Sweat Out Writing Stress...

 

Sweat out the stress...

 

Stress is basically a whisper from your body that you need to move. Your mind is overloaded, and your limbs are saying, "That's enough, brain. Let me take over from here."

 

Many people ignore that cue, and you shouldn't. Oftentimes, what feels like issues that have no resolution will find answers once you physically tire yourself out.

 

I don't mean to say that the only way to work out is hitting some sort of sterile gym. Before such places ever existed, people did housework, worked in their yards, and played with their pets or family members, vacuuming, raking, running and playing, to achieve a calmer, more centered state of mind, and a better organized world to boot. Bonus!

 

This Friday, as the week's stressors have accumulated, I remind you all of this crucial aspect of writing that is so often ignored. If you're feeling overwhelmed today, X out that browser, put your computer to sleep, get up and get active. Your mind will work on its problems in the subconscious state as you consciously move those muscles, mopping a floor, raking a garden, or throwing a ball and having a laugh. 

 

Never see physical activity as a deterrent to writing. It's your partner in a successful career. 

 

Remember: You can't write on life if you don't live one, in a symbiotic way with the world around you, and in moderation, in all things. Without the physical along with the mental, your being and your writing will not thrive.

 

Now, get up, go out, and let's doo eet!

The 5 Minute Writing Mindset Game...

 

Photo Adelaide Club

Not writing at all? Try this exercise:

 

When it's your time to write, sit down in front of your pad of paper or keyboard, start a timer for 5 minutes, and just sit there, doing nothing. You can drink a coffee if you wish, but do nothing else.

 

Once the 5 minutes are up, get up, and go about the rest of your day.

 

Tomorrow, at the same time, do the same thing, BUT ADD ONE MORE MINUTE to those 5, and now sit there for 6 minutes.

 

Keep doing this every day you don't write, adding a minute more, until you DO write. Even just ONE WORD. That word you plunk down could simply be the word, "the."

 

Every day after that first word day, write TWO WORDS. If you don't, you must start the 5-minute wait game all over again.

 

You think this is silly? That's cool. Do it anyways. Follow me. 

 

And once you have undertaken this process, come back here to tell us your experience with it.

 

We must retrain your brain to remove all the process doubts and fears. 

To be a habitual/prolific writer does NOT happen overnight, and not without mental work.

 

Trust me. Follow me. Try it.

Book Outlines - Scene Cards an Option...

 

How many of you have made up an outline for your book? If you have,

 

Have you considered writing scene cards over any other method? 

 

Scene cards can be switched around far easier than chapters written on a piece of paper, and your mind's eye will better view your tale in a single moment in time, holistically, over mere linear or numerical.

 

I will talk in a later post how to use scene cards, but for now...

 

Tell us what issues have've had in storyboard creation? Comment below.

Writer's Block Doesn't Exist - Follow Me...

 

Have you tried everything to write and nothing has worked? 

• Seminars
• Writers groups
• How-To books
• Drooling in a fetal position under your desk
  

 Well, before you can surmount an obstacle, you need to know why it exists in the first place. 

There is no such thing as Writer's Block — if you know who you are as an artist, and what makes you tick. I'm here to show you, to you.

I've helped many others in the decade+ years I led a writers process group, so I know I can help you. Follow me.

Comment below, and tell me your stories of writer woe.

Cartoons of the Unfinished...