Tag: stuck

6 Tools to Get You Writing: Which Do You Need Most?

Posted on by Joel D Canfield
A wrap up of 6 tools to get you writing instead of whimpering in the fetal position on the closet floor.

Resistance the AmygdalaHere they are again:

  1. Environment—Make the place you create your art a place you enjoy being.
  2. Schedule—Habit and ritual give you power when courting the Muse.
  3. Timer—You can do anything for 5 minutes.
  4. Prewriting—Starting comes before finishing.
  5. SMART Goals—You know what they are, but you don’t use them in your writing—yet.
  6. Finding Why—Knowing your true motivation for writing and keeping it top of mind is like having motivation on tap.

Does one of them jump out as something you could really use? Do any seem simplistic, pointless, wrong? What’s missing?

I’d love to offer some free coaching in the comments below. Answer any of those questions or ask any of your own, and I’ll spend however long it takes to help you use those tools to get yourself writing.

Finding Why (#6 of 6 Tools to Get You Writing)

Posted on by Joel D Canfield
#6 of 6 tools to get you writing instead of whimpering in the fetal position on the closet floor.

It’s easy to lose track of why you wanted to be a writer in the first place. If you have vague dreams of fame or fortune, those won’t keep you going, especially when they don’t materialize quickly.

While we’d all love to be rich and famous, I don’t think that’s why you write. It’s not why I write.

I write because I love the feel of words. I write because I have feelings which are clarified only when I find words to put them in. I have ideas which might benefit others. I have questions.

I believe writing takes the vague, wandering abstracts out of my head and makes them clear, understandable things I can look at and play with. I believe it helps me decide whether they should remain part of my life or be forgotten in the drawer.

… more … “Finding Why (#6 of 6 Tools to Get You Writing)”

SMART Goals (#5 of 6 Tools to Get You Writing)

Posted on by Joel D Canfield
#5 of 6 tools to get you writing instead of whimpering in the fetal position on the closet floor.

If you don’t know where you’re going, not only will it be harder to get there, you may not know you’ve arrived.

Business folk all know about SMART goals. They know you never begin something without those SMART goals.

A simple Google search will provide endless results, including the fact that everyone has their own version. I’ll provide a brief review here using the version I like best.

Goals should be:

… more … “SMART Goals (#5 of 6 Tools to Get You Writing)”