Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Yesterday one of my clients posted a note on her Facebook page, sharing that she was sick– really feeling lousy– with a migraine on top of a cold. She sounded like she wished she could just go back to bed, but she ended saying, “I need to get some writing done so I’m up and pretending I’m better.”
Writers write through.
There are always excuses– illness, appointments, family issues, demanding jobs, money crunches, homeschooling, disappointments, dust, dishes, and laundry. Dilettantes [definition: a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge] write when the spirit moves them. Writers write through.
This week follows a couple of weeks filled with industry news that deeply concerns us– chief of which may be the Chapter 11 filing by the Family Christian Store chain, pushing a mountain of debt back onto publishers. The ripples are being felt throughout the industry. Writers are asking a number of questions: Will publishers keep acquiring new books? Will they be able to pay royalties? What kind of returns are writers going to be seeing?
Sounds like a good time to take stock and maybe slow down the writing while we see how things shake out, right? Of course not. Writers write through. The funny thing about real writers? They can’t not write.
What about disappointment with your own writing? Is it good enough? Is there too much competition? Is your platform big enough? Will the category or genre you are writing still work in the marketplace?
So I’m putting this to you. What valid excuses do you have to put off writing? Why are you writing through? What kinds of strategies do you employ for writing through? (Or, if you need to confess– why have you slowed down?)
Let’s talk.
TWEETABLES:
A million excuses can keep us from writing, but real writers write through. Click to Tweet
Excuses? Writers ignore them say literary agent @wendylawton Click to Tweet
I’ve adopted a Scarlett “I’ll worry about that tomorrow” attitude; the industry seems to be changing by the minute and will change several times before I’m ready to publish. I don’t want to worry unnecessarily.
How do I motivate myself to write? I think, “I should dust.” Then I think, “Naw, I’d rather write.” Works every time (of course, I could write in the dust on the furniture!).
I abhore dusting, Shirlee. That sounds like great motivation!
Shirlee: THIS is fabulous. Long live the dust bunnies!
Dusting is the gateway to vacuuming.
Just get yourself a leaf blower and, BAM, you’re done!!
Ha ha! Love it! Reposition the dust! 🙂
Seriously, Jennifer, that’s how my husband cleans the cars! A leaf blower is so much more manly than a vacuum cleaner.
Love it, Jennifer!!
Write in the dust on the furniture … that’s priceless. Wipe it away today, it’s just back tomorrow. Is someone coming over? I’ll dust.
Cleaning is low on my list of priorities!!
Shirlee, thanks for making me smile and feel normal (in the writing world anyways). ❀
I need to confess that I just dusted…AND vacuumed!!
I’M SO SORRY!!!
You should be sorry … make us all look bad! 🙂
That’s hilarious! I do need to vacuum but I think I’ll write instead!
Yes, sometimes it’s a matter of choosing the best over the better.
I love the call to action in your post, Wendy. I confess, I slowed down last fall . . . for a number of reasons. Over the past couple months, I’ve regained the mindset I need to move forward with writing. I’ve set some ambitious goals for this month, in spite of a trip planned over Spring Break and other commitments. I’ve gotten my family on- board wit me, and I’m purposing to be diligent to write toward meeting my goals. And praying hard for the time and God’s inspiration so I can be successful.
Now, I’m taking a deep breath . . . 🙂
Sometimes it helps to do a debrief on what caused the slowdown. I’ve wondered if, with some writers, nanowrimo doesn’t cause a binge and crash mentality.
Hmmm, hadn’t thought about that, but it makes sense, Wendy.
I tried NaNoWriMo for the first time this past November. I had a very minimal goal of 10k words for a short story (I hope to implement it into a novel…) I reached 7k words and felt elated. Now I’m submitting my first five pages to my writing critique group for tonight’s meeting. I’d say the writing project jump started me, but I had to really focus on going the distance. I don’t want to crash and burn since I feel I came so far already. I can see why it might cause that effect though. I want to write through and not be considered a dilettante, a sad word.
I write through by remembering why I do this in the first place. I write for people, not sales. Of course, I have to remind myself of that several times a day. But it helps me keep the balance when sales are not going well or when publishing news is scary.
Good strategy. I know some writers who actually put pictures of some of their ardent fans on their computer.
Enjoying what I do encourages me to write through. 🙂
Truly, it’s so enjoyable. I hurt my right eye recently from reading too much … it’s sore … had to take Tylenol through the night last night … I know I need to slow a bit the next few days to give it a rest, but I have to drag myself away.
And this blog, the daily commenters here, who wrapped me in their encouragement when I found this site a little over a year ago … enable me to write through.
I so agree with you, Shelli. I am so thankful to be a part of the community here. 🙂 And I’m sooooo thankful to have “met” you.
Jeanne, I’m so thankful to have “met” you, too. You are my writing sister. 🙂
That’s a blessing, Shelli. Some writers call it torture. Can you imagine having to face torture day after day? You are like my friend Debbie macomber. There is nothing she’d rather do than write.
I do know there is a huge difference in what you have to write, versus what you want to write. But even in the “have to” … when you put your heart into it, you find the “want to.”
And no, I can’t imagine it being torture.
I did slow down last fall, Wendy, primarily because of a move into the new house that wasn’t technically done. But I never lost the desire, and I’m back to writing through. I have six valid reasons not to, but writing is my adult time. My sane time. The time when I concentrate on only one thing. I create something more lasting than lasagna or a clean bathroom when I write. (Have you seen six children tear into a lasagna? I won’t even mention what they can do to a bathroom.) Even if I’m never published, I’m leaving stories for my children and, someday, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Yes, Meghan … you are leaving a legacy to your sweet family. What this momma can do!! 🙂
And those six reasons watch their mama working hard on her dream every single day. Do you have any idea what that will do in their lives?
Thank you for that encouragement, Wendy. Full steam ahead!
Loved this, Meghan. You’re so right–stories do have more, longer lasting value than that perfect home cooked meal, or a clean house (is there such a thing as clean bathrooms with boys in the house…?). Great thoughts!
While I do write through illness and some other issues, I would not classify them as excuses.
To do so puts one into something approaching the position of Tacitus’ centurion, the chap who “was all the more relentless as he had endured it himself”. Therein lies a lack of compassion, and more than a whiff of pride.
It’s a bit like the desire many have to feel like “warriors”, to feel brave and strong and valiant and head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest. Real warriors, facing a hard contact, are scared, have an overwhelming desire to urinate, and carry on because the only thing worse than going forward is going back. That’s the reality, and anyone who claims fearlessness is either lying or psychotic.
I learned many years ago that approaching nonessential tasks with the same fervor as literal life-or-death situations cheapens the latter, while turning the former into a false idol.
Writing is nonessential. It may be important to me (and perhaps my writing’s important to others), but no one will die if I stop writing tomorrow.
If we as writers don’t manage our perspectives, and imbue them with a spirit of compassion, who will?
Wise insight, Andrew. You have a way of looking at things with clear eyed logic and are able to communicate that so well even to us right brained types.
I have to say, I agree with you. Being a writer and dealing with five autoimmune issues plus four by-product illnesses writing through is not always possible.
I do think the idea is not to make excuses. Just do what you’re called to do. For me, illness isn’t an excuse, it’s a fact. There are days, I simply can’t but when I can, I do.
Thanks for the encouragement to keep going, Wendy and the thoughts you’ve provoked Andres.
Andrew, you said it more eloquently than I could. I agree. We all have limitations and the best encouragement we can impart is not to compare ourselves with others. We need to keep doing what we can each day as our limitations allow. If we give our best what more can we do?
Prayer keeps me writing through. I don’t need to remind God, but I need to remind myself every morning that it’s God who is helping me to write through. For me, the process of writing a novel is fraught with a sense of inadequacy, the feeling that I’m not up to the task, physically, mentally or emotionally. It can be daunting to keep rising up to face it day after day, acknowledge it to the Lord and seek His direction as I push the story forward by one more scene. But at the end of the writing day, once I’ve done so, the sense of gratitude is deep. Then it starts over again the next day. It’s a process that keeps me close in dependency on God to breathe strength into my body and life into my imagination, and eventually ends in another finished novel. It’s a partnership, a journey I’m walking with Him.
Amen!
I can relate to the process you go through. Especially the inadequacy part.
Did you recognize anyone in this blog, Lori? 😉
I did! I wish I could say that “pretending” turned out to be a productive day. Not so much, but a little writing got done. I’m never hard on myself on days like that.
“Fraught with a sense of inadequacy” is a beautiful way to put it. And prayer is the conduit for receiving the grace of Jesus. Thanks for the reminder.
I had a reason not to write yesterday, a my-lips-are-numb-and-ohhhh-hang-on-the-room-is-moving migraine.
Some days I don’t write, but I wrestle plot lines and problems whilst doing household drudgery, therefore, that time is still productive. Some days I have to Mom, and some days I have to Jennifer, so that I don’t let writing become my all. Because it isn’t, it is a gift I have to care for properly, so that I remember from whence it came.
Exactly.
I love this: “a gift I care for properly.”
Love this, Jennifer. I guess it’s knowing when we need to be the mom, the woman, the writer and doing each with our whole hearts that helps us live well.
I am working hard to get up in the mornings before my toddler does. That means getting to bed a lot earlier. It’s tough, but I’m learning the discipline. I’m not exactly bounding out of bed, but I’m a whole lot happier once I’ve dug in (and have a hot coffee in my hands!)
If you’re not a morning person that is gruesome. I know.
My greatest enemy is fear. It’s the only thing that truly paralyzes my writing if I let it. That’s why daily prayer is so vital to me, not only as a person but as a writer. I need that God-reminder that He’s bigger than my fears!
Jill, I can’t wait to read your work!! I’m so excited! 🙂
Thank you, Shelli!! That means so much to me!!
I’m not sure that fear ever goes away. We write through it.
Jill, I’m getting a glimpse at what fear can do to a writer. Good for you in writing through it. And I totally agree, daily prayer is essential. 🙂
Great topic, Wendy, and write on comments you all. 🙂
Sooo…
…valid excuses? None.
…why writing through? Can’t not.
…strategies? Tush (back)in chair.
Pardon my dust-up of the English language. 🙂
How true. We can’t write without sitting down to write. That’s what sets you apart from all those people at parties who admit they “someday want to write a book.”
Wendy, I’ve experienced all of the excuses you mentioned, except for a demanding job (although teaching teenagers to drive might count). But the biggest stumbling block for me is fear of rejection or ridicule. I love Anne Lamott’s chapter in Bird by Bird where she imagines her agent and editor laughing at her manuscript. Her confession was the funniest thing I’ve ever read–ever, because she nailed it.
Fear freezes my writing. But I found out how to thaw out my muse. I dive into a new WIP to distract me. Writing is the best cure (after prayer).
Matthew 28:20 inspired the following micropoem:
You are with me
now and forever
so I may walk bravely
in the safety
of our together.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac ❀
Great strategy. And teaching teenagers to drive is sheer terror. After that, you can do anything!
“Sheer terror” is spot on. 😉 And witnessing the improvement is inspiring too. ❀
Wendy, I love your poem. Truth and beauty wrapped up with a few words.
Thanks, Jeanne. I’m loving your winter photos on Facebook. ❀
“Sheer terror is spot on.” A glory hallelujah!
🙂 Hugs. ❀ We’ll survive and thrive, sweet Shelli.
I’m leaving the country–and my family–to head to South America next week. I’ll be gone for 10 days and I’ll be overwhelmed, exhausted, exhilarated. But I will still write in my red notebook while I’m there. No excuses.
That’s so sweet, Hannah. Praying over your trip and the words in your red notebook. 🙂
Where in South America? If you head to Bolivia, tell them I said ‘buenos dias’. But not ‘hola’, because that’s well, if you’ve been to Bolivia, you’ll know porque.
If you’re off to Paraguay, and you run into a certain hombre, like, with a car, feel free to tell him I gave you that idea.
The poquito libre roja is a wonderful thing to bring along. And I totally get the overwhelmed, exhausted, exhilarated thing. Are you going on a mission trip?
#notastalker
Haha! I’ll be in Paraguay. And yes, it’s a mission trip. Then my husband and I are East Africa in June. But my family and I lived in India for three years, so we’re used to travel. My Spanish is toddler-ish at best. Maybe I’ll speak Hindi and my new amigos will think I’m praying or something. 🙂
Seriously! Wow ! Muy cool!!
If you need to know how to say “Okay, thank you General Escobar, that’s even side-hugging for today, the photo is done. No, I mean it. We. Are. DONE.” I can help you with that.
And the ideas will come fast and furious, Hannah. Safe journey.
So often my excuses for not writing turn out to be some of the best grist for the mill . . .
That’s a glass half full view if ever I’ve seen one. 🙂
And don’t you find a million excuses when you are facing a difficult scene?
Yeah, there is always a reason not to write. But this is the only thing that I am working to accomplish just for me, as Kristen Joy Wilks. Not Kristen the camp director’s wife or Kristen the Mom or Kristen the school volunteer. I do this as Kristen, because it is a skill that I want to have and to hone and to shine in. I want this and the Lord has given me peace about the years and years of work required. That is how I write through.
“it is a skill that I want to have and to hone and to shine in.”
Yes, exactly.
And when we write we are totally alone– it is solely us and God.
The day my daughter went into labor at 28 weeks, I did not write. The day my mom died, I did not write.
When I couldn’t keep up with the housekeeping, I hired a housekeeper, and kept writing.
When I wasn’t sure what the next scene should be and everything I wrote was garbage, I kept writing.
Excuses not to write don’t fool God, the One we write for.
Reasons not to write don’t need an excuse.
Amen, Barbara!
Thanks for this post, Wendy! I don’t write a lot (I do around 1000-1200 words a day), but once I really get into the swing of it, only my daughter needing to be fed, changed, etc. can pull me away. So, the few days when I don’t write I don’t actually have a very good excuse (usually I’m just too lazy or want to do something else).
Fear and inadequacy always make me want to stop writing, but once I start, it’s much easier to keep going. The whole “once begun is half done” thing totally applies to me.
When I’m writing in my prayer journal the most often used word in my confession is “sloth.” My word for this year is diligence– the antidote to sloth.
Thanks for the honesty. Yeah, you’re right: diligence is something I need to start praying for as well!
“You’re doing it wrong!” This is the chant that runs through my mind more often than I care to admit. When it comes down to it, I need to regularly tell the deliverer of that lie where to stick it.
Of course, I have much room for improvement. But even when I’m not physically writing/typing, I’m still world building in my mind. Curating content for dialogue, scene details, and historical vignettes.
Cultivating consistency is an area of growth for me.
Oh that stupid inner condemnation voice. I hear those words too, Jenni. I love that even when you’re not writing, you’re world-building. I need to establish that as a consistent practice. 🙂
Don’t we encounter the most inventive ways to stymie our mission? I’m glad you write through.
I can rarely slow down-I take a day or two break after I turn in a project. My mind never stops so I don’t stop. Even when my late husband had cancer I wrote at the hospital and beside him in home hospice care when he slept (he slept most of the time). But,I keep regular work hours, so I don’t write into the night (that’s my time to social network, cook, relax).
Thanks, Wendy. I’m one of those “cannot not write” folks who have felt shaken by this FCB thing. Appreciate your thoughts.
Mu motto is: Write on!
Thank you for this great reminder, Wendy! Today I am writing through a headache caused by construction going on right over my head. (Mom and Dad are having new flooring put in and my bedroom/office is right under the floor they are currently working on.)
I fell in love
I’d say we need to distinguish between writing and writing to be published–whether a book or a blog post. I think there are times you shouldn’t publish, such as during a major crisis. Maybe write and sort later if there is anything to use. But your focus should be on your own grief/healing/survival.
Another time, which I experienced recently, is when you are at the hospital or very sick and so medicated what you write or say makes absolutely no sense. 🙂 Granted, I’m using a few hilarious attempts at texts as an example in a bit of writing but as writing in themselves, they are beyond worthless. 🙂
All that said, appreciate the urge to push through. Very true. How many of us get a time when we have TIME, are rested, etc. to write? Ha. Never?
This is such a great point Natalie! I experienced a crisis a couple of years ago that completely consumed my energy and time. I managed to meet deadlines for assigned writing and editing by the grace of God, but beyond that I was useless. It took a long time for me to “get my brain back.” Then I discovered something very startling–my writing had changed! I had to take time to rediscover my voice and who I was, both as a person and as a writer.
This process required a lot of pushing through (pushing through basically became a way of life). But it also taught me that there are times when it is okay to stop pushing for a while. God has a beautiful way of redeeming the time that we lose to difficult cirumstances.
Very true. We do change through those times we can’t write. I thought I was finishing a book last summer. Instead I ended up in several months of intense LEARNING about myself and the world and completely unable to write. I’m so thankful, because my whole place to draw from to write is different now in very good ways.
I think this is the most important lesson you can learn as a writer. It’s something I didn’t figure out until my first baby was born about three years ago. Then I suddenly came to the realization that no matter what excuses I might be able to make, if I didn’t sit down and write something any and every time I could beg, borrow or steal a few spare minutes, I would never accomplish anything. Since then I’ve been more productive than I ever was before, despite being a stay at home mom to a toddler and infant. You’re absolutely right–writers write through!