Good writing, simple solutions

Often the best solutions are really simple.

Working with writers in my new PowerWords sessions, I keep coming back to this essential point. The more complex the solution, the more likely it is to stop working. The more moving parts there are to keep track of, the more likely the whole caboose is to overturn. (I think there’s something like that in mechanics or physics, isn’t there?)

Quite often, it’s something outside of a person’s writing life that’s impacting on their ability to write what needs to be written. Solving, or creating a very simple workaround, works wonders.

Here are my most simple, yet effective tips by far:

• Incremental change is lasting.
• Outside life impacts your writing. Make change kind to yourself.
• Flush the system. Write 3 pages of longhand stream of consciousness either first thing in the morning, or before sitting down to the work of writing. (Thank-you, thank-you: exercise fromJulia Cameron, The Artist’s Way).
• Write TO someone. Make them your friendliest, most interested buddy, who needs what you’re telling them like you need air to breathe, and
• Have faith in the process. If it’s hard, you may be either on the wrong track, incubating the next bit you need, or dreaming too small.

See my guest post today on Invincible Summer about perfectionism as an ally. Thanks for having me, Jess!

So what I’m really saying is this: keep it simple. Untangle your mind, then write. It doesn’t have to be a tortured process. Get help if you need it. Maybe even here.

How do you keep it simple? Let me know in the comments!