One of the big reasons writers procrastinate and postpone their writing (aka choose to stay blocked) is the idea of exposing something vulnerable about yourself to the world.
Notice those moments.
When you think of an idea and get excited about it but then, all of a sudden, you go “you know what… I think I’ll leave this for tomorrow...”
What exactly happened in the space between the two moments?
How did you get from excitement to resignation?
Often, it is because in the process of developing the idea in your mind, you encountered a subject that might make you uncomfortable.
A subject that you know you could just write cliche stuff about, but you also know that would suck. And what you really should do is get honest about it and face it yourself.
But… that might hurt. That might mean you’d need to face some painful or uncomfortable truths about yourself, about your relationships, about the world.
When you notice that feeling, don’t push it aside. Don’t run away.
Stay with it.
Let it be.
Learn to be okay with your discomfort because that is the only way to get to the truth.
Learn to appreciate seeing the truth more than staying comfortable in the illusion.
"What will xyz think?"
As soon as you realise this topic makes you uncomfortable and you need to face it, you might start to think, “I would be okay with dealing with this topic myself, but what will xyz think…”
You may think of your parents, schoolmates, teachers, relatives, friends and former friends, acquaintances… Everyone and anyone.
Anyone who might be connected to that topic in your life. Anyone who might think something about you if you write that.
Don't fall for this trap, set up by the part of your mind that doesn't want you to write. The truth is, fear over what other people might think is just another discomfort you need to accept. And the magic of it is the more you just allow it to be, the less power it will have over you.
So stay with it. Let it be.
And recognise both of these for what they truly are: Strategies to prevent you from actually writing anything raw and honest.
The only way out is through
I've talked about this last week, but it applies to this week's topic as well.
Any time we encounter discomfort, there is a part of us that believes this discomfort means we need to avoid writing this. We believe discomfort means we need to turn around and choose a different path.
But actually, it's the opposite.
It is precisely because you feel discomfort that you need to write that story.
This is the idea you need to pursue.
Discomfort is not a sign you are on the wrong path. It's often the sign you are on the right one.
(And if you have a story where you don’t feel any discomfort, that's usually a sign you're playing it safe.)
Mini challenge
You know I like to include some prompts or practical tips for homeplay at the end of my letters. Here's this week's:
- Journal on the following questions:
- What is the strongest conflict in my life currently?
- What is the one thing I am struggling to accept/digest/get over/deal with in my life?
- What truth am I avoiding?
- You might see some themes emerging. For each, brainstorm about how you might translate that into creative writing. Can different characters represent two extreme positions about something? Are there any mythical beings or archetype roles that come to mind, related to these themes? What metaphors would describe how you are feeling?
- And of course, since this is not about therapy writing, but creative writing craft, choose an idea that resonates with you the most right now (maybe the one that makes your stomach squirm the most) and see how you can uplevel it: Turn the notch all the way up. Bring up the extremes. Raise the stakes. Choose the worst possible protagonist to deal with this situation. See where it takes you.
Hopefully, that sounds fun. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
It doesn't take much to just write.
But it takes great courage to write meaningful stories.
I know you can do it.
See you next week,
Katja
Thank you for being here.
If you're a writer who'd love some personalised support with your project, check out my 1:1 offerings.
If you want to dive into the craft of compelling plot twists, I invite you to check out the Plot Twist Magic workshop.
And if you'd like to join me in deep dives into various aspects of the writing craft, join me on YouTube.
See you next week!
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