One Way to Solve Your Writing Problems

 

Ever had a day in your writing world that makes you feel like walking away, never to return? We've all experienced those times when nothing goes right and we become frustrated and dejected, maybe even angry.

Negative thoughts rumble through our minds. Why did I ever think I could write? Who is going to read this drivel of mine? Will I ever get an acceptance after submitting? Why won't this story work right? And many more. 

Before the day is over, we decide we are quitting. No more struggling along our writing journey. No more searching for ideas and inspiration to write. No more getting stalled in the middle of a story. No more searching for markets. No more worrying that what I write is drivel. No more...

The list can go on and on. Days like those cited above are the times when we are on the verge of quitting this writing game. If it's happened to you, you are not alone. When things go right, we're happy to be a writer, but when they don't, why not just give up? 

Our poster today gives us some good advice to use when we are in that 'I quit' mode. It says 'When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.' That's a WOW! 

Step away from writing for a few days and give thought to the reasons you started writing. Maybe it was only months ago, more likely years. Think about what led you to the writing world, what excited you about the craft, what made you want to continue. What, or who, inspired you? Why were you willing to give up part of your social life to write? 

After some thinking time, make a list of the positives and negatives of your writing life, or maybe title your list Pros and Cons of My Writing World. I hope the positive, or pro, side is the longer list. 

Maybe your memories of why you started writing in the first place will inspire you to keep going. Attitude plays a role here, too. If you are willing to work on the problem areas with the thought that things will improve, you're halfway there. If you dwell on the dark areas, you could sink deeper. 

Don't only consider the way you started writing, but also where you want to go. To get there, you'll need to work on the areas that have been problems for you. They aren't going to magically correct themselves. You are the one who has to do that. When we start writing, we're a little scared, but also excited. Recapture some of that excitement and keep moving ahead. 

Writing a First Draft

 

I've got an idea for a story to send to a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I've been trying to get a first draft written, but I get a few paragraphs and then decide it is no good. Quit. Start again another day. I realized yesterday that I should have finished each of those first attempts. Get a full first draft done and then revise after it sits for a few days.

The poster today tells us that the first draft is just a working piece to help you create a strong finished story. Some writers end up with multiple first drafts for one story idea. Is that wrong? No. You do whatever works for you. You might snip this and that from each draft and weave them together for the final one. 

There are times when we write a first draft that is almost a finished product. We only need a few minor edits. It happens, but I can't say I've done it a majority of the time. I think the kind of of first draft that needs little editing comes when we work on the story idea in our mind for a fair amount of time. It's one reason we find it hard to fall asleep at night. In the quiet darkness of our bedroom, we can sift and sort the story idea mentally for....often too long a time. 

Work on that idea in your head while doing household tasks that don't require much mental effort on your part. Unloading the dishwasher takes little mental acuity. Grab a dish or two and keep working on the idea in your head.

I have read a good many quotes by writers about first drafts. That should tell us the importance of writing one. No writer should sit down at a keyboard, write the story, and submit to a publisher all in one fell swoop. Nope. You need to go through this process step by step.

Write a first draft.

Let it sit for a few days.

Proofread, edit, and revise

Let it sit a little longer.'

Do a final edit.

Let it sit another day or two, then submit.

This all comes down to taking time to write what was once only an idea in your mind. Don't rush! Remember in school when you rushed to write a paper last minute? Was it your best work? Probably not. 

Never negate the importance of the first draft. It is the beginning of the process which leads to a finished product. 

Writers--Never Give Up

 

Today's quote can be condensed into those final three words. Never give up. If you have a plan for your writing journey, you keep moving along the path. You continue learning and writing and rewriting and submitting. You're skipping along with the sun shining and all is well with your writing world.

That's a nice scenario, but a writing journey rarely goes exactly that way. You are going to meet bumps in the road now and then. Sometimes, it feels as if you are hitting one after another. All you end up getting is discouraged. 

When those problems arise, like a piece you felt was excellent that comes back with a rejection, you feel like someone lassoed you and held on tight.  Remember when your children were toddlers and they sat down in the grocery aisle crying? That's what you'd like to do, isn't it? I fear no one would come to soothe you. Instead, they might call the manager and ask to have you removed. So, that is not a solution. 

Hit enough of the bumps in the road, and you're likely to tell yourself you can't take much more. You're done writing forever. The quote tells you to 'go over, under, around, or through.' You can find ways to meet that hitch in your writing life if you don't give up. 

Give up, and all is lost. Consider all that you have put into your writing journey. The hours and the worry, the editing and revising. the time spent finding markets, and the submitting process. Do you really want to stop? Remember that you had the passion once to do all the things mentioned. You can find that desire again as long as you don't give up. 

It might take some time off to help you have the desire to write again, along with some thoughts about your successes and what it is that you loved about the writing process. Did creating something from nothing feel exciting? If it did once, it can do so again. Did you enjoy editing to perfect that first draft? I find it a rather satisfying process. Were you thrilled when you sold a story or poem or essay? Wouldn't you love to experience that feeling again? 

You can try making two lists on one sheet of paper, the Pro and the Con of your writing world. Which one is the longest? That should tell you something.

When problems arise, go over, under, around, or through, but please don't give up. You're part of my writing world just as I am part of yours. I don't want to lose you. 

Writing's Not All Fun

 

If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.  An amusing quote for sure, but we can find some wisdom in it, too. 

If a writer hopes to be published, he/she keeps that dream front and center but sometimes becomes discouraged with all it takes to reach it. Things like: reading about the craft of writing, doing writing exercises, attending conferences and workshops, talking with other writers, editing and revising, and more. He/she also needs patience and perseverance. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that these are my two keywords, ones I've kept foremost in my mind as I've moved along my writing journey.

So yes, there are many parts of writing that we must put up with in order to reach that glorious goal of being published. Somewhere! Anywhere! Regularly! Doing the practical parts like exercises and editing is not as exciting as finding a story idea and running with it. That's when we feel inspired. Keep in mind that it takes many parts to make a whole. You cannot do only the ones that you like and skip the others. You'll never reach that 'whole' by doing that. 

You also aren't going to be able to reach the rainbow unless you practice both patience and perseverance. It takes time to become a published writer, so be willing to invest a lot of that precious item. The perseverance part comes in when you get batted down with one rejection after another. That's when you must not give up, when you must keep working at being a better writer, and when you need to learn how to select a market that fits your writing. 

Sure, a lot of that 'rain' falls upon us as we work our way through the writing path we've chosen. If you keep working at it, you'll begin to find that rainbow that you've dreamed about for a long time. 

Writers and Rainy Days

 

People want to become writers because they have a deep feeling for the written word. And perhaps because they want to share something special with others, the readers. There is a passion that spurs them on. 

They dream about the stories and essays and poems they will write. They also dream of becoming a successful writer. It's their personal rainbow. 

As the poster tells us, to get there you need to put up with the rain. There will be a time when you feel like rejections are 'raining' down on you. Or you run into a problem area in a story and can't seem to find the key that will be the solution. Some writers have terrific success with one piece of writing, but they can't seem to equal the same kind of writing again. 

When a writer feels depressed over his/her work, it surely must feel like sitting out in cold rain with no rainbow in sight. 

When a writer lives in fear that the readers won't like his/her work, those same 'sitting in the rain' feelings can take over. What happens when you are out in cold rain, getting drenched? You shiver and shake and can think of nothing but getting to shelter and dry clothes. The rainbow you once strived for seems farther and farther away. 

There is hope in all of this. Every writer who goes through these rainy periods on their writing journey and keeps going will become a better writer. And, he/she will appreciate the rainbow days all the more. 

Achievement in your writing world does not come easy. There are obstacles along the way. There is hard work involved. Your desire to write has to be strong so that you'll push through those rainy days toward sunshine.

6 Ways for Writers to Boost Self-confidence

 

It stands to reason that if you make a habit of doubting your ability as a writer, you're going to squeeze your creativity dry. 

What makes us doubt our writing capabilities? I once interviewed several over age 50 writers about why they waited so long. A few of the writers told me that a teacher in high school or college had criticized something they had written, and the desire to write shut down for many years. Thankfully, they all did begin writing during middle-age, became published in small publications or large, and continued writing as they grew older. Wouldn't it have been better if those teachers had first pointed out what they liked about the person's essay or story, then showed them how it might be better? 

I'm an example in another field--art. In college, I had to take a class called Art for the Exceptional Child. I was a Special Education major, and this was a required class. One day, we were given a lump of clay and directions on creating something artistic. I struggled but finished. The instructor looked at my effort and, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, said, "That would be fine if a blind child had done it." Needless to say, I have never forgotten her exact words, and I have a mental block concerning all art to this day. 

The same thing happened to me when I was around 9 years old and asked my grandmother to teach me to crochet. I admired the lovely things she made with her crochet needles. As I stood next to her, the needles never stopped as she said, "No, you're much too clumsy." I never learned to knit or crochet anything! Wouldn't it have been better for her to tell me she would teach me when I was a little older? I wouldn't have felt like an idiot and had something to look forward to. 

So, yes, others can be responsible for our self-doubt. We can also be the one to feed our lack of confidence in our writing ability. I excelled in English classes all through school, so I felt confident that, while I couldn't be an artist, or do special handiwork like my grandmother, I could write. Writing was the art I most wanted to pursue, and I knew I could be successful mostly because I believed it and continued to have a positive attitude. I also realized that it wasn't going to happen overnight, that I had to work at being a writer.

The rejections we have all received don't do a lot to boost our self-confidence. In fact, we need to fight to keep a positive outlook and to find a lesson in the rejections that will help us be better writers. Once we get a few acceptances, a lot of our self-doubt disappears, and we want to keep writing. 

To develop more self-confidence as a writer you should:

1. forget about teachers and other adults who criticized your writing long ago. They are one person.
2. concentrate on the positives in your writing journey, not the bumps in the road.
3. continue learning about the craft of writing through reading, conferences, and visiting with other writers,
4. practice writing on a regular basis.
5. do writing exercises.
6. count all the good things that have happened to you as a writer.

Don't Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

The photo above was taken north of Manhattan, KS, where I live. I used it today to share a bit of the beauty of the Flint Hills with you.

Today's topic is not the rolling hills and prairie grasses. It's writers being redundant. I'm an avid reader, and so often I will be engrossed in a story when I come across a paragraph that tells me something I've already been told. It irritates me when it happens more than once. 

I feel like the writer doesn't think I'm intelligent enough to understand what he/she said the first time. It's common knowledge that we learn by repetition, but there's no reason to hammer the reader over the head as if to say Get this! by repeating the same information. How many times do I need to be told that Glenna hated her father'? Or that Susannah loved beautiful rings? It's often the little things that are told again and again, not the major points in the story. 

I read a book by a very successful author several months ago. The basic story was a good one, but the writer said the same things over and over and over until I thought I would scream. I ended up reading the last chapter to see what happened to the protagonist and vowed never to read another book written by the same person. What is difficult for other writers to accept is that this author gets published on a regular basis. Hard to understand.

Another form shows up when writers are redundant within one paragraph. They will say something, then two sentences later, they make the same point with different words. Give your reader some credit. They do not need to be told the same thing twice, even if you don't use the exact same words. 

Repeating the same word numerous times in one paragraph makes for some boring reading. It's so easy for the writer to do this without even realizing it. The key here is to watch for word repetition when you edit. It's something that often stands out when I am critiquing the work of someone else. We see problems like this in the work of other writers far more easily than when rereading our own writing. 

When we're engrossed in the subject we're writing about, we don't pay much attention to the number of times we use those passive verbs like is, was, were and others in that family. Redundant, yes, but also makes for boring sentences. Of course, you'll use these verbs often, but, as you edit, replace as many as possible with action verbs. You'll lessen the repetition but also have stronger, more interesting sentences. 

If you're writing an article about a tourist spot like a cathedral or a vegetable gardener, it's difficult to keep from using the keyword numerous times. You can't always avoid it, but work on using synonyms rather than repeating the same keyword over and over. Or consider a pronoun occasionally, just not too often. 

Being aware and watching for redundancies are habits every writer needs to develop. We all do some of the practices written about here today, but recognizing that we do is step one to improving.

The next time you're reading a novel, enjoy the story but watch for repetition. You might be surprised at how often it occurs. 

Lazy Writing

Do you know any lazy writers? Perhaps you are one yourself. The first step is to admit that yes, you are a lazy writer once in a while or maybe quite often or even all the time. Before anyone accuses me of pointing a finger at others while playing Miss Innocent, I will admit that, at times, I have also practiced lazy writing.

We don't do it by choice; it can happen without our even realizing it. What, you might ask, is considered lazy writing? 

Lazy writing...

Using cliches or idioms:  It's so much easier to reach out and pluck a cliche to use when we want to make a point. If a cliche comes to mind first, come to a screeching halt and ask yourself what you can use to replace it with something fresher and not so well-known.

Stereotypical characters:  Beginning writers often create characters like the ones they've read about for years. The typical dumb blonde, bumbling detective or perfect mother. It's easy to recreate these kinds of characters. It's much harder to come up with someone totally different.

Proofreading:  The lazy writer doesn't bother with proofreading. 'Nuff said!

Careless with words:  If you let words like stuff, things, often creep into your writing on a regular basis, your reader gets irritated. Take time to replace these words with ones that have real meaning in regard to what you are writing.

Weak verbs:  Using passive verbs like is, are, was or plunking down went or got is the epitome of lazy writing. Take the time to find active verbs. I read a sentence the other day that used was three times. A big no-no.

Repeating words:  Repeating words close together becomes noticeable and is also boring. If you use a word like car in a sentence, then continue to talk about same in the next sentence, change car to vehicle. It's easy to catch when you proofread or read your work aloud.

Procrastination:  We can certainly identify the lazy writer as one who delays writing for various, and usually unimportant, reasons.

Telling, not showing:  We all know that telling a reader about a character's thoughts is a heck of a lot easier than showing the same. It's also faster. And also not nearly as interesting.

Find a good thing and use it too often:  Sometimes, writers find a small quirk to identify their character. Maybe a young woman pulls at her earlobe when she is upset. Use it but not constantly. Find something else to show that she's upset. The reader will become bored or irritated--yeah, we know she does this.

Most of us have been guilty of doing one or more of the things I've listed. We're writers, but we're also humans. Humans have failings. The good thing is that, once we recognize our failings in our writing world, we can correct them Correct the problems and guess what? We are suddenly better writers. It's never too late to make a change.