Tag Archives: guilt

Writers Horoscope for November 16: You couldn’t help yourself.

Writing projects…coming at you from all sides.

coming at your from all sides

Most of them half-completed. [if you’re lucky].

Let’s hope you’re taking yesterday’s dealing with guilt advice to heart.

But there’s still work to do.

Sort out the three or four ‘loudest’, most insistent projects.

And get back to scheduling.

Give each of them at least 15 minutes.

[You and I both know those sessions will stretch to 25 or 30 minutes.]

You will see real progress and, even more important, you can sleep soundly knowing these projects are no longer collecting psychic dust.

 

Writers Horoscope for September 30: You will finish a project today.

Okay, so you’re past the guilt. You’ve conquered despair. [Frankly, you were a mess this week.]

It’s time to finish something.

the end finish line artsy

Yes, to you, a foreign concept.

But today’s the day.

The TV is unplugged [yes, you’re that serious], the wi-fi will soon be off, fresh coffee awaits, and you dove into the freezer for those cinnamon rolls. [Cooking takes a back seat today.]

And you’ve reached a conclusion: You don’t work well under pressure.

So you’re going to: A) Start with the smallest unfinished project first. B) Work in 15-minute increments.

Joe Bunting from thewritepractice.com prescribes small deadlines. Sounds contrary to your not working well under pressure, but…

Cut to Jon Acuff in his book Finish–“Cut your goal in half.”

Jane Porter also chimes in with solid support in her Fast Company contribution.

Final word: Go!

 

 

Writers Horoscope September 29: Cashing it in…soooo tempting.

 

You made it past yesterday’s guilt.

Time for another demon.

gratisography leaning against fence giving up

You want to give up. Words aren’t flowing. Ideas aren’t flowing. Tears, however, well, they might be another story.

Ben Angel in his contribution on Entrepreneur suggests two steps to win out:

  • Remind yourself of what you stand to lose by quitting.
  • Make a public declaration of what you’re working toward.

Ali Luke’s guest post on Goinswriter.com teases out the issue even more extensively. Lots of good ideas here to think through, including ways to cope with:

  • present-day life’s incompatibility with your writing
  • discouraging feedback
  • your loved ones not understanding your work or your calling to put pen to paper

And you could always subscribe to Copyblogger’s Brian Clark’s mantra: Keep going.

Prewriting Course: Updated Items

Greetings.

I’ve added four new components to the free prewriting course:

  1. Using online video to boost your prewriting vision
  2. Interviewing the author [that’s you. I wouldn’t worry about a development of multiple personalities.]
  3. Using the ‘foolscap method’ of outlining. [Rule: One sheet of paper only!]
  4. Mind mapping with Bubbl.us [online tool] and Inspiration [commercial product].

More details here: [The Teachable version will be available this weekend.]

https://wordinventions.blog/prewriting-course/

Teachable Course Screenshot

 

Writers Horoscope September 28: Guilt sets in. You must resist.

You’re camped out under your apple tree watching a woodpecker five feet away.

It’s the closest you have even been to one in your life.

And you wonder, ‘Geez, am I so lethargic that a woodpecker has no clue a living being is nearby?’

That’s when you should reach for a trusty source of inspiration:

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal.”

Paulo Coelho

Yes, it’s just a bird. And yes, you’re not raking in serious cash, but your writing life is not routine. And for that, you can be thankful.

Was just hit with a major pang of guilt…

I had just opened the book Writing for Story, by Jon Franklin, and began reading one of his highly-acclaimed stories, entitled Mrs. Kelly’s Monster, that detailed surgical procedures to relieve a patient of almost four decades of suffering from a malformation of blood vessels in the back of her brain.

And I thought…36 years of agony, all the while partnering with her husband to raise a family.

And I thought…and here I am whimpering and simpering about Facebook’s cluelessness about member requests that vaporize.

And I thought…get off your duff and keep writing!

And I thought…you folks should too!

Dig in! Ramp it up! Kick some literary booty! Go!