Regardless of what anyone tells you, being a writer is hard work.
Even the best storyteller encounters obstacles in their craft. No writer in history has ever written a story without gaps they struggled to cross.
Whether you are a published writer, or an aspiring writer, sometimes you need a bit of a push. A flash of motivation. A bit of wisdom or advice. So, I’ve decided to start a series here on ChaoticanWriter for writing tips. Because being a writer is challenging, and everyone could use a bit of help!
Unpopular Fact: You're not writing enough!
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You have an idea for a story. You throw some ideas onto a word processor, and begin framing your story. Minutes later, you find yourself drowning in a sea of social media, texting, Youtube videos, and other distractions you didn’t intend to get caught up in.
Some time later, you wonder why you never got anything done.
The answer is simple; you convinced yourself that you got something done when really, you didn’t. You gave your brain other “work” to do.
Who knows? Maybe you have other work to do, chores to do, or something else to craft. Yet, none of it resulted in words on a page. None of it went towards the actual “body” of your draft, or the prose of the story. You might have other ways to frame your story, build your world, develop your characters, and entertain your creativity.
I’m not here to come down on your ability to create. Personally, I LOVE expressing myself in hundreds of different ways, with different styles of art. I enjoy drawing, painting, music composing, reading, brainstorming, and plenty of other things.
However, if its a story you are looking to write, and writing it with words is the goal, then its time to admit to yourself with all of your power and courage that you’re not writing enough!
If my words unsettle you, then good! This tip is intended to zap you to attention; put you in the hot seat,… literally. It doesn’t matter if its coming from me, or a published writer. The commandment is the same.
Sit in the chair, and write!
According to research done at the University of California Irvine, the average person is distracted every few minutes. It takes up to 25 minutes just to regain focus after being distracted. Its far more difficult building a house than it takes to knock it down.
Right here. Right now. It’s time to get serious about writing
Is your social media tab blinking a notification? … Close it.
Did your phone vibrate and is someone messaging you? … Tough.
Do you feel tempted to scroll with your thumb? … Put your phone away.
What you do with your time in this moment is a practice in focus. It can be easy for some, and nearly impossible for others. … Focus is being able to ward away distractions, and the more practice you get, the better off you are in the end.
I sometimes use the term “Everything is cumulative”.
It doesn’t matter what you are doing. When you are participating in an activity of any kind, you are feeding the part of your brain that enables and encourages that activity. If being a writer is important to you, and if learning how to focus is important to you, then you’ll need to do the necessary thing and commit time to that exercise.
Everything is cumulative. The words you write don’t disappear when you stop. The time you invest into writing isn’t time wasted. The practice of focusing on something for a period of time is not pointless. It all builds up to a point of taking your want and turning it into a result.
And if you are not happy with the result, you can always try again tomorrow!
The Message is Always the Same, Regardless of Who Says It
If you are reading this, you probably noticed that I’m in the midst of composing my own projects. I know that me telling you this is perhaps not as strong as a renown fiction writer telling you sit your ass in the chair.
But that’s sort of the point. Its a simple commandment, but its simple to forget, especially if you have a brain filled with all sort of interesting … (distraction).
It’s a discipline that would be so simple to follow, if only the hundreds of mental strings tying us to this thing and that were cut, so that we could focus on just one thing. Alas, the birth of the information age becomes the death of our attention span.
I believe there should be no shortage of reminders of the age-old writers credo.
Therefore, I’ve been self-elected by the the obligatory council of earthing writers to inform you that your butt should remain firmly fastened to the chair, your Facebook and Twitter feeds should be closed, your Youtube tab should be closed, this website tab should be closed…
Oh! … but before that… I do have one more thing to say for my writing friends out there!
A Bit of Encouragement for the Easily Distracted
For those of you who struggle with your time-management day in and out, I understand that it’s hard sometimes. You just can’t dedicate the time or muster the courage to put those words on the screen. I totally get it.
This article may be a point of pressure, but I’m not trying to shame or make anyone feel bad.
There is no concrete formula for how long it takes to write a book. Some people try to pump out books as quickly as they may, and for others, it takes years. … Case and point, Susanna Clarke, and her book Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It took her years to piece this thing together. Was her only completed book, only published work, and it currently a staple in fantasy fiction. Even spawned a Netflix series, which … was actually really good.
J.K Rowling was just entering her 30’s when she was in the midst of writing Harry Potter.
Stephen King didn’t complete the first The Dark Tower book until an entire decade passed when he initially came up with the idea.
But to be fair, he was busy working on,… you know… everything else.
The point is, as a personal suffer of anxiety, I know how sometimes the simplest truths can seem like a bit much. Sometimes, the simplest truths can seem oppressive.
It’s important that we keep a clear perspective on things. People need to take the time they feel is necessary, but… it’s also extremely important to balance that with the facts of writing. And that is, it is that writing is writing. The act of doing so is the definition of what it is to write. Thinking, dreaming, scheming,… these things are immersive and important for idea development, sure. But I can tell you what they aren’t…
And while that’s hard to hear for some, it’s the fact of the matter. Being a writer requires giving yourself permission to write, giving yourself permission to work out the things getting in the way of writing, until you can finally reach the point of getting in front of that laptop and putting fingers on the keys.
Because that’s what really matters.
The act of doing will always surpass the act of not doing, no matter how good or bad the idea in your head is.
Now... sit your ass in the chair and write!
…
(*empty hallway*)
…
(*steps out of the bathroom with a towel on*)
(*stops and realizes you are still reading*)
You’re still here?
The article is over!
Go and write!
If you enjoyed this article check out some of my other writing articles, such as:
- Discovering Your Writing Superpowers! (The Exercise of Writing)
- NaNoWriMo for Newbies!: Preparation and Managing Distractions
- Storybuilding: Save the Cat! Beat Sheet
- 25 Fantasy Writing Prompts and Story Ideas
STOCK IMAGE CREDITS: Markus Spiske, Kari Shea, Allec Gomes,
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