“There are two of you–one who wants to write and one who doesn’t. The one who wants to write better keep tricking the one who doesn’t.” ~ via The Writing Reader
To Write or Not to Write?
That is the question many writers face, especially when feeling “forced” to produce words when under deadline or during special challenges, like NaNoWriMo.
The “To write or not to write” syndrome is akin to the conflict in Nickelodeon’s CatDog cartoon, which features a main character that is half cat and half dog (and all the opposing traits that each creature possesses).
Part of me thinks, “Yes, you’ve got this! Do it!” And another part says, “You stink at writing. Why bother?” Opposing thoughts only reinforce that “to write or not to write” conflict.
This quote from The Writing Reader offers advice to those of us suffering from good writer/bad writer: Trick the one who doesn’t want to write.
How can we do that?
First, understand you’re not alone. Many writers struggle with not wanting to write. The point is to find out how you can motivate yourself to write whether you want to or not.
Ask yourself why you’re writing in the first place. What are your writing goals? What do you hope to accomplish through your writing? What will you gain through that accomplishment? What could help increase your motivation to write?
Next, ask yourself why you don’t want to write. Are you bored with your current project? Are you unsure what to write next? Do you need to do more research? Is fear paralyzing you from proceeding? Are you struggling to make time for writing?
Once you identify the specific issue that’s putting your writing on pause, search for solutions. You can connect with other writers and see what they’ve done to push past similar problems. Search for writing groups on social media or simply do a Google search to find solutions for your specific situation.
Suggestions for “tricking” the part of you that doesn’t want to write …
- Make it fun. According to Mary Poppins, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” One way to make it fun is to do writing sprints. Set a timer and see how many words you can write in a specific amount of time. Try to keep beating your record.
- Make it competitive. Join with other writers and have a daily (or short-time) word-count challenge. Have a prize for the person who gets the most words written within the time.
- Make it not so lonely. Writing can be a lonely job. Join a writers’ group and write together or at least meet to encourage each other.
What are your tips for eliminating that catdog conflict about whether to write or not to write?
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