17 Reasons you Won’t Keep your Writing Resolutions
You want to be writer, just not badly enough to write today.
This piece came out of a Boxing-Day blogging session with The Imperfectionist.
In 2014 my New Years resolution was three words: no days off. Within 72 hours, I had broken that promise. It was a demoralizing moment that only made the block worse. I had to make a change or find a new calling — and hope I wouldn’t muck that one up the same way.
2016 was my first year writing full time and earning my living as a writer. I didn’t get lucky, there was no “big break.” What changed was my work ethic and my attitude. I developed a few good habits and jettisoned some bad ones. I learned to put the emphasis on writing rather than trying to be a writer, and good things came my way.
Here’s an overview of those bad habits.
Resistance
AKA writer’s block, “resistance” is the catch-all term for every other point on this list. It’s the voice that tells you it can’t be done. It’s the personal crisis that comes up just as you’re summoning the courage to start. For more on resistance check out Charles Chu’s post, Isaac Asimov: How to Never Run Out of Ideas Again. And for a comprehensive guide to slaying the dragon of resistance, read Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art.
Perfectionism
The persistent delusion that a piece of writing can be perfect will keep you from ever finishing.
Comparisons
The only useful comparison is the one that makes you realize that you can almost always level the playing field through hard work.
You Don’t Want it Badly Enough
You want to be a writer, just not badly enough to wake up early or stay up late or skip taco Tuesday.
You Want to be a Writer more than you Want to Write
You want to be writer, just not badly enough to write today.
Distractions (*distractedness)
There’s no such thing as a distraction, only a mindset that allows outside crap (for lack of a better word) to seem more important than your work.
Procrastination
If you don’t find an excuse to get to work you will always find an excuse not to. As with distraction, there is never a valid reason to procrastinate.
Fear of Failure
Fear is largely out of your control, how you respond to it is up to you. Me, I’m more afraid of not writing than I am of rejection slips, nasty comments, and not getting read.
Fear of Success
If you win, you might have to rethink some of your excuses.
Fear of First Drafts
Behind every great piece of writing is a “shitty first draft.” (A term from Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott’s classic how to for writers, a must read if you’re stuck.)
Fear Itself
The great boxing coach Cus D’Amato once said, “The hero and the coward both feel the same thing but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
Lack of Space
Between your ears mostly.
Lack of Discipline
Make writing a habit and the work will get done even when you lack inspiration and motivation.
Binge Viewing
No, I haven’t seen Westworld, but I probably did some pitching and line-editing and blogging while you were watching it. If you have a demanding day job, cutting out TV is one of the easiest ways to create a time for your writing.
Leaving the Door Ajar
See: distractions. It’s funny, people stop having emergencies when they know you’re unreachable. A great way to keep yourself honest during writing hours is Freedom, the app.
The Need to be Original
Just more excuse making, masquerading as artistic integrity.
Past Success
Nothing you’ve ever written, no kind review, no sales or traffic numbers, no prize or publication, can save you from the blank page.
