Why do we write?

March 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We write because we have stories to tell.

We write to entertain.

To explore.

To connect.

To teach.

We write because if we don’t, we can’t sleep.

We write to be paid.

We write for the joy of it.

We write because we said we would.

We write to document, explain, journal, create.

We write because we love it.

We write to expunge the terrible questions that captivate us.

To travel the neural pathways and find out where they go.

To see what happens.

Joss Whedon has said, “You either have to be writing or you shouldn’t be writing. That’s all.”

Why do you write?

Tell us in the comments.

 If you’re serious about writing, but find yourself blocked or procrastinating, join my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle to learn the skills you need to create a solid pattern of consistent writing and to get the support and accountability you need to show up every day.

Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com. Next session starts March 19th.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: , , , , ,

What does it mean to be called to the spotlight?

March 7, 2012 by 4 Comments

Being in the spotlight means having your creative work witnessed and responded to by an audience.

It means being read, seen, heard.

Being in the spotlight means having an audience.

Whenever our work is seen, we are seen.

  • If you’re a novelist, you’re in the spotlight when you publish your work, whether you publish it online or in print. Writers are in the spotlight through their books, articles, on their websites, at public readings, and in interviews.
  • If you’re a blogger, you’re in the spotlight every time you hit the publish button. People are reading your words, thinking about them, and responding to them.
  • Artists are in the spotlight whenever you share your creative work, and receive feedback on it. Think of gallery showings, exhibits, and studio tours. Or website galleries online.
  • Actors are in the spotlight when you are on stage, on the big screen, or on television. And celebrity actors are in the spotlight anytime they are in public.
  • Screenwriters are in the spotlight when the movies you’ve written play on the big screen or when someone reviews your writing publicly.
  • Poets, journalists, public speakers, radio broadcasters, and many more professions are seen, heard, and read.

Are you called to the spotlight?

Being called to the spotlight means feeling drawn to being seen. To expressing yourself in some public forum.

You can be “called” to the spotlight by an inner draw to it, but you may not realize you have the call — at least not consciously — until you see it written in your hands.

Are you a “hermit” in the spotlight?

I’m surprised to discover how many people have “Spotlight” markings in their hands when I analyze them, often in direct contradiction to their earthy, “hermit” heart lines; watery, sensitive hands, and their personality traits that have them strongly preferring peace, quiet, home, and solitude as a general rule.

Many artists, actors, introverts, sensitives, empaths, and writers much prefer the solitary life, but still feel some pull to sharing their work and being seen, read or heard in some way.

Having contradictory feelings about it does not mean you don’t have the call.

Until I was told I had an Apollo Star gift marking, I was never able to totally reconcile the appeal of being seen by audience and my desire to cocoon myself. I’ve come to think of myself as a “Hermit in the Spotlight,” writing away to my audience of over 4000 readers, and sometimes speaking to them as well.

Does audience size matter?

If only one person reads, sees, or hears it, is that being in the spotlight? Is that an audience?

It’s a good question.

I think the answer is, not yet. Not quite. But soon. With your next witness, yes, it’s starting to grow.

What fascinates me is the low level of frustration I can experience if my audience “isn’t big enough,” and by that I mean, it doesn’t satisfy my inner barometer of enough people.

(This is partially connected to my “Impatient Visionary” streak — more on this in a future post.)

When it has truly felt like “enough” have been the times I’ve spoken to over 100 people at a given time on a conference call, at a speaking event, or over a live streaming broadcast.

Do you feel reluctant to be seen, heard, or read, but know you want to or are supposed to be in the spotlight?

Despite having the call to the spotlight, and maybe even having a passion for it, we have to be conscious of not allowing our sensitive selves to always run the show and keep us playing it safe. Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves by reaching for more and a greater connection with our audiences.

As my teacher Sonia Choquette always says, “Don’t let your big Buts stop you.” :)

Your Turn

Are you called to the spotlight? How do you feel about it? What are your biggest challenges? I’d love to hear from you in the comments on this post.

Warmly,

 Jenna

As sensitives, how can we be more comfortable being seen, heard, and read in the spotlight?

It isn’t always easy, but we can learn to be more comfortable in the spotlight. That said, being 100% comfortable isn’t the ultimate goal — it’s about being comfortable enough to take the risk of being seen.

Here’s what you need to understand:

  • The pitfalls empathic sensitives tend to fall into when engaging with others, especially an audience.
  • How an introvert’s brain works, which can make you feel intimidated about speaking in public.
  • Why sensitives may not perform well under pressure, and what we can do about it.
  • The hand analysis gift marking that points to being “in the spotlight” and how to identify it.
  • How to deal with “tomato fears” (the fear of having rotten tomatoes thrown at you) and other creative expression challenges.

I’ll be teaching these solutions and answering your questions on this topic in my upcoming teleclass on March 27th at 3 p.m. Pacific Time (4 Mountain, 5 Central, 6 Eastern, Midnight GMT), called “Sensitives in the Spotlight: How Artists, Writers, Hermits & Introverts Can Navigate a Call to the Public Eye.”

The fee for the class is $39. When you register, you’ll have an opportunity to submit your questions for the live session, so I’ll be sure to answer them for you. Register here, or find out more here.

 

Coming Attractions

~> March 15th, 2012. Last day to register for the next session of my Writer’s Circle session starting on March 19th. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session. Sign up here.

~> March 27th, 2012. My teleclass, “Sensitives in the Spotlight: How Artists, Writers, Hermits & Introverts can Navigate a Call to the Public Eye,” will be held on March 27th at 3 p.m Pacific Time (4 Mountain, 5 Central, 6 Eastern, Midnight GMT). Find out more and register here. 

~> March 27th, 2012. Last day to register for my next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group on April 24th. Only 4 spots are available and these groups consistently sell out, so if you’d like to join me, reserve your spot ASAP. Register here.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was recently named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip. Right now we’re working on “Writing Great Endings.”

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Still haven’t watched Super Eight! Goodness. But I’m having tons of fun reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to my son. The other day he said, “Does he look like me?” I thought that was so sweet!

Filed Under: Sensitivity Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is there a dark side to accountability?

February 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

I’m a big fan of accountability.

Telling people you are going to do something is a great motivator for actually seeing it through.

It’s especially useful when it comes to doing something we care deeply about or holds great import in our lives but we have a lot of resistance around doing, like writing.

On some level, when we know we’re about to do something BIG, something that fulfills the calling or deeper purpose behind why we are here, we get scared.

We ask ourselves:

  • What if it works?
  • What if it doesn’t?
  • What if I can’t pull it off?

It’s like looking at the sun

These are the typical fears of someone staring their Big Dream in the face.

And usually, it’s too much to look at for long — it’s too bright, like staring into the sun.

And when we do look at our Big Dreams, they can feel overwhelming.

We feel like we have to do the whole thing NOW. Today. Tomorrow.

No wonder we put them off.

Take one bite at a time

That’s where the deliciousness of accountability for small daily action makes such a beautiful difference. It helps us break things down into the smallest incremental bites and take consistent action on them.

That’s how you eat an elephant — one bite at a time.

What happens when you don’t?

But what happens when you don’t take the small daily actions? I see people commit to their dreams but then fail to take action on them.

I feel so sad when this happens, not because they have failed to do their work, but because they have failed to ask for help.

True accountability can and should occur in a safe, supportive space where people feel comfortable coming forward and saying, “I’m not taking action on this and I don’t know why. Can you help me?”

Then, your accountability partners can help you find out why, and what might work better.

Safe space is co-created

One thing that many people fail to notice is that safe space is co-created.

When I welcome people into my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle, I make a point to talk about how we want participants to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. We want to know the whole person, the self that has an easy time and the self that has a hard time, so we can truly support and witness each other.

We co-create our safe space by being honest with each other. It doesn’t happen by accident or only on my end.

I hold the space, you come into it, and we perpetuate it by being present and truthful with each other.

Without honesty, we get shame

By being truthful together in that space, we can avoid falling into the dark side of accountability: Shame.

Shame can be a positive motivator when it comes to accountability — it’s part of what gets us into action. But if it persists, and we don’t take action and we don’t talk about it, it can consume us, overwhelm us, and keep us stuck.

Bottom line?

True accountability and support happens in partnership.

If you’re finding yourself hiding out, it’s time to get help. We ALL feel this way at times — I certainly do.

The key is to reach out and get support from the right people who can help you get back on track.

Your Turn

Does this inspire you to shift anything for yourself? We’d love to hear about it.

Warmly,

 Jenna

 

Coming Attractions

~> March 1st, 2012. Last day to register for my next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group on March 29th. Only ONE SPOT is remaining, and registration closes TOMORROW, Thursday, March 1st. Register here.

~> March 15th, 2012. Last day to register for the next session of my Writer’s Circle session starting on March 19th. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session. Sign up here.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was recently named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Still haven’t watched Super Eight! I got to re-watch The Game yesterday for one of my screenwriting assignments. Great fun.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: , , ,

What about doing things just for the joy of it?

February 22, 2012 by 4 Comments

Last week I wrote about protecting ourselves from our dreams.

I want to continue the conversation around the notion of doing things just for the joy of them, even if they don’t “happen” the way we want them too.

This is a tough one for me.

I love to dream big and see the possibilities that can be available to us — to imagine things reaching the outcome I want them to have.

And yet, like we talked about last week, what if we don’t get those outcomes? Does that mean we’ve failed? Or that our dreams weren’t worth pursuing?

I don’t think so, though I have to admit I would be disappointed if I never sold a book or a screenplay.

But.

But, but, but.

What if I loved writing so much that I wanted to do it anyway, no matter what the outcome?

We’re always told that we should focus on the things we love so much that we’d do them for free, right?

I think there is powerful truth in that, but I have to confess that I’ve never really believed it up until now. And even today, on a day when writing has been much harder for me than I would like, I can tell you that I love it. And I would do it for free, without guarantee of outcome or success.

That’s a huge step for me. To acknowledge the joy of doing something so much that it doesn’t matter what happens with it.

Doesn’t mean I won’t try.

Doesn’t mean I won’t feel disappointed if it doesn’t “happen” the way I imagine.

But it does mean that I intend to enjoy it every step of the way.

Your Turn

What about you? What do love to do just for the joy of it? What have you been secretly longing to try that you suspect you might find that kind of joy in?

Tell us about it.

Warmly,

 Jenna

 

Coming Attractions

~> March 19th, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session. Sign up here.

~> March 29th, 2012. My next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group. Details coming soon! One spot is already taken so if you’d like to nab one, email us now.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was recently named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip. They’re offering a free class called, “21 Steps to a Professional Rewrite” this Sunday if you’re interested. Details. It’s a great class that provides a ton of value for screenwriters and may be helpful for novelists too.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Still haven’t watched Super Eight but squeezed in Cowboys & Aliens over the weekend. It wasn’t QUITE what I was hoping for but still fun to see.

 

Filed Under: Creativity, Writing Tagged With: , , ,

How to make writing a whole lot easier

February 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

To celebrate the start of the next session of my Writer’s Circle this coming Monday, I’m sharing a free series on “How to Find the Courage to Tell the Stories You Are Longing To Tell.”

Today’s fourth and final post completes the series with thoughts on “How to Make Writing A Whole Lot Easier.”

  • To read the first post in the series, “Why It Requires Courage to Write”, click here.
  • The second post, “How to Spot the Stealthy Smokescreens that Stop You From Writing”, is here.
  • Yesterday’s post, “How to Find Your True Stories”, is here.

How to make writing a whole lot easier

It can sound like the easiest thing in the world to write. But when it comes to sitting down and facing the blank page, writing can be downright terrifying. Perhaps surprisingly to some, it takes a lot of courage to overcome all the fear, self-doubt, stories, and resistance to making it happen.


What I’ve seen is that when you take action to do the following things for yourself, writing becomes much much harder NOT to do. And that makes it SO much easier.

  1. Find peer support.

    Connect with other writers. Be part of a community. Live and breathe writing and talk about it with other people who are actively engaged in writing and are firmly committed to their writing, come hell or high water.

    Personally, I’m part of several writing communities, including my online Writer’s Circle, my screenwriting class, and the online Scriptchat community. I make it a priority to hang out with writers who are writing regularly — and not just talking about it.

  2. Create social accountability.

    Give yourself public deadlines and set public goals to use the tool of social accountability. When other people know you are promising and intending to do finish your writing project by a certain date and you know they are watching, it’s a LOT harder not to do it.

  3. Create solid writing habits.

    Make yourself a writing schedule, use a timer to write in sprints, start early in the morning or write late at night — what matters is that you write and that you write regularly. And by the way, regularly means as close to daily as you can muster (my preference is 6 to 7 days per week).

    Writing regularly, and sticking to it, surprisingly makes writing much, much easier. Back in the days when I used to write my newsletter on a monthly basis, it felt like scraping my fingernails over a dry chalkboard just to get myself going. But now that I’m blogging on a weekly basis and screenwriting on a daily basis, I find that I’m always running article ideas and story lines through my mind, which makes it oh-so-much easier to jump into when the writing clock chimes at 6 a.m. (actually it’s 5:45 a.m. these days, but who’s counting?).

  4. Have a willing spirit of adventure.

    Enjoy the ride — have a willing spirit of adventure. Writing is an up and down journey. I LOVE it, AND, there are days when I feel like being run over by a truck might be a little bit easier. Thank goodness I have my writing communities to cheer me up on those days. Ride the highs and surf the lows, knowing you’ll make it to the other side.

  5. Be deeply honest with yourself.

    You want to write, right? Be honest with yourself about that and what it will cost you if you don’t write. Also be honest with yourself about how scared you are to do it and about how you are creating obstacles to your writing. Only then can you face and overcome them.

  6. Make a commitment to write.

    Decide, right now, that you are going to write, no matter what. Then do it.

    Make a “Life Decision” about this, as Dr. Phil calls it, to follow your dream of writing. Once you’ve made that decision, there’s no turning back. Stop dipping your foot in the pond of your dream and start making it a reality. There’s no way to do it but one step at a time, even if it’s two steps forward and one step back for a while.

  7. Have the courage to write regularly.

    Having the courage to write means doing it without fail, even in the face of fear, self-doubt, and those savage attacks by your inner critic telling you that you won’t succeed.

    One day when I came home from dropping off my son at school, I realized that I was terrified to work on the next scene in my script, and I felt like I was frogmarching myself to the guillotine as I approached my computer. I said to myself, “I see you, fear, and you cannot stop me. I can at least write out the scene heading. I can at least chose the characters for the scene. I can at least brainstorm what I’d like to see happen.”

And with a little coaxing and a lot of courage, I was off and writing.

This concludes our series on “How to Find the Courage to Tell the Stories You Are Longing To Tell.” If you enjoyed the series, I’d love to hear from you in the comments on my blog. Thanks for reading!

About the Writer’s Circle

I inspire writers to find the courage to share the stories they are secretly longing to tell but are afraid won’t be heard or welcomed. If you’d like company on your writer’s journey, I want to invite you to join the next session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle, which starts this coming Monday, February 20th. In the Writer’s Circle, you’ll find all the peer support and accountability you need to have the courage to write regularly.

Registration closes TODAY, February 16th.

Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com.

“I’m now working on a manuscript that has haunted me for 5 years…and there’s nary a chain rattle anymore.”

“This Writer’s Circle is such a wonderful experience, and it’s changed the way I look at writing…in a GOOD way! I’m now working on a manuscript that has haunted me for 5 years…and there’s nary a chain rattle anymore. I’m finally putting myself and my writing on the priority list. I’m also excited and inspired by the sense of community with other writers that was wholly lacking from the rest of my life. If you’re looking for help with your writing, join the Writer’s Circle now!”

~ Terri Fedonczak, Certified Martha Beck Life Coach, www.alifeinbalance.com

Filed Under: Writing Practice Building Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

How to spot the smokescreens that stop you from writing

February 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

To celebrate the start of the next session of my Writer’s Circle this coming Monday, I’m sharing a free four-part series on “How to Find the Courage to Share the Stories You Are Longing To Tell.”

Our series continues with Part 2: “How to Spot the Stealthy Smokescreens that Stop You From Writing.”

To read yesterday’s post, “Why It Requires Courage to Write”, click here.

How to spot the stealthy smokescreens that stop you from writing

If you’re longing to write, but not doing it, you’re probably doing a number of other things instead. I think of these as “smokescreens”, because very often we don’t realize that we are fooling ourselves about why we are not writing — our fear. Our smokescreens mask that raw, naked fear and keep us busy thinking something else is going on.

Most people who say they want to write but aren’t doing it are usually instead:

  1. Retreating into fantasy.

    When you’re retreating into fantasy instead of writing, you’ll notice yourself dreaming about the day when you finally have enough time to write.

    You’ll usually have a story about needing to deal with something else first, like: Making more money, getting enough childcare, getting the house clean, finishing that other big project, just getting through this one rough patch in life, etc., but the truth is that there is nothing stopping you from writing right now.

  2. Procrastinating.

    If you’re graduated from fantasy land about writing someday, but still not writing, you’ve probably moved on to procrastination or one of the other tricky smokescreens below.

    Procrastination turns up when you’ve made the time to write, but when it comes time to do it, your bathroom suddenly looks really dirty or you realize you are massively behind on [your email, your laundry, your sex life, your book keeping, your fill-in-an-excuse-here].

    I’ve seen some writers say that procrastination is a good thing — that we’re allowing our creative ideas to build up before they come bursting out of us — but I read procrastination as fear, often wrapped up with perfectionism.

  3. Feeling apathetic.

    Apathy rears it’s ugly head and tells us that we don’t care. It sounds like, “I mean, what’s the point? I don’t even FEEL like writing today. I’d much rather watch Castle or catch up on polishing my silver. Writing isn’t that important.”

    ANNNH. Wrong answer.

    What’s really going on here is again, you guessed it, fear. This is fear masquerading as apathy, only it’s so tricky it’s got you believing you aren’t even interested. Think again.

  4. Wandering in a fog of creative confusion.

    Creative confusion is the stealthy partner creative apathy. Creative confusion keeps us spinning in circles, telling us that we don’t know what to write. It keeps you vacillating between having too many ideas and not knowing where to start.

    The antidote for creative confusion is often brainstorming, putting ANY words on the page, asking yourself a great question (“What do I really want to say here?”) or simply picking a project to start with. Sometimes we just make it too complicated, again because we’re letting our fear get the better of us.

Takeaways

Here’s what I want you to take away from this: When you are fantasizing about writing, procrastinating about writing, or feeling apathetic or creatively confused about writing, you are operating out of fear. It might not LOOK like far, but the odds are high that it’s fear running the show.

But because you know this now, you have the chance to bust that fear wide open and move past it.

“Ah ha! You can’t fool me,” you will say to your fear and self-doubt. “I see you, and I know you are trying to stop me… but it won’t work.”

Then coax yourself to the page, and start writing. ANYTHING. Seriously. Because the antidote to any of these creative smokescreens is ACTION.

Your turn

What does this illuminate for you? Share your responses in the comments.

And stay tuned for the next post in this series coming your way tomorrow, “How to Find Your True Stories.” Watch for it on the blog or subscribe here.

About the Writer’s Circle

I inspire writers to find the courage to share the stories they are secretly longing to tell but are afraid won’t be heard or accepted. If you’d like company on your writer’s journey, I want to invite you to join the next session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle, which starts this coming Monday, February 20th. In the Writer’s Circle, you’ll find the peer support and accountability you need to bust yourself on the smokescreens and obstacles you’re creating around your writing and get your words on the page. Registration closes THIS THURSDAY, February 16th.

Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com.

“Good if you want to write more and make fewer excuses not to write.”

“I loved leaving and getting comments on the daily progress. It made me write almost every day! Now, I’m writing more consistently and I’m feeling good about all of it. I like getting to know the other participants. I’m feeling consistently creative. This Writer’s Circle is good if you want to write more and make fewer excuses not to write. It’s so easy to talk oneself into not doing something creative and instead doing something mundane.”
~ Giulietta Nardone, Inspirational rebel, Writer and Karaoke singer, www.giuliettathemuse.com

Filed Under: Creative Blocks Tagged With: , , , , ,

Why it requires courage to write

February 14, 2012 by 5 Comments

This is part of a series on “How to Find the Courage to Share the Stories You Are Longing To Tell.”

Today’s post starts the series with thoughts on “Why It Requires Courage to Write.”

Why it requires courage to write

Special thanks to John Klymshyn for this image

I’ve dreamed of writing for years, since I was a child. And I have. Over the last 9 years I’ve written hundreds of articles, blog posts, and newsletters through my coaching business. Before that, I wrote city plans. Before that, my graduate thesis.

But I’ve always dreamed of writing a proper something — a larger writing project with a definitive end, like a book or a screenplay.

Somehow, I never seemed to find the time to write until recently — just in the last year or so. And now I’m writing on a daily basis, soon to finish my first feature length screenplay.

What I didn’t understand, until now, was that my lack of writing WAS NOT tied to all the things I believed about what it would take for me to write, like that I needed more time, better ideas, sudden divine inspiration, the proper writing space, a better computer, or any of the other things I was telling myself.

Instead, I discovered that what was going on at a deeper level was that I was afraid. I was afraid to write.

And this is what I’ve seen with many people who say they want to write but aren’t doing it.

Just like me, they are afraid.

Common fears

If you have fear coming up around writing, you might be experiencing some of these common concerns I hear from writers:

  • You’re afraid the writing you’re longing to share isn’t serious, artistic, engaging, funny, clever, dramatic, or fill-in-the-blank enough.
  • You’re afraid that you’ll embarrass yourself if you put your words out there for other people to see.
  • You’re afraid that you won’t be able to do a good enough job telling your stories — you won’t be able to do them justice and you’ll let your ideas down.
  • You’re afraid you won’t be able to come with good ideas.
  • You’re afraid that other people will be hurt if you write things they don’t like. You’re afraid they will see themselves in your stories and be offended.
  • You’re afraid you don’t know how to write well enough, but you don’t give yourself the chance to learn how because you believe that writing requires innate talent and that if you had it, you’d already be writing.
  • You might even be afraid that your best work is already behind you.

What you need to understand is that these fears are ONLY fears. Nothing more, nothing less. They MAY come true, we may fall on our faces and have to pick ourselves up again, just like my son did on his way to school this morning.

You also need to understand that these fears are your ENEMIES. They are the enemies to your dream of writing, and courage is your antidote.

Your turn

What does this illuminate for you? Share your responses in the comments.

And stay tuned for the next post in this series coming your way tomorrow, “How to Spot the Stealthy Smokescreens that Stop You From Writing.” Watch for it on the blog or subscribe here.

About the Writer’s Circle

I inspire writers to find the courage to share the stories they are secretly longing to tell but are afraid won’t be heard or welcomed. If you’d like company on your writer’s journey, I want to invite you to join the next session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle, which starts this coming Monday, February 20th. In the Writer’s Circle, you’ll find the peer support and accountability you need to find the courage you need to see your writing through. Registration closes THIS THURSDAY, February 16th.

Find out more and register here: http://JustDoTheWriting.com.

“I would have really struggled to do this without this writer’s group.”

I loved the community, and how quickly it came together. It made such a difference to have that support and it was so good to take the isolation of writing away. I love that my writing has quickly started to establish into my daily routine. I would have really struggled to do this without this group. I’m more creative, more productive, and starting to identify as a writer… it’s so exciting! If you’re considering this course, GO FOR IT!!!
~ Rebekah Shepherd, Yoga teacher, Writer, www.soulnicheyoga.com

Filed Under: Inner Game of Writing Tagged With: ,

Are you waiting to feel creative?

February 8, 2012 by 4 Comments

Are you waiting for the right mood to strike before you work on your creative project?

Are you waiting until you have the right room to write or paint in?

Are you waiting until you have the right computer before you can start writing?

Are you waiting until you have the right “voice” or platform before you start sharing your message?

Are you waiting until you’ve picked the right project to start working on?

Are you waiting until you have more money before you do your art?

Are you waiting for big blocks of time before you write songs, start your novel, or get that screenplay off the shelf for a rewrite?

Are you waiting to be divinely inspired before you start your project?

Are you waiting for permission to create?

Wait no longer.

Your art will not happen unless you do it. And sometimes that means showing up and doing it even if you don’t know what you’re doing yet.

Besides, in a study by Robert Boice about academic writers, he found that writers who committed to writing daily were TWICE as likely to have a creative thought as writers who wrote when they “felt like it.”

The key here is consistency. Making the effort to show up every day to your creative passion will foster and spark your creativity, not the other way around.

Your Turn

So, what are you waiting for? (No, really, I want to know!)

Tell us about it in the comments.

Warmly,

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only ONE necklace is left. Is it yours? Find it here.

~> February 20th, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was just named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> I’m totally caught up on Castle, except for the latest “The Blue Butterfly”. Now I get to venture into some movies I’ve been wanting to see: Tales from the Script and Super Eight.

Filed Under: Creative Blocks, Creativity Tagged With: , ,

What do you do when the going gets tough?

February 1, 2012 by 4 Comments

Yesterday was a tough one.

It was a dark, drizzly day after a bad night of sleep, followed by a bit of bad news. And it was on the heels of a wicked cold that had me laid up Wednesday through Sunday. Not a good cocktail for a sensitive soul with work to be done.

Needless to say, I came home after dropping off my son to feeling rather adrift.

I didn’t know what I wanted to work on. None of the many items on my idea list or to do list was the least bit appealing. Even though I had come up with some nifty ideas on the way home in the car, when I sat down at my desk and confronted my computer screen, a strong feeling of despondency — and resistance — came up.

I didn’t want to do anything.

Or did I?

I checked in with my heart.

I checked in with my spirit.

I asked, “Is there anything I DO want to work on?“

The answer came back, “Yes. My script.”

(And this was even after doing my first round of writing first thing in the morning.)

So I did. I got out my latest set of assignments, turned on my timer, and dug in.

An hour later, I felt like myself again. I even went on to have a happy, productive day working with my clients and revamping my website (you can see the evidence on my Shop and Home pages).

By doing my work, by turning to my calling rather than away from it, I found myself.

Your Turn

What works for you?

When you’ve fallen off the wagon of clarity and productivity, how do you find your way back to taking action?

And by the way, I’m not intending to say that action is the only solution here. There are times when for me the right “action” is clearly nothing work-related, like rest, reflection, exercise, or taking a break. But I think I’m talking about something different here — that Thing that happens when you know getting back on path is just what’s called for but it’s feeling elusive. I’d love to hear what works for you.

Tell us about it in the comments.

Warmly,

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only TWO necklaces are left, and then they are gone for good. Find them here.

~> February 2, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on February 2. Details. SOLD OUT.

~> February 20th, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was just named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Now onto Castle, Season 4. So good!

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

If someone offered you 10 million dollars with only one small catch, would you take it?

January 19, 2012 by 8 Comments

The other day I had an email from a friend about me screenwriting at 6 a.m. every morning. She said, “I admire your discipline. It must come from a deep passion.”

I thought, “Is this passion? Is this discipline? Is that what this is? That doesn’t quite feel right.”

Perhaps this is because I’ve struggled for so long to be clear about what I’m passionate about that the word “passion” has lost meaning for me.

Then, last week I found myself saying to my Writer’s Circle participants how you would have to fight me off with a sword to keep me from writing.

And I thought, “Huh! Passion.”

But the clincher was when I saw Jeanne Bowerman‘s tweet:

I knew my own answer was “No. Way.”

Then I got it. This is beyond reason, it’s beyond passion. It’s a kind of fierceness I never expected.

What shocks me is that this fierceness has been born out of the discipline of writing on a daily basis, not the other way around. And I hesitate to even call it discipline, because there are days when I have to drag myself out of bed with bribes and threats alike. The funny thing is that it’s gotten more scary NOT to write than TO write. 

I didn’t know I would love writing like this. I had no idea until I started doing it regularly. Daily. At ungodly hours.

I’m also fascinated to have discovered that taking a day off or two DOES dwindle this feeling. I find myself drifting and uninspired when I stop.

But as long as I write every day or darn close to it, I’m good.

And I’m doing this by making it a LOT harder NOT to write than it is TO write:

  • I set my clock early. If I don’t get up and write immediately, I’ll miss my chance before my husband goes to work and I’ve got kid duty.
  • I set public goals with my Writer’s Circle EVERY DAY. And they notice if I don’t show up.
  • I have assignments due every day for my ProSeries screenwriting class. And they’re counting to make sure we’re doing the assignments.
  • I’m the coach for the Writer’s Circle too, so I have a responsibility as a role model too.

I’ve got multiple layers of accountability. Plus a healthy fear that if I stop writing, it’ll be hard to get started again. And a fierce belief that I’ve found my true calling.

Your Turn

What does this inspire for you? Let me know on the blog.

*** If you’d like to have this kind of daily accountability for yourself around your writing, join my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle right now. Our next session starts on Monday, January 23rd, and Thursday, January 19th is the last day to register. If you do your part, it will blow your mind. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

 

 Jenna

Coming Attractions

~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only TWO necklaces are left, and then they are gone for good. Find them here.

~> January 23rd, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.

~> February 2, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on February 2. Details. SOLD OUT.

 

What I'm Up To

~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was just named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip.

~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.

~> Still watching Castle, Season 3, so good. I guess the whole planet really is designed to show off Nathan Fillion’s awesomeness.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »