Ok, so I've taken the bull by the horns and chosen probably the most difficult, at least for me, option for this week's theme. I am flying blind as I have not even glanced at my previous journals, and embarking across a dangerous sky, bouyant in the face of impromptu DAILY writing!!
I chose this challenge because it is one of the areas in writing where I need the most 'push', the most discipline, and the most encouragment. For the next few days I will be making daily posts, focusing on my challenges as a writer, not just with the posts and themes I need to catch up on but also with the inner workings of my writers brain. Exploring what it is that keeps me from writing, what makes me think my writing must be perfect or not exist at all, and my fear of failure which leads me to the unfortunate outcome of not even really trying.
What is it that keeps me from finishing those story/book ideas? Is it true that I can come up with a good begining, ending and a few catchy scenes but have no idea how to connect them all? Is it simply that my scattered ADD brain gets too bored once the excitement peters out? Or does it always come back to the final thought - maybe if I actually finish it and put it out there - no one will like it and my dream of being published will be horribly crushed. This is what I need to know. Why? Because my grandmother always said "Knowing is half the battle," and this is a battle I really want to win. A battle I think I'm finally ready to take on. If I can get half way there in two weeks - I'll have a month long vacation to finally battle the beast, or at least devise a strategy with which to cause it great physical pain and maybe it will simply run away. Maybe......
"Exploring what it is that keeps me from writing, what makes me think my writing must be perfect or not exist at all, and my fear of failure which leads me to the unfortunate outcome of not even really trying. "
ReplyDeleteThat certainly was a problem I had for many many years, so this sounds very familiar all around. What broke the grip of these thoughts on me was an extremely unpleasant life circumstance I would wish on no one, but almost as soon as it occurred, I knew without any doubt that I needed to 'make it go away' by writing it away, by inventing a story with a different outcome.
Never looked back!
I can actually see where that would be helpful, and I understand the part of unpleasant life experiences in my own way - I swear sometimes reincarnation had too many souls and not enough bodies so I had to live a life filled with enough crap for three people. Good thing the great stuff was tripled as well.
ReplyDeleteYou have given me a good idea (which is wonderful no matter its source) - to rewrite my history, or at least pieces of it. I am familiar with the material and although I don't have any issues with my past as it has brought me to where I am now, it may be fun to go back through and do some 'editing' (so to speak). I think I'll give that a whirl once I am done with classes. THANKS!