searched for my wallet for three days. I finally found it in the freezer. Still, no idea why.
Writing is a grind. It takes patience, discipline, tenacity, and a writer’s most feared word…. WORK.
That is not why we wanted to become writers. All we want is the fun stuff. Our desire is for ideas. We want to play in our imagination and get paid for it. We are writers. That is what we do. We just stink at the actual writing part.
A brain that can create is not a good brain for getting work done.
We are not lazy. Far from it. We have dedicated our entire existence to creating. Not lazy at all.
It is, unfortunately, our own creativity that can undermine us. We can think of many great ideas. We can also think of many believable excuses.
· I’m too tired to write. I need to be fresh to write my best.
· I will write later when I am not preoccupied with ______ (work, kids, chores, family, church, etc.)
· Can’t write now, I need to feel inspired.
· I enjoy writing, but I hate working with____ (editors, readers, publishers, critics, reviewers, agents, promoters, etc.)
· I am not sure my work is good enough… I have seen these ideas already… Do I have talent?
· I’m too ____ (old, young, busy, inexperienced, undereducated, tired, ill, needed elsewhere.)
· Blah, Blah, Blah….
Here is the solution. Write one line. Yes, it is really that easy.
Word count is not the primary concern. It is not about production. It is about taking control of these Killer Thoughts.
Just the act of sitting down to write accomplishes 80% of the work. Create that intention. Take that actual step. In doing so, your brain learns who is really in control. You organize your thoughts. The creative process automatically unfolds. Before you even write a single word, characters develop, plots get laid out, conflict takes shape, and ideas are tested and improved.
Just the intention to write is all it takes.
Write a sentence. Yes, it will probably stink. Write it anyway. Write a second one. Who cares if it is just as bad? So, what if it does not connect to the first sentence? Just write it.
The whole point is for the creative mind to learn how to function in the physical world.
Make it your plan to write one line a day. Do that for a few days. Then write one paragraph… a few days later, commit to writing one page a day.
One page a day means submitting one published novel per year. About what most “successful” writers produce.
If you write more, fine. If you write less… no big deal. Just do it every day, without fail. The whole point of this process is to bring the creative mind under control. Break the wild stallion. Tame the beast.
Once your creative brain learns to trust you as its master, you can finally unleash its full potential.
A writer writes.
What are you waiting for? Go write your sentence.
Eric Myers
Send a sample of your work for a free editing and critique. Submit One Thousand words to:
submissions@warpspeedediting.com
Responses are usually within twenty-four hours.
