5 Ways to Buck the Writing Blues

Copyright Stacy Lynn Ennis

I love writing.  I think it's fantastic.  It's splendid, marvelous, wonderful, and every other happy-sounding adjective you can think of.  I just love writing.

I also hate it.  Hate with a capital H.  H-A-T-E it.  Hate as in, "I hate it so much I could just cry."

It's funny how these two extremes seem to often occupy the same space.  I can be clipping along, words elegantly gracing the page or screen, thoughts flowing through me with ease and concise perfection (at least to me)...and then the next minute, nothing.  This state of nothingness can last for minutes, hours, and even days.

Why?

Well, for me, it has to do with two things: focus and creative stimulation.

Focus is first because I'm actually a pretty focused person.  I recently started planning out my day--writing out what time I'll do what and for how long.  This helps me stay focused.

However, this uber-planning sometimes only slightly alleviates my desire to get everything done now.  Especially when working on creative projects (such as writing or art), it's easy to feel that they're not as productive because they're more difficult to measure.  For example, I feel more productive if I spend an hour editing a four-page article or reading 40 pages for class versus writing two paragraphs or starting the design to one book cover mockup.  The quantitative side of me tends to see more as better, and this can cause me to lose focus on the creative task at hand--namely, writing.

Creative stimulation is second because I tend to be heavily influenced by my environment.  When I'm writing for long periods of time, I'm pretty good about setting up my space: a warm cup of coffee, the window partially open, my desk clear of clutter, a notepad and pen nearby, and no sounds but the birds singing outside (and sometimes the cats fighting, but I can't control that).  I don't check e-mail or social media, and I try not to have any conversations with humans.  (Cats are fine because they don't talk back.)

But when I'm writing a day here and a day there--right now, for example, as I'm revising my book--and not in a daily routine, I find it hard to get creative.  Sometimes I struggle to resist the urge to be "productive."  After all, to be creative, sometimes you just have to sit and think.  This does not always feel productive, although I know it will lead to productivity.

So, how does one buck the writing blues?  Here are some things that work for me:

1. Find out what inspires you...and then do it.  I watch TED.com videos most mornings to get inspired for the day.  In the early afternoons, when I'm feeling tired and a bit sluggish, I have a cup of tea and stretch out on my foam roller; this small break is often the fuel I need to finish the day strong.  A bit later, I do some sort of exercise.  This gets my blood pumping, and these long fitness sessions often lead to really great ideas.  I find all of these things inspiring, and they've quickly become necessary to my creativity.
2. Make a switch.  Feeling antsy?  Having trouble focusing?  About to fall asleep from boredom?  Move to another room. Stand up at your desk for a period of time.  Turn on some music.  Work from your tablet instead of your desktop.  Switch gears and work on another project.  Head to a coffee shop.  The possibilities are endless, but the point is the same: Changing things up often aids in both focus and creativity.
3. Write down your writing goals.  I know I often tout goal setting as the ultimate way to be productive and achieve dreams, but it's true.  I set monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly goals...and I almost always achieve them.  I also set long-term goals, but I don't usually write them out.  (Although one of my goals this month is to start writing those long-term goals out.)  If you're feeling stuck, stumped, or otherwise battling writing blues, writing your goals out on paper might help you visualize the finish product, which will help keep you focused.
4. Be intentional.  Goal setting will help with this, but the idea here is to be aware of what you're doing and why you're doing it.  Make decisions that bring you closer to what you desire, whether it's writing a novel or finishing a poem.  Record your achievements in a spreadsheet or by checking off items on a list--it doesn't matter how you live intentionally, just that you do it.  I used Wunderlist to make weekly and daily lists for myself, then check off things as they're completed.  I love clicking that little box and seeing the list item move to the "Recently done" section.
5. Stick it out.  You can do anything for a short period of time, and writing projects are no different. If you're feeling like you just can't type another word, remind yourself that the end is near.  Are you writing a book?  A few months to a year is doable, right?  Penning an article?  You can get through those couple of hours.  Being intentional with your writing and setting goals will help, but if you have to clear out your schedule or say "no" to a few things, then do it.  Book club can wait. So can cocktails with the gals.  Achieve your writing goals now.

No matter the cause of your writing blues, there is hope, and a prolifically-perfect day is right around the well-worded corner.

What about you?  How do you buck the writing blues?

Truth

Growing Is Forever, by Jesse Rosten

Today, take a moment to consider the beauty of nature, of this wonderful world we are lucky enough to call home.

Moving Forward

Image source: http://gurugilbert.com/wp-content/ambition1.jpg

Sometimes, being stagnant is easy.  It's easy to keep doing the same thing, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.  It's easy, yes, but it's not what makes a person happy.

Sure, stability is nice.  I agree with that.  But you know what gets me out of bed each morning (aside from my faith, husband, and all of the other awesome things I have to be thankful for)?  It's opportunity.  Each day is a new and exciting opportunity to make it better than the last.  It's the chance to achieve dreams.  It's the crazy attempt to realize each and every thing I've ever wanted to do.

For me, the key is maintaining a good and positive attitude and work ethic.  It's being excited for each day, and really, truly thankful for all of the good things in my life.

Of course, I could be better.  I've been known to sleep in, cranky face to world, not ready to get up and face the day.  But those days are few and far between (although my husband might beg to differ), and I really do try to approach each day with an I-can-conquer-the-world attitude.

I'm curious what other people do to keep themselves moving forward, from being anything but stagnant. Any ideas?  I'm all ears.

How to Dry a Cat

Courage Is the Thing, You Know?

For my birthday, my sister got me Matthew Kelly's The Book of Courage, which contains pages and pages of quotes on the subject of courage.  (Interesting fact: Kelly has been compiling these quotes since he was seventeen years old!)

At first, I didn't really "get" why courage was such an important topic.  I mean, I understood why a person would want to have courage in certain circumstances -- public speaking, for example -- but I didn't really understand why fear is such an all-encompassing, and often debilitating, emotion.

In his introduction, Kelly explains why fear is so pervasive: it keeps us from accomplishing our goals, from attempting new things, from bouncing back after life-altering or traumatic circumstances.

Fear keeps us stagnant, tentative.  Courage gives us the inner power to pursue things that matter.

One section of the introduction really grabbed me:

Don't waste your life, because life is there -- all you have to do is reach our and embrace it.  Anything is possible.  Whatever your dream is, make it happen.  Have courage.  Start today.  You will be amazed what life will give you in return for a little bit of courage. 

Be certain of one thing, the measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.

Powerful words, right?

Those of you who know me personally know that parts of my life have been a truly uphill battle, and I don't hesitate to call myself courageous.  But after battling through that part of my life, I thought I didn't need to be courageous anymore.  Wrong.

Courage is always present in our lives.  It is the driving force, the thing that gives you the "umph" you need to keep on keepin' on.

Courage is stepping away from the comfort of a 9-to-5 and pursuing your passion.  It's skydiving.  It's traveling to new places and meeting new people.  It's going back to school after 20 years.  It's writing a book.  It's starting to exercise and taking control of your health.  It's attempting a new home improvement project.  It's joining a social group and making new friends.

Courage is small, and it is big.  It can be easy to come by, and it can be the most difficult thing in the world to muster.

Kelly says:

So, what are we waiting for?  We only get one shot at life.  Isn't it time for a little soul-searching?  Visit a quiet church in the middle of the day.  Take a walk in the park.  Turn off the television and talk to your children.  Open the paper and look for the job you've always wanted.  Keep a promise.  Tell your mom you love her.  Restore an old Ford.  Make friends with your neighbors.  Say yes instead of maybe.  Watch a sunset.  Write your spouse a love letter.  Fly a kite.  Say "sorry".  Ask that girl out on a date.  Try a food you've never tasted before.  Make peace with God.

He's right: what are we waiting for?  Life is so precious and so short -- let us go out into the world and make the most of it.

The Whiniest Blog Post, Ever

I'm seriously second guessing this NaBloPoMo thing.  One post a day for a month?  Sure, I thought, sounds easy.

But, of course, November is turning out to be one of the busiest months, ever.  And this week is no exception: I'm editing a book, proofing a magazine, taking classes as a full-time graduate student, and working as a graduate editorial assistant at a campus that is 30 minutes away (but it's paying my tuition, so I'm thankful for it).  Honestly, these things, on their own, aren't so bad.  I enjoy editing, my classes, and my assistantship.

But then there's this blog.  After working in the morning, proofreading 25 pages, going on a four mile run, figuring out how to work the blasted FileZilla and writing a five page paper, I don't feel like blogging.  What I really want to do is drink wine and watch something mindless on Netflix.

Too bad, so sad, the NaBloPoMo spirit whispers in my ear.  You made a commitment, Honey.

She's right, you know.  I did make a commitment, and I wouldn't be me if I didn't follow through (or at least try my best to do so) with every little commitment I make.  And to make sure I don't forget this goal,  I've written "blog" on the inside of my wrist everyday with red pen.

I'm curious if I'm the only one who does this.  I mean, I like being busy, and I'm very thankful for all of the opportunities, but why do I go and set a personal goal in the midst of all of it?  Am I the only one who does things like this?

Some Thoughts About Travel

The People's Committee Building, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during Tet holiday

It's official: it's been too long since I've traveled.

I do realize that I flew to Boise a little over a week ago, but that doesn't really count, now does it?  I'm talking real travel.  The what-is-this-stuff-I'm-eating, talking-with-hand-guestures, everything-is-totally-new-and-different sort of travel.

For all the whining I do about wanting to be back in Boise, I really do miss being abroad.  I miss the strangeness of it, the empowerment I feel when accomplishing little things (like taking a taxi by myself for the first time in a new country), the ever-present "otherness" that permeates everything I do.  I miss sitting at a table in Phu My Hung, Ho Chi Minh City, eating yellow noodles, and looking around and realizing how wonderful and full life is.  I miss Sunday mornings: leaving late to get to church at the Notre Dame Cathedral, a lunch of eggs, rice, and baguettes afterwards, ordering coffee at Western coffeeshops.  I even miss Ben Thanh: its stinky fish smell, the hands grabbing at my elbows, the particularly good bootleg DVD stands, the smiles that quickly fade when you decide not to buy.

I even miss the Dominican Republic sometimes: my students, who became like siblings to me; twice monthly trips to amazing beaches; egg sandwiches (sin mayonesa), fresh mango smoothies (sin azúcar), and tostones at that little restaurant in the Zona Colonial; trying not to fall asleep during mass, with the echoey, Spanish words lulling me in the hot, old buildings; cobblestone streets that elicited that feeling of real traveling.

But what does this mean, exactly?  Will this nostalgia lead to more travels, new locales, another home abroad?

For now, we are in Ohio.  But in two years, who knows?  And even if we don't move back abroad, I plan to explore every inch of this world of ours.

NaBloPoMo: Why Writers Should Run

To the many writers who do not find inspiration in running, I ask you:

When else can you be so totally and completely disconnected from the mundane of the day-to-day?  When else can you leave behind your cell phone and computer, the compulsion to check e-mails and social networking sites, and the need to make small talk?  When else is it totally acceptable to ignore everyone and everything around you (except cars, of course)?

About three years, ago, I wrote a short creative nonfiction piece entitled, "On Running (and Running On)".  The piece was about how running got me through a very trying time and the integral role running has played in my life.  An excerpt from that piece does a pretty good job of describing how running affects me:

I run up and down the inclines and declines and hop over puddles and feel the ache in my knee.  I breathe hard and keep pace.  I feel the cracks in the greenbelt and the branches that need trimmed off of the path.  I feel sweat and thirst and fatigue.  I feel the foot to shin to thigh connection with concrete, hard and lovely against my tennis shoes. ... 

People understand the nature of the runner.  A runner needs to keep running.  A runner needs to maintain her center.

I feel the same way about writing: it helps me keep centered.  But I know that a lot of my writing inspiration occurs during long runs.  

Of course, like writing, running takes practice.  It takes a good deal of stick-to-it-iveness.  But it will give back so much more than you put into it. 

Writers, I challenge you: try running or some other form of aerobic activity.  See how it affects your creative abilities, how it positively impacts your life.  Or, find a better way to be totally focused, utterly creative, and wholly connected. And if you find a better way, let me know -- I'd like to try it out.

{Sidenote: This blog was written immediately after a nice, long run.  Surprise, surprise.}

NaBloPoMo: Why the Truth Matters

Today's blog prompt on NaBloPoMo is just silly: If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?  So, today, I'm picking my own topic: Why the Truth Matters

I started out my morning watching a video from TED.com entitled, "How to Spot a Liar".  

The stats were a little disheartening, though.  I like to think that most of the people that I meet or talk to on a day-to-day basis are honest people.  I like to think that I'm not being lied to up to 200 times a day (stat according to the video).  I like to think that our society has more integrity than that.

Ever since I was a teenager, I've had trouble spotting a liar.  I don't know if this is because I am too trusting or just plain stupid to the fact that people don't always tell the truth.  In fact, I'm so bad at this that I've had certain relationships where I've been lied to for years...only to be utterly shocked when the truth finally comes out.  There have been times where my naivety has had devastating consequences to me and the people around me.

So, what's the solution?  Do I abandon all trust and scrutinize strangers, friends, family, and even my own husband?

In the video, Pamela Meyer claims that a lie requires two people: one person to tell the lie and another person to accept it.  Is this true?  Are we participating in the lie by believing it?  Should we constantly be trying to "spot a liar" in our conversations with strangers, business acquaintances, and friends?

And while I'm not altogether proud of the fact that I'm easy to lie to, I kind of hope it doesn't change.  I like to be trusting of people, and I like to believe that, as Anne Frank put it, "Despite everything ... people are really good at heart."

Yes, I think that's about right: people are good, and I hope I always have that outlook.

Dream Are Only Dreams (...Until They're Not Anymore)

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of being a featured speaker at the Idaho Book Extravaganza.  And while I went there excited to be a part of the event, meet writers and editors, and talk to the community, I left with something more: a deeper appreciation for what accomplishing a goal can mean to a person.

As I met person after person, and heard about their manuscripts and goals, I couldn't help but feel moved.  Here were people who were taking a step toward accomplishing something they'd always wanted to do, people who were brave enough to approach me and tell me their stories.  I noticed how their expressions would change when they started talking about their manuscripts, and I could see that many people were revisiting dreams they'd almost given up on, dreams that are still very, very present.

As I reflected on my many conversations, I couldn't help but wonder: What is it that causes us to move in the opposite direction of our dreams?  Why do we put that half-written manuscript inside a desk that sits in a room no one uses?  Why are we so afraid to talk about the things we desire?

Of course, not everyone wants to write a book.  Other people have different dreams: climbing a summit, backpacking through Europe, doing a triathlon.  But it's not really the type of dream that matters, is it?  The question still remains: Why don't we spend every waking moment moving in the direction of our dreams?  What is it about success that is just so terrifying?

When I was in long distance track in high school, my coach once said to me, "When you run, keep your eyes on the back of the person in front of you.  You naturally move toward the thing you're looking at."

And so it is with goals.  The more we read, talk, think, and write about our dreams, the more likely we are to accomplish them.  We must keep our eyes always forward and our bodies always moving in the direction of our dreams.

After all, if we are always looking forward in anticipation of the prize, aren't we naturally more likely to become victorious?

Be an advocate

Nearly one-third of women in the United States report some kind of abuse by a partner in the last year.  This number is likely extremely low due to the victim mentality that is associated with abusive relationships.  Many victims are too afraid to come forward and expose their abusers due to psychological reasons beyond their control.  In fact, many psychologists relate the mentality of a domestic violence victim to "Stockholm's Syndrome", which occurs when a victim/captive develops a feeling of love or support for their abuser/captor.

Would you be able to recognize a domestic violence situation?  

Friend:

• Bruises (sometimes small, finger-shaped bruises) on upper arms, legs, neck, face, etc.
  
• Repeated and frequent phone calls from partner
  
• Mentions of partner's anger
  
• Missed work
  
• Personality changes
  
• Isolation from friends or family
  

Stranger or neighbor:

• Visibly aggressive arguments
  
• Cowering or fleeing female
  
• Loud yelling or screaming
  
• Thuds, screams, or yelling coming from a neighbor's house
  
• Isolation of certain family members from the rest of the neighborhood
  

Self:

• Controlling partner
  
• Accusations of infidelity without cause
  
• Partner telling you that you are "crazy"
  
• Partner controlling the finances
  
• Partner blames anger on drugs or alcohol
  
• Frequent and repeated phone calls from partner
  
• Constantly having to account for whereabouts
  
• Hitting, slapping, beating
  
• Yelling, screaming, verbally attacking
  
• Partner grabbing arms or legs to cause pain
  
• Partner threatens suicide or self-inflicts to control you
  
• Partner hurts animals, threatens to hurt or kill friends and family if you leave him or her

If someone you know might be in an abusive relationship:

Be aware, document things that you notice, observe the situation.  Even if you are still unsure, try to approach them about it.  Do so when you are alone and free from the embarrassment of disclosure in front of individuals.  If they deny it, continue to "be there" and available - let them know that they can call you anytime, day or night, if they need anything.  Let them know they are not judged.  Give them the national safe number 1.800.799.SAFE

If a stranger or neighbor might be in abusive relationship or domestic confrontation:

DON'T HESITATE - CALL THE POLICE.  They will not know who called, nor should you feel guilty about bringing the police into the situation.  Sometimes all a victim needs is intervention to have the strength to leave.

If you are in an abusive relationship: 

Call the National Safe Hotline 1.800.799.SAFE.  It's anonymous.  They can give you local numbers to seek help.  Get counseling.  When are you are ready, turn to family and friends. They will love you and support you.

...but, really, the most important message is: be an advocate.  Spread the word.  Stop domestic violence.