Worth repeating again: the NOW book

by | Feb 11, 2013 | coaching, creativity, writing

“There is the NOW book, and there are the other books.”Andrew Griffiths

I was struck by this, because a lot of my clients do get stuck because there are lots of ideas in their heads about useful books that they can write. This is great on one hand, but can lead to indecision, a scattergun approach, and spreading oneself too thin. None of which are good for writers!

Basically, if you’ve got an idea, or something on the go, write that. Jot the other ones down as ideas for later, but stick with the first one and get it done. Of course, there are exceptions: sometimes the current project has problems, or needs to rest. We’re not talking about that right now. We’re talking the ungrounded flitting from one idea to the next without staying settled long enough to actually make a dint in the work.

Stick with the program. Hire a coach if you have to, to get yourself accountable. Get the work out, and onto the page. As I said in my last post, if there are words on the page, there is something to work with. Blank page = no working. So get writing, on what is present right now.

Otherwise, you’re just flitting from one idea to the next without actually finishing anything, and without getting that sense of achievement that will keep you going, which is the key to a continuous writing habit.

Reassuring the muse by continuous action on your projects keeps the flame of creativity alive.

So go and write the NOW book, not the tomorrow or next week book. List those ideas in a place where you can access it for inspiration when you need it. And return to the present.

Your thoughts?

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