Hey Writer,
I did it! I finished that short story by the deadline. By June 6th I had a short story and I kept it under the 3000 word limit. You wanna know something funny? I’m not even going to submit it. You read that right, I finally hit a deadline that I set and I’m keeping the story to myself. The truth is, I believe there is a lot more to this story and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
Sometimes the end goal doesn’t always have to be publication. I’ve spent my life setting deadlines for myself and not meeting them. I’ve finally hit a deadline with a story and I’ve been making sure this newsletter goes out every Monday. I feel myself becoming more disciplined and I like it. I’m making progress and that’s all any of us can ask for. Telling our stories one word at a time.
Margaret Atwood- Anywhere, Anytime
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, and literary critic. She has won numerous awards for her writing and a number of her works have been adapted for film and television. This wasn’t always the case though. As a child, she wrote stories purely for enjoyment, never even considering the thought of publication. This is something we can all learn from, just write for the love of writing and keep that childlike wonder.
Atwood typically starts writing in the morning after she's had breakfast and coffee. She begins by transcribing the longhand notes that she wrote the day before. This longhand writing is a method that she prefers because she feels it keeps her in a creative flow. Atwood believes that writing can be done anywhere. Even if she doesn't have a dedicated desk, she will write any time she has a moment of concentration. She often finishes writing at 4:00 but will continue if that flow allows her. This goes against the other writers who stop at a specific time, but we're not here for the one true routine. It's okay to cherry pick from each one we study.
When not writing, Atwood is always ready to capture ideas whenever they arrive. She often immersed herself in whatever topic she was writing by doing extensive research. She keeps a notebook close by to capture any ideas that may come.
We all look for the perfect routine, but Atwood shows us that it's better to adapt our routine to whatever situation we’re in. Consistency doesn’t always look the same, it is about showing up however and whenever we can.
Writing Prompt:
Set aside 20 minutes. Spend 10 minutes researching the topic you are writing about. Set a timer for the last 10 minutes and write without stopping.
Writer’s Block Autopsy: The Dreaded Blank Page
We've all been there. We set aside our 20 minutes to write and half of that time is spent staring at the blank page. It's not completely blank, there’s always the blinking cursor there taunting us. The blank page has stopped many writers, deterring some to the point where they don’t return.
Margaret Atwood doesn't believe in writer’s block. When she is stuck at a certain point in her story, she retreats back to where the writing was flowing and takes a different path. Being a pantser (no outlines) gave her the freedom to do this.
Another thing that can help is being active. It has been proven in many studies that physical activity improves memory and can reduce anxiety. You know, like that anxiety you're feeling right now because you haven't written in a while? Going on a run or weightlifting can work wonders for generating ideas. The trick is to not listen to any music, podcasts, or books. Without consuming other media, you give your brain the freedom to wander. Before you know it, you’ll stumble upon the breakthrough you were searching for when you first started looking at that blank page.
The world has an endless supply of stories, the only one missing is yours.
See you next week.
-Mike