What helped and Hindered My Writing

What has helped and hindered my writing? I spent a few weeks thinking about this and watching myself to see what items applied to me and what reasons I was using as an excuse not to write. The main reasons that I found myself using this last year has been my health.

I suffered from migraines in the past year and as anyone who has had them can tell you, writing is something that you cannot do when one hits. However, I realized that I hadn’t been writing even when I didn’t have a headache and I wondered why?

After some soul searching, I realized that my confidence had taken a hit. I was afraid to write. Why did my confidence take a hit? I realized that I had read some older reviews that were less than nice about me. I listened to some, so called friends who said they could write better than I could; however, they have never published anything. When I allow these outside forces to enter my thoughts, they make it hard for me to believe in my own ability to be creative and write. So, I came up with excuses that hindered my writing.

I made a list of reasons I haven’t been able to write, and I believe that in the last year I have probably used each of these excuses, at least once and some perhaps twice. As I mentioned health and confidence are the first two. My advice is to remember, you will never please everyone when it comes to readers and there will always be someone who thinks that they can do something better than you; even when they have never tried to do it. No one writes the same as you do and that is the wonderful part. You are unique and that is what makes the story you write special. No one else can write your story, you need to believe and have confidence in yourself. If you’re stuck in the house for health reason, use it to your advantage and write.

The next reasons on the list are the dreaded computer or technology problems. These always strike when I am least expecting them and never when I am prepared for them, they bring with them loss of work and frustration. My remedy for this is to save my work in multiple places, online and on my computer. If my computer crashes and it is saved online, I won’t lose my hard work. If it is saved on my computer and the internet is down, I can still work on it and won’t lose valuable ideas or time without access to the internet.

Another thing that I found hinders my writing a lot is social media. I get on Twitter or Facebook and before I know it two or three hours have passed. I do a lot on book promotion on Twitter, so I am not wasting my time I tell myself; however, I am not writing. I guess this also counts as procrastination.

Some factors can also be both helpful and a hindrance depending on what is going on at the time. Friends and Family can be a hinder when you are trying to find time to write and they are vying for your time an affection. However, they can be your biggest supporter and champions if you allow them to be. They can promote you to their friends and co-workers.

They can help you come up with ideas when you are stuck on a plotline or aren’t sure if a character would say or do something. Use them as a resource and let them help you with research. They will be more interested in what you are doing if they are a part of it and in turn, they will allow you more time to write if they understand that it takes time and concentration to write a story. You may also develop a love of writing in a family member.

This leads to finding a place and time devoted to writing. I have talked to several writers and conclude that many of us write during the middle of the night. I am not sure why and the reasons differ for everyone. I write then because that is when my muse is active, I have tried to write during the day and am sidetracked by even more things.

Another excuse is I cannot figure out how to start this book, story, paragraph? Skip the first line if it isn’t coming to you and come back to it later. The idea will come when you are not trying to think of it, so skip it. Write the rest of the story. You will be editing the story later anyway, so don’t stress over it, enjoy it. I use the writing process as an escape into another world, place or time. I put on the headphones, turn on the music and get lost in the writing process.

If the creative juices don’t want to come don’t force them, get up and do something different that is creative. Read, draw, dance, talk to a friend, decorate, sing, cook, anything to relax you or make your brain look at thing differently. Turn the things that can become a distraction and a hindrance if you let them into something that starts the creative juices flowing and makes you want to get back in there and write.

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What do I want to be when I grow up?

I could never answer that question until now. Life for me has never been boring; it has always been an adventure. While serving in the Air Force, I married one of my best friends. I stayed at home and raised our two sons, who married to two wonderful women, and I have one grandson. I have several incredible friends, and I love to travel. My husband and I are now living in Texas.

My focus currently is on writing my Time Travel Books, The Eternal Knot Series by S. Brown. I am working on book four MacKenzie: Time Travel. The books in the series are written as stand-alone, so they can be read in any order and still be enjoyed. The first three books in the series are King Roan: Time Travel, Raven: Time Travel, and Samantha: Time Travel. The first books I wrote were Jane Austen fanfiction and titled The Dream: by Sherrie Brown.

Visit my website:  http://authorsherriebrown.com

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips