Keep Your Butt in the Chair

It's hard to keep writing day after day, without sometimes feeling defeated.

When you're in the middle of Act II, with half the book or script left to write, it's hard to image there will ever be an audience for this half-formed story (a/k/a piece of crap).

I don't think we're human if we don't wonder every once in a while, "What in the heck am I doing?! Maybe I should brush up on my waitressing skills."

Negative Talk

In my coaching class, our instructor says we should replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts. For example:

Negative Thought: I need my writing to be loved.

Positive Replacement: I need what I am writing to be strong.

Negative Thought: Since I can't possibly make a living from writing, there is no reason to write.

Positive Replacement: I write to find out.

Creative Replacement

I'm all for replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, but when I get down, my negative thoughts aren't so rational. It takes some creative thinking to work around them.

Negative: Your character likes ice cream. How can you consider yourself a writer if you haven't gotten into his head and tried every flavor at Baskin and Robins. Better hurry up. Keys are on the table.

Positive: My character now likes broccoli.

Negative: Hundreds of people are shocked by their electronic equipment each year. It's time to step away from the computer and do something safe.

Positive: I'm ready to live on the edge.

Negative: The story would be a lot more interesting if you replaced the bike chase with stampeding rhinos. In fact, replacing all the characters with jungle animals might be that new story twist you need.

Positive: That's stupid. (OK, that's not really a positive statement, but it works.)

Lets face it. The hardest part about writing is keeping your butt in the chair, and sometimes it takes more creativity than willpower.

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