free writing

August 15, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: INFINITE SOLUTIONS

  Despite the fact that in this blog I give suggestions for dealing with writer's block, and despite the fact that I have an ebook, OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK EASILY, there are not a finite number of solutions to writer's block. (…)

August 12, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: LIST YOUR POINTS

  If there are some things you absolutely want to be sure to cover in whatever you're writing, it's important to write them down before you get started.  Donald M. (…)

July 19, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: LOVE OF WRITING

  I cannot retrieve the past when I could knock out novels quickly.  Nor would I want to.  Rather, what I want is to feel connected more deeply to the novels I do write.  This is the experience I'm having with my new novel. (…)

July 16, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: INSPIRATION AND MOMENTUM

  I'm glad I do not write for a living.  That is, I'm glad I do not make my living as a writer.  I love to write, but I would not want to produce on an external deadline generated by others.  The deadlines I impose on myself are pressure enough. (…)

June 13, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: FREEWRITING AND FLOW

  Flow goes hand in hand with freewriting.  Time dissolves.   Keeping your hand moving no matter what comes out of your pen is essential to freewriting. (…)

June 10, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: NOTICE YOUR INNER CRITICAL VOICE

  The more clutter I have cleared, the more light hearted I have been feeling.  Clearing this clutter has been leaving my mind freer to focus on the now, on the present.  I do not have to see myself as procrastinating in cleaning up clutter  — because I'm not.  There are still things that need to go, but I am scheduling them. (…)

June 1, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: THE PITFALLS OF DOING ONLY FOCUSED WRITING

  I have not talked a great deal about focused writing.  The reason for this is that without writing — that is, freewriting — there is unlikely to be focused writing that is gratifying.  Also, if there is focused writing, it is unlikely to have energy because it will not be coming from our creative selves. (…)

May 29, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: TO OUTLINE OR NOT

  You may be surprised that I'm even suggesting that we write from an outline since I typically talk about freewriting.  Yet the two are not incompatible. (…)

May 2, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: GET OVER YOURSELF

  I can't believe these words, "Get over yourself," have come out of my mouth/pen.  And yet, what could be more true than the need as a writer to "get over yourself."
  Being impressed with yourself or wanting to press others will NOT get the writing job done.  Just get in there, roll up your sleeves, and be willing to have fun writing. (…)

April 29, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: KEEP A NOTEBOOK

  I guess you could say that the suggestion to keep a notebook is  a writing tip.  The notebook can serve as a place for random thoughts, observations, and writings.  It can also serve as an ongoing personal journal. (…)

April 20, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: LET LONELINESS BE AND WRITE

  Last time I was talking about Natalie Goldberg's Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life.  Let me continue with that. (…)

April 17, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: THE POWER OF SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE

  In my last writing coaching group a new person, having joined the group the prior time, submitted her writing to the group.  It was inspiring to see how delighted the person was to get positive feedback about her writing.  Having been stuck for so long, she had come to believe that she did not write well.  In the case of writing, it need not be true that if you don't use it, you'll lose it. (…)

April 14, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: OVERCOMING STRESS WITH ROUTINE

  Stress is inevitable.  Whether self induced or externally induced, without managing stress we are at its mercy.  In my last post I talked about mindfulness as a way of addressing stress.  You may already have an effective way to handle your stress.  No one way can work best for everyone. (…)

April 5, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: OVERCOMING "PERSPIRATION"

  Sometimes I think that we writers believe we MUST suffer.  Without "perspiration" how are we to believe that we have produced a worthy product?  Without "perspiration" how are we to believe that we are truly writers?  The myth of the suffering writer is a long standing belief that is hard to relinquish. (…)

April 2, 2009

• WRITER'S BLOCK: OVERCOMING EDITING FEARS

  One of the important aspects of the editing process is freewriting.  Usually we don't think about editing as involving freewriting.  Yet, in the editing process, we often run into obstacles that prevent us from moving forward.  When that happens, we know from experience that freewriting gets our writing voice active. (…)

March 21, 2009

• TELEGROUPS HELP YOU GROW AS A WRITER

  In my writing coaching telegroup, one of the most valuable aspects is the opportunity to receive positive feedback.  We often underestimate the value of hearing/seeing what we have done right.  In the context of the group, this means what we have written that pleases others. (…)

March 18, 2009

• FREEWRITING IS THINKING

  Often we don't know what we're thinking until we have a conversation with someone, or until we write, freely, uncritically, for no one but us.   This is not necessarily the kind of writing that leads to a finished product.  Nor is that necessarily the intent of the freewriting.  Rather, the goal is to know what we're thinking.  Thinking without writing or talking can lead to rumination, not to new ideas.  One of the reasons conversations can impede the development of new ideas is that we must be aware of who the person is with whom we're talking.  Often they have a point of view that influences our thinking.  Not in the direction we want to go, even if we didn't know that before they spoke.  Not so with freewriting. (…)

March 15, 2009

• FREEWRITING DURING REVISING

  Nothing can be written, usually, without revision, albeit minor revision.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is possible to get  to the point where your freewriting is close to a finished product.  But, when this does not happen and revision is needed, there is still an important place for freewriting. (…)

March 12, 2009

• Freewriting During Revising

  Nothing can be written — usually — without revision, albeit minor revision.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is possible to get to the point where your freewriting is close to a finished product.  But, when this does not happen and revision is needed, there is still an important place for freewriting. (…)

March 9, 2009

• Write to Someone and Write More

  It is a basic human need to have conversation.  yet, often conversation can move so quickly that we don't get a chance to know what we're thinking or learning.  Sometimes the conversation gets off on a topic we didn't expect nor does it hold interest for us.  Sometimes the conversation becomes emotional and forward thinking is interrupted. (…)