Advice on Writing (Part 2)
When to write, the importance of being idle, and overcoming distractions.
I’ve been active on Threads these days, which seems to have a vast community of writers and readers, both new and seasoned veterans. Reading conversations over there has spurred me to talk more about the craft and what I have discovered in my long and variable journey with the venture.
As I’ve elaborated in my previous post on Advice on Writing, most of this will simply be a gentle reminder, which we all need sometimes. I hope this piece finds you at the right time.
Life is messy, demanding, and at times, heartbreaking. It will never be the perfect time to write (sorry).
Writing helps us in so many ways. It’s therapy, it’s a creative outlet, it’s a way for us to connect with ourselves, and we hope it will connect us with others. However, it’s also plain hard work. I couldn’t tell you what kind of forces are at play with this hobby, but after a long day of writing, I am exhausted and looking forward to doing something else.
All of us hope the activity will find us when we are feeling amazing, inspired, connected to our muse. This will come, eventually, but it will not be this way all the time. In fact, these moments are few and far between for me. That’s okay! That just makes the flow state more magical. Those moments are a gift, and I treat them as such, hoping my quiet love and appreciation for the magic will serve as an invitation for its return.
Write when you’re compelled to, and even if you’re not, show up! If I waited for support in my life to do anything, I wouldn’t have done anything at all. If I waited for inspiration to be at peak before creating, I would have never made anything at all. It’s okay to be treading water while you’re making what you’re making.
Often, we see other writers and creators that appear to be leaps and bounds ahead of us. Maybe they always post on time, or have incredible subscriber stats, or are able to make a living off of their craft, all while maintaining a life with kids, marriage, another job, etc. Don’t let them fool you. The life people portray online is illusory. Pardon my bad manners, but everybody’s shit stinks! We are finite resources. When you’re struggling, please know that there are others just like you, and you can make the thing you want to make, even when you’re uninspired and burnt out. It most likely won’t be the perfect time to do what you want. Do it anyway, and perfect it later on.
A writer is always working, even while they’re idle.
We are a results-obsessed society. Our parents put pressure on us, and then our teachers put pressure on us, and then our bosses put pressure on us. We have glorified production, no matter the cost to our health, wellbeing, and personal lives (gee whose idea was that, could it be all these shareholders maybe *cough*). So, naturally, we have unconsciously adopted the habit of beating ourselves up for not being productive, where productivity means constant exertion. As writers, productivity is going to look like something different, because what we’re making goes beyond spreadsheets, and is not as tangible as other professions. It’s hard to see it from this angle, but you are actually doing quite a lot while you’re in bed, listening to music, or watching your favorite movie. We’ve forgotten, or we never knew, that the void space is the birth of all creation. A militant lifestyle is good for many things. It’s not good for creativity.
However, there is one thing having a regimented life will help you with, and that is the time management skills that will generate more time for yourself, more time for contemplation, and more time for tuning into the next piece that wants to be written. It’s about making space for what is meant to happen. You might not know what that is yet, make the space anyway.
Don’t let your boss fool you - there is a utility to being idle. Time management is key to being idle, and therefore instrumental to creative pursuits.
So, take many steps back to get an aerial view of your work week and develop a strategy. You’d be surprised to find out how effective small adjustments are in generating a lot of extra time.
Set boundaries. The war against distractions is unrelenting.
Creating space for your writing with effective time management ties into fighting the riptide of distractions, as even if you’re distracted, you can still overcome it if you managed to block out enough time to plow through notifications, emails, texts, and basic life maintenance. Setting boundaries is crucial to your writing goals, and I’m going to ask you to get a little stubborn about it… a little mean about it. You will have to be selfish with the three hours of time that you worked hard to create for yourself. Put your foot down. This is your permission slip, and if someone complains about this you can throw me under the bus.
“Kerry said I needed to do this. Now, not later.”
“…….who tf is Kerry?”
Take the path of least resistance.
Be at peace with what wants to be written. Right now I want to be knee deep in the next chapter of my WIP. The characters are set, I know how it begins, and how it ends. But for some reason what my brain decided to fixate on today was the void and expanding my section On Writing. It has been a while since I’ve written about writing, and I have run into many novice writers over past few weeks. Why fight it? Chances are, your intuition knows best, and your subconscious picked up on something that you missed. Follow it. What’s worse than not making progress on a project is not making progress at all.
There’s no utility to shame.
At one point we reread something we’ve written, either published or fresh on the page, and absolutely hate it. This is normal, so let yourself feel this way, but then let it pass over you. Chances are, you’re in this for the long game. When you made it from point A to point J, you had to go through B, C, D, E… why carry shame about the necessary stepping stones it took to become a better writer? Would you shame yourself for not knowing how to tie your shoes at one point? No. This is one of the exciting parts, although it might not feel that way- which is the journey through the experience, the landscape of Metanoia, as I call it. There are high mountains, and there are low valleys in this pursuit. Every day will ask something different from you, and with that so will the quality of your writing. Shame stops the creative process altogether, and so how will you improve if you’re caught up in that valley?
Not all advice is good advice.
I know, a bit ironic. I agree with what
expresses in this note:What I think is hinted at here is that some writing advice is actually marketing advice. A guide on how to be a living, breathing, advertisement (amongst other things) and well, you all know how I feel about that.
I would also add that a lot of advice circulating the internet, and even in some classes, is unrealistic. Magical thinking is an issue in some communities on Threads, Instagram, YouTube, etc., and as nice as some of it sounds, these things might do more harm than good. Recently I stumbled upon a writer tying to tell their audience that they should only write when they are feeling powerful, magnetic, so that it makes the most impact. One can only be so lucky, and as I’ve already shared, it’s okay to be treading water while you’re making what you’re making. So, take everything with a grain of salt. The truth is that only you can determine what works best for you, and what doesn’t. You choose the topic, set the pace, build the foundation. Trust yourself.
Q&A: I asked you what you would like help with.
would like to know:How do you ask engaging questions in your writing?
It’s hard to answer this question without any context, but I think a no-brainer answer is to simply know your audience, and have your inquiry get to the root. If you want more engagement with your publication overall, consider how you can appeal to the human experience. I have found vulnerability gives something readers to connect to, and at times gets them thinking, ultimately encouraging your followers to want to share their thoughts and their experiences. Often, readers respond to the the material that’s the hardest to share. I think that people want something they can relate to, and they want the opportunity to express something that is dormant. A surefire way to get people talking it to share something that is controversial. I only recommend this if you can do it without sowing division.
An anonymous Threader would like to know:
What’s your preferred software for manuscript writing?
Scrivener! I find that it has a vast bucket system that helps me organize large, complex projects.
Do you have any questions related to writing? Let me know in the comments.
Why does a writer always wear glasses? Because they need to "focus" on their characters. 😂😎
Awesome post and thank you for the advice.