Belaboring the Point

Do you fail if you don't write every day? The answer is different for each writer, depending on the motivation behind the maxim, "Write every day."

If you write to avoid life, then you weaken the narrative. If, instead, a writer avoids the "practice" because she or he fears the outcome, the person may need to strengthen an inner resolve to face anything and everything that life has to offer for writing.

On this one I can't find any help from other writing blogs, websites or magazines because they tend to toe the line on how one can become prolific. You "plant" your seat in a chair and force feed your muse.

So, here's another take on this perennial favorite. If writing every day brings you happiness, then do so. But could you take a few minutes off to spread that around?

If the opposite is true, and you would choke on even a word per day forcefully repeated just to reach the goal, start listening to yourself instead of the experts who don't know or care if you succeed.

Do you want to pen a novel that represents your best, or the one that proves you could push out a 75,000-word tome in six months? Pick a schedule you can manage and is uniquely styled for how your brain functions.

Taking on the Advice Mills

The irony of this post does not escape me, but deconstructing all the varying and varied advice that writers receive is the next step in empowering writers on all levels.

Advice is shaped by personal convictions and inherent prejudices. Consider how many times you have been told "in all good faith" that someone is telling you something "for your own good." That is seldom true. When anyone claims to be an expert, that person is saying what they know to be true, not what is inherently truthful for everyone.

This blog already covered the "write what you know" line of thinking, which appears to be a very fear-based piece of advice. Yet it gets recycled in one form or another over and over again.

Let me know what advice gives you a headache or has helped you as a writer. Everything is fair game, including what is written here.

Day 31: Writing What We Think

On this final day of posts about aiding the process, rather than the philosophy, of writing, I'm back to where it all begins. What we think about obsessively, or not, often serves as the foundation for a writing jaunt. And every thought is uniquely personal.

Yet, how many times have you stopped yourself from committing something to paper because someone might be offended by what you write? This is not about the constant snarking that goes on in the loathe-and-run posts or comments on the World Wide Web. It's easy to be negative about something without offering a solution when you don't have to face someone.

It is more difficult to be truthful in a story, poem, creative nonfiction article or personal essay if we fear the outcome. That is when writing tends to become stilted or formulaic.  Also, one of the advantages of writing for yourself before sharing it with the world is the freedom to say whatever you want to, in a way that may not be grammatical or could contain misspelled words.

Go ahead and be nice, if that is what drives you to write in the first place. Kindness isn't a weakness, any more than a critical view of events is a strength. Our greatest strength as writers is in speaking our truths as we view and feel them.

Day 30: Your Personal Style

In describing all the variables we may face as writers, I emphasize how each person may be driven by similar desires and motivation. After all, we share the urge and ability to write.

On the other hand, each person offers her or his unique style and voice to this mixture. So, even though this blog post refers often to studies, it is with the belief that no form of "normal" exists because the norm is averaged. Face it, when it comes to the human brain, emotions and creativity, as humans we yearn for the similarities in order to belong. The "outliers" are denied or eliminated as aberrations.

To write, however, we need to understand the 49.9 percent of ourselves that may fall outside the averages. Creativity, which comes in different intensities and trigger points, isn't something we chase. It is the driving force that shades our days, shapes our dreams and pushes us to write despite all the disappointments and even the real, but fleeting, accomplishments. 

Day 29: Shall We Dance?

First song, now dance. Bear with me as I explain how movement can tempt your muse out to play, or just help shake off any negativity or doubts you may still have about writing.

Although many writers wax poetic about dancing with or in their writing, I'm talking about the brain changes that occur when we move.

Dancing is used in psychotherapy, along with music, art and drama. (I also know of cancer survivors who use journaling as part of their journey, which suggests that writing may also effectively help relieve stress and work through grief.) No, I am not suggesting that writers need to see a therapist.

Dance is the most fundamental art form, based on its using the body as a "medium of direct expression and communication," according to Fabian Chyle's thesis on dance therapy available at http://tanzundtherapie.de/nl/_files/nl/ 206/Applying%20Creativity-Thesis.pdf.

Dr. Peter Lovatt, as head of the University of Hertfordshire's Dance Psychology Lab, says that improvised dancing helps with divergent thinking, which is devising different answers for a problem. On the other end, structured dancing, such as ballet and ballroom, helps with convergent thinking. (This interview can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/31/peter-lovatt-dance-problem-solving.)

Other studies show that dancing is more effective than reading or doing puzzles at keeping our brains limber.

Granted, I don't need an excuse to dance, but the brain power behind this type of movement offers one more reason to dance before I sit down to write.

Day 28: Finding Kindred Souls

In attempting to look at all the external and internal roadblocks we face as writers, this blog is essentially about connecting with kindred souls.

This means that although writing is a joy to me, I don't expect everyone else to feel the same. However, those who do may find a home here.

I'm constantly amazed at all the individuals who take the time to sit down, research, take videos and share every piece of advice on the World Wide Web. So if you have something to share, please do.

Day 27: Starving for Words

In describing many of the external and internal influences on writing processes and motivation, my intent is to reinforce that storytelling is something that chooses us. But we choose how to proceed.

Since most of us have lost the writing practice that letters afforded pre-Internet authors, we could become jaded by the instantaneous responses possible now. We judge ourselves and others on an ability to write quickly and with brilliant wit, and in less than 14 words. We push and get pushed to the point where writing is more automatic than satisfying.

At a certain point, we read the same formulaic writing over and over again until it becomes a mantra of sorts that can push out the voice of our wildly spontaneous creativity. (How many times can we "like" articles that say the same things, but with different bullet points or Top 10 lists?) We starve ourselves, when we are born with a buffet of endless words, ideas and  plots.


What I suggest is an electronic "diet" of sorts. For writers today, it is almost impossible not to use the electronic devices we surround ourselves with to keep writing and survive on words. It is possible, however, to unplug occasionally from the distractions that abound and play with the words and ideas we use in telling stories of all types, sizes and intent.