You’re afraid. You may not have identified that uneasy feeling you get when you sit down to write – or even think about writing – as fear. Sometimes, you just suddenly need to organize the silverware or detail the car or pick a fight with your partner – or yourself. You’ve gone to a writing group, talked with friends, maybe even found a counselor or mentor. Nothing works. Here is a guaranteed way to meet your fear. I hope that by now you’ve acquired the breakthrough writer’s best friend: a timer.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. (This game assumed you can carve 30 minutes out of your busy day.) Sit where you won’t be disturbed. Write by hand so you won’t be tempted to escape into the vast distraction of the internet. There is no prompt for today. Sit until you feel a change. Maybe there will be a physical feelings, maybe a thought, maybe even the impulse to write. Follow the feeling, the thought, the words racing or stumbling out onto the page. When the timer goes off, sit for a few minutes. I don’t know what will come next.
I’d love to hear what happens for you.
Share on Your Social Media
