So I was writing the other day, and then I stopped.
When I thought about why – actually, I procrastinated for half a day, scrubbed the kitchen benches, ate lots of inappropriate food, did huge amounts of laundry that could have waited and stopped just short of vacuuming the dog – I realised that I’d gotten caught up in writing for particular people, rather than writing what I had inside, needing to get out.
When this happens, writing doesn’t come easily, or as a pleasure. It’s hard. It’s all in my head, filtered through judgements I’m attributing to imaginary people, and that is a prime killer for someone who wants to write from their soul.
Does this happen to you? Want to know what to do about it? Well, I have a few steps, from my own experience.
Firstly: Give Up.
Yes, you heard me: give up.
Give up writing for a little while. Call it your reset time. Decide that for the rest of the day, you’re not writing. Perhaps you need more time than that. Whatever is right for you, just decide that there is a block of time, right now, when you’re not writing.
Because you need to detox and get some distance from the toxicity of creating judgement in your own head. Save it for the editing process!
Commit to not writing for a period of time of your choosing.
Now: Find something completely different to do. Me? I went and took a ballet class after a break of 8 years. It was awesome! Got me straight out of my head, out of my comfort zone, and I didn’t even think of writing for a whole couple of hours. You may want to do something entirely different to me (ballet is not for everyone…): a luxurious bath, a ramble around the neighbourhood, going out, socialising, rollerskating, archery. Anything at all, as long as it doesn’t involve writing!
Just make sure you do something you enjoy before you next sit down to write.
And then: Sit down to write. Do your pre-writing ritual, or create one. Close your eyes and breathe, come into your body. Acknowledge that you’re going to write, whilst keeping judgement at bay. Make peace wtih the idea of editing later. No matter how big the mess, it’s still easier to edit it if it’s on the page!
Then write.
Works for me, so I thought I’d share. Do you get jammed up thinking about your audience?
I take this as sound advise. I have found myself i similar despair. At the time not sure how to define or rectify the situation . All I knew was that my writing had become animated and lifeless. Mindless dribble on the page. Painful as it was I had to walk away from the write for a few days. Broke out the hemp twine and macrame some of my old hippie shit jewelry. it works.
Thanks! Sorry to hear it comes as despair for you. But I’m really glad you found your way out of it!
I probably shouldn’t be such a whiner when I feel those growing pains. It seem that the learning curve is essential to the write. I don’t know how it s for everybody else , but I need a wake up call from time to time.As with every thing in life if I stand in one place too long I become complacent not growing or learning anything new . As a result it reflex on my writing.. If I want my write to be fresh, new, alive then each day must begin as bright and alive as that new sunrise..
You said, “No matter how big the mess, it’s still easier to edit it if it’s on the page!”
EXACTLY. I remind myself of that all the time. 🙂 Just discovered your blog – looking forward to reading more.
Farmgirl Susan – Yes! I don’t think we can remember this point enough. I tell it to myself, and I tell it to my clients when they’ve forgotten. Always easier to edit if there’s something there. What situation do you usually use it for – as in, how do you feel when you need to remember this? And thanks for finding me, great to have you along!
Hi Tamara,
I’m a reluctant and very slow writer, mostly (the slow part) because I tend to edit as I go. So I try to convince myself that instead of procrastinating, it would be better if I just wrote faster, got something down (and done!), and then went back to edit and make it better. Sometimes it even works. 🙂
I totally get the ‘edit as you go’ thing. I used to have SUCH a habit of doing this – and I’m not saying this is good or bad here. Way back when, I used to think that was just how one wrote. But then I collaborated on a piece with a friend, and she was scandalised that I would delete a sentence if I didn’t like it, rather than just immediately go on with whatever would replace it, so I had both options there. My way had me feeling like my ideas were clear. Her way made me feel muddled and like my ideas were muddied, but she felt like she was recording all her processes, and had lots to work with. Now I use a mix of both, but I use them consciously.