You’ve finally made the decision to take this writing gig seriously.
After filling a notebook or two with ideas and storylines, setting up a few files in your computer, and installing a note app on your phone, you’re ready to hit your new profession head-on.
Until something or someone interrupts your precious creative state of mind.
Why can’t the universe — and those who reside within it — understand how important writing is to you? After all, you’re keeping to yourself, focusing on the screen, and making as little noise as possible.
What’s with all the distractions that keep poking their way in?
I get it. Not having a set time when you can be left alone to work can be frustrating.
Frankly, your dedication to your craft has nothing to do with what’s really going on.
Here’s a short excerpt from Please God, Make Me a Writer that may give you a few ideas on how to manage your life, your time, and your burgeoning career.
Thinking Outside the Box is the Key to Unleashing Your Creative Spirit
Through the years, I’ll occasionally read an article making a case that writing should be approached as a job.
The rationalization behind this theory springs from the notion that we’ll become more successful if we prepare ourselves — mentally, emotionally, and physically — to embrace a specific mindset for writing by dedicating a place and time in which to be creative and churn out work we can be proud of at the end of the day.
The basis of this concept lies in scheduling our writing efforts by blocking out segments of uninterrupted time and eliminating distractions in an effort to protect our commitment to the process.
A few suggestions for accomplishing this goal include setting up a suitable work environment, establishing stringent boundaries for yourself and others you live with, and putting a lock on the door.
The anticipated result of instituting this “working mindset” is to instill a level of priority to the significance of our craft. The problem, in my opinion, is that by developing such a diligent and strait-laced attitude, we’ve essentially set ourselves up to invite a few unpleasant side effects that often accompany the sense of “going to work.”
Here’s where I’m coming from.
In the past, I held a full-time job, working for the man. And for a while, the position provided a sense of comfort and stability.
Nestled in my cubicle, I ticked off the minutes and hours in dreary, boring repetition, daydreaming of the too-short vacations and holidays when I could escape my corporate prison …
Want more? You’ll find the full piece in Please God, Make Me a Writer. Available in eBook and paperback from Amazon. Click Here for a look inside …
Thanks for reading,
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Jill Reid is the author of Please God, Make Me A Writer, Real Life, Discover Your Personal Truth, and Life in Small Doses. Her books, videos, and newsletters explore writing, life, relationships, and personal success strategies for building the skills and confidence you need to achieve your goals.
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