Struggling with your writing? Maybe you think that you’re not cut out to be an author. Here are some writing tips which will help you to become an author who enjoys writing.
Struggling is over-rated: writing tips to help you to enjoy writing
If I’ve learned anything from my own struggles, it’s that struggling pointless. Struggling doesn’t help your writing — struggling is harmful to your writing.
When you struggle to “write well”, it sucks the life out of your writing.
Try these tips.
1. Use your amazing imagination the right way
You’re an author. You have a great imagination. Unfortunately, your imagination can work against you.
I’ve found this post on mental rehearsal valuable — it works:
Your imagination is powerful. Start mentally rehearsing your writing instead of worrying about it, and imagining that you can’t write a book, or whatever.
Rehearse the task in your mind. Imagine yourself sitting at your writing desk, and writing. You’re having fun, and your writing is going well — your fingers fly across the keyboard. You’re smiling, as solutions to writing challenges magically pop up for you. Imagine yourself creating the perfect solution to a writing challenge.
Do this throughout the day, and it will make all the difference to your writing.
2. Relax — don’t “try to write”, just write
If you find writing a struggle, chances are that you’re “trying” to write. You won’t improve your writing by struggling.
Scientists studying brain scans recently discovered that moments of creativity take place when the mind is at rest rather than working on something. And since creative approaches are so crucial to success, workaholics are working themselves out of a job.
Try this.
Do a relaxation exercise before you write. While you’re writing, relax the space between your eyebrows, and your shoulders. The more you relax, the more your writing will flow.
Meditation has also been found to help your creativity:
Certain meditation techniques can promote creative thinking, even if you have never meditated before. This is the outcome of a study by cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato and Dominique Lippelt at Leiden University, published in Mindfulness.
3. Be in the moment when you write: forget about outcomes
Your writing takes place now, while you’re seated at your computer. Not only does worrying about “writing well”, and publishing your writing destroy your enjoyment in your writing, it destroys your ability to write.
Mindfulness can help.
Yes, I know… Mindfulness is trendy, but does it work?
I can only speak from my own experience. I’ve been practicing Satipatthana (mindfulness) for close to a decade. Although I’m nowhere near enlightened, I’ve found that the more I practice mindfulness, the more relaxed I am while writing, and the more my writing flows.
According to McCutchen, mindfulness can help us to ‘park’ the everyday self before we start writing. Following a guided meditation creates what she calls ‘a conscious writing sanctuary’ where you are better able to draw upon the rich treasures to be mined in your subconscious mind.
I haven’t read Julia McCutchen’s book, Conscious Writing: Discover Your True Voice Through Mindfulness and More, but I’ve downloaded it to my iPad, and I’m looking forward to working with it.
On good days, we authors love what we do. On our bad days, not so much. Try these tips: you’ll have more good days. 🙂
Her sister Catherine believes that Elaine's hair tells you everything that you need to know about her. It's flame-red. When Sir Oliver Destry trifles with Elaine, she decides on revenge. Elaine soon discovers the truth of the old saying that if you want to make the gods laugh, just tell them your plans.
Although he's a prize on the Marriage Mart, wealthy and twice-widowed Lord Delmere thinks that nothing could ever tempt him to marry again. Until he meets the lovely Lady Kingston.
Henry (Henrietta) Eardley makes a huge mistake. Then she makes it worse. She's never known a man like Lord Devernwood, and he's never met a woman like her.
Julia doesn't know whether to be amused or angry when Lord Lyneham decides to find her a husband. He and Julia's cousin take charge of Julia's fortunes. Suddenly, Julia's an heiress and her life changes.
