Sometimes I have to rein back my excitement. I’ve got to slow down and not rush too far ahead. Stay in the moment with weary people who’ve worried over their story for so long the doubt is crushing them. You may have asked yourself similar questions as my clients. Spun in similar doubts. “Can …
When you’re uncomfortable with the story or content you’re writing, you might shy away from specifics and instead make broad generic statements. Your sentences might be unnecessarily complex. You may be subconsciously creating a protective space between yourself and your words. This can make the writing abstract. It’s a dance between your true voice and …
It can be really difficult to imagine writing (or speaking) to an audience that is different than you. You might wonder how they’ll understand your perspective. All you know is they’ve had vastly different experiences, and you’re not sure what you have in common. How do you make a point, get your message across, or …
How to connect with an audience that might not understand Read More »
Do you know why you want to write? This can be an interesting question, with answers varying by mood, day, or project phase. Say you’re in the middle of a project but you’ve lost the zest. When you’re stuck, doubting, or uncertain, it can help to get clear on the purpose of why you’re wanting …
I had a deadline to share a draft with a mentor last week. Unfortunately, inspiration didn’t hit until two days before the deadline, not enough time to complete the draft. I want my writing to be polished enough to show who I am (better said, to reveal just enough of myself). I want to …
I worked with a client who knew their writing was radical, meant to shock readers into transformational clarity. To put words to experiences and issues not commonly spoken about. Almost like once their words were read, the reader wouldn’t be the same again. Whew, what an intense and tender thing to carry this purpose. Especially …
The fated question: “What did you do over the weekend?” Mind: BLANK Mind: Weekend. There was a weekend. I must have done things. BLANK Why can’t I think of what happened? Amnesia—no, I didn’t hit my head. Memory loss? Eyes: See expectantly waiting face. Mind: Oh no, I haven’t answered. Must answer. Mouth: “Uhhh.” Sound …
Pretend you’re visiting Arizona and want to head back home to California. You have multiple ways to get there. Fly directly by plane. Take a road trip by car. Horseback? Just like travel, there are many ways to approach writing. 1) Sometimes, you know exactly what you need to write and how you will get …
Say you have a big ol’ reaction when you’re stuck in your creative project. Maybe it seems like more frustration and distress than the situation warrants. You might even feel silly later, or embarrassed for getting so worked up about nothing. All of these are quite common. You may feel lost between your creativity and …
Maybe you’ve worked for hours and it’s still not complete. You have no juice left. You’re impatient and overwhelmed. Maybe you feel suffocated by the weight of your unfinished ideas. Or drown in the distance between idealized vision and reality. ~ I crashed like that after my creative writing storm several weeks ago. Clearly it …