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| Ready for Writing Your Novel? Common Concerns ☕️ 💗
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November 5, 2021
Oakland, CA
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| | | You're sitting down to work on your novel and you stare at the black screen or blank page with no ideas.
Or maybe you know what you want to write, you just can't bring yourself to go for it.
Maybe you don't know enough about your story. If only you did more research or brainstorming.
Do you see yourself in these scenarios?
Or maybe you experience other stumbling blocks to writing your novel.
Here's some of the common concerns I've encountered, either in myself or with the hundreds of students and clients I've helped over the last 20+ years of working with fiction writers.
Perfectionism… OMG. This one sneaks up and freezes me. My self talk goes something like this:
I don't know what I'm doing. What if no one likes it? I'm nuts to walk this new path. What if I risk it all and fail?
When I realize I'm slipping down a fear spiral, I pull out my Mission Impossible mantra:
Your mission -- should you choose to accept it -- is to write crap.
After all, this is the first draft. Or the discovery draft, depending if you’re a pantser or plotter. (It's a bit of both for me as I do some planning but not in as great detail as others. I need to discover the story as I write.)
Once you have something written you can edit and revise. Later. Once the first draft is done. All the way done.
I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper. ~ Steve Martin
How do I know my creative process?
If you've never written a novel before, you won’t know your process until you get in there and experience it for yourself.
Now is the time to be brave, have courage, and experiment.
See #1. Your job is to write a sloppy first draft.
I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter. ~ James Michener
How do I do the famous BIC (BUTT IN CHAIR)?
Sometimes getting started is the hardest thing.
Both Ezra and I have this challenge. Even after having written over a dozen novels each.
So we both use timed writing tools.
My favorite: I like to set the timer for 20 minutes. Or if that feels too daunting some days, I start with a 5-minute journal entry to express all my rambling thoughts and to get focused on whatever is next.
Ezra likes to tell himself: Just write 50 words. He inevitably ends up writing at least a few pages, even more, like 1,000 words. But he doesn't pressure himself.
Some writers do a mind map or List of 20 ideas.
Use whatever brainstorming method that is easy, fun, gets your creative juices flowing, has you jumping with excitement. Etc.
You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence. ~ Octavia E. Butler
What do I do if the blank page mocks me? (Blank-page-itis)
I recommend you review your story plan or outline. There may be holes that your subconscious is nudging you about.
Ask yourself: What questions do I have about my story?
Jot down your ideas or just ruminate on them.
Often the blank page mocks us when there’s something challenging inside our story, usually a difficult emotion to incorporate.
Start with breathing. It's going to be okay. You got this. You are the perfect vessel to tell this story. All your life experience brings you to this moment. Breathe. And gently face the emotion that is welling.
How can you channel those feelings into your character? Go.
Writing is a process, a journey into memory and the soul. ~Isabel Allende
I really want to do Nanowrimo, but I'm too tired…
I hear you. I cannot write late at night, usually, though Ezra can.
I'm actually a midday writer, so usually write after lunch.
Some writers get up early to get in their words.
Some put in 2-3 short writing stints during the day, even while waiting in line or waiting for their kid's sports game to finish.
Writing is really a way of thinking — not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet. ~Toni Morisson
What are your concerns when you sit down to write your novel? Hit reply and let me know!
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| | Need support with writing your novel?
Then check out a self-coaching guide to writing your book The Writer's Adventure Guide course. Self-paced, there's an option for 1-1 live support from me too.
"[This program] motivated me to get back to writing regularly and proceed on a novel idea that's been on my mind for the past two years!" - Carolyn Robinson Author
This 12-lesson course gives you tips and tools for keeping an eye on your inner landscape so you can achieve your goal of writing a book.
Not sure if the course is right for you? Then check out the free
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Have a happy and creative week!
All my best,
Beth
What are you watching, reading, or listening to? Hit reply and let me know! |
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| | | | You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!
Now in its 15th year, this newsletter is a service of my coaching and consulting business, helping genre fiction writers write, market, and publish their books through courses, coaching & consulting, NLP sessions, a 12-month group program, and books to the delight of their readers.
You may share this content intact and with no changes with this attribution:
c. 2006-2021 Beth Barany, Creativity Coach for Writers, www.BethBarany.com
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| ABOUT BETH BARANY
Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker, who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.
Beth speaks to groups locally, online, and internationally. For more details and how to book, go here.
Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment.
Want a course to help you prepare to write your novel? Discover the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here, Beth offers alongside her co-teachers.
She's also an award-winning novelist and writes magical tales of romance, adventure, and mystery to empower women and girls to be the heroes in their own lives.
beth@bethbarany.com
Barany School of Fiction
Writer's Fun Zone blog
Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany
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