Self Talk – I Am a Writer

Self-talk is the voice in your head that almost never shuts up if it has a chance to talk. It is usually quiet when you are listening or reading, but even then it may interrupt. Unwelcome interruptions are called attention deficit. By itself, attention deficit is not a mental health problem. It happens to everyone.

The voice, of course, is just your thinking. You may believe that the thinking is you; that the thinking expresses your personality. But, not everything you are thinking is you. It is a combination of your personality, what you hear and read, what you think about what you see, what you are influenced to think about by other people, and your knowledge and memories.

How to Establish a Strong Writing Discipline

Discipline is not a wish to do something or even a need. Discipline is doing something no matter how you feel. Discipline is doing something because you have made it your number one priority. With a strong writing discipline, everything that stands in the way of your writing becomes roadkill on your writing highway.

Establishing a strong writing discipline may take no more than a change of focus from what is now primary for you. In extreme cases it may require a change of personality. You don’t need some complicated psychotherapy course to take you through the change. It’s easiest to keep it simple.

How to Write When You’re Feeling Down

It’s hard to be creative when you have the blues. Lucky for you, writing is mostly perspiration, not inspiration. If you’ve been writing for some time, practice may have given you the habit of continuing to write in any mood. I’ll assume that’s not the case or you’d be skipping this article. If you can’t generate new ideas when you’re down, the answer is simple. Work on writing you already have in progress. How does that work?

Do You Need To Read Before You Write?

I read a lot of both fiction and nonfiction. Three books a week on average and too many articles to count. Some authors say it’s bad if you need to read to write. Others say it’s absolutely necessary. I’m on the side of reading and I’ll tell you why.

You Were a Reader First

Every great writer was a great reader first. Like any skill, learning from those who came before is a big part of success. Reading teaches us spelling, sentence structure and how to put together an article or book.

While most books follow the same popular formulas, some great variations pop up now and then. For example, Cloud Atlas told the first half of several stories and then worked it’s way back out to the first story, finishing each. The more you read, the better your chances of finding some of those variations. You never know what ideas may work for you.

Meme Your Way to Writing Success

First off, I should say that a meme is an infectious idea. “One Person, One Vote” and “Might Makes Right” are both memes. A meme can be either good or bad for you.

You often pick up memes without realizing it. When a song gets stuck in your head, it’s a meme. It’s the same with advertising jingles. Are those the words you want to be thinking?

You Can Write Without Inspiration

You’re relaxing in a pleasant environment thinking about the past or dreaming about the future and an idea hits you. You go to your notebook or computer and start writing. It all comes together beautifully. A great article is born or a new book is on the way.

That’s how a lot of people think of writing, even those of us who know better. It’s the ideal of writing. Sometimes writing really happens that way.

Is Writing a Growth Career?

Sixty years ago, a man with a grade 5 education could have a good life. They could get hired to do almost any job. My grandfather had a grade 5 education and became mayor.

Forty years ago, a man with a high school diploma could have a good life. They could get hired to do almost any labor job. My father had a high school diploma, worked in labor and is now retired with a pension.

Twenty years ago, a person (not just a man any more) with any college or university degree could have a good life. They could get any job related to their degree.

Today, a person with post secondary degrees has a chance at a good life. Their degrees could also be obsolete.

Goals for Writers

Your current writing goals may not be enough to get you where you want to go. I’m sure you have some definite writing projects you want to finish, but how are you making them happen? Do you work on them when you have time without much sense of urgency? That can happen all too easily. If you really want to achieve something with your writing, you need to make it more like work without taking away the joy of creating.

The Rambling Writer

The Rambling Writer

Writing projects can be a lot of fun or a lot of frustration. Working on only one project at a time can concentrate your focus and put the piece on the fast track. The downside is, if you get stuck you’re not writing until you break through the block.

It is a lot more interesting to work on multiple projects. Get stuck on one and switch to something different. The only bad part of this plan is that some pieces may get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes a topic that is fascinating to you now, doesn’t interest you at all when you come back to it later.