Don’t Let the ‘B’ Word Ruin Your Writing
In today’s article, Cynthia Morris helps us with approaching a big writing project in the right way.
It comes in a blinding, glorious flash of inspiration. “This could be a book! I’ll write a BOOK!”
You dance around your house, full of promise and enthusiasm. What had just been a seed of an idea has sprouted into a book. A book: something big, something tangible. Something others can hold in their hands, read and recognize your brilliance. A book: a passport to the rich lands of fame and legacy.
Alight with potential, you settle in to write this thing. You eke out a few rough pages, hit ‘save’ and close the project down for the day. In the ensuing weeks, you tell everyone that you’re writing a book. You come to relish your new self-generated identity as an author. Visions of you sitting next to Oprah fuel your days.
There’s only one problem in this new, better version of yourself. After that initial foray into the content of the book, you’ve stopped actually writing the book.
Your fantasy of yourself, once so seductive and energizing, has coiled back on you like a snake let loose from its charmer’s basket. Your dream is now coming back to attack you – as a monstrous, frightful demon.
You avoid writing anything, and soon you also avoid all the people you told you were writing a book. You can’t stand the innocuous question that drives you crazy: “How’s the book coming?”
Convinced that you’re a putty-spined loser, you let the vision of writing the book fade as you settle back into your routine. Who were you to think you could write a book, anyway?
The ‘B’ Word
But you’re not a loser. It’s usually not your fault. For first-time authors especially, the ‘B’ word – BOOK – can be too much to hold.
Think about it. Pause right now and consider your book idea. (I know you’ve got one – 80% of all Americans want to write a book.) Imagine holding the book. Peruse the table of contents, shuffle through the chapters, riffle the pages. See everything in it.
You can’t do it, can you? A dearth of imagination? No. It’s because a book is a big project, and it’s too much to hold in our minds. It weighs too much, and without a strategy for breaking it into smaller pieces, it’s likely that the weight of the book will be too much to bear and soon, you’ll put it down for easier, more manageable tasks.
Shut Up About It
I have a theory: the more you’re talking about your book, the less you’re writing it. Blabbing to everyone about it, outlining the story, the structure, the essence of it, isn’t writing it.
It’s seeking approval. It’s getting your jollies on the content without doing the work. It’s robbing your book of its chance to come into the world and have an impact.
So hush about it. Keep it to yourself or talk to your coach or writing peers to help you stay on track. Sit down and write.
One Page at a Time
This despair often happens to my clients. Once we’ve identified their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, planned out a schedule and gotten them going, the surge of energy and momentum often sputters to a halt. They call in despair, convinced that they can’t write a book and were foolish to even think they could.
I talk them down from the ledge, and agree with them: they can’t write a book. But they can write one page, one chapter, one section at a time. They can hold that and they can act upon it.
Break it down, one section at a time. If you’re a blogger or are accustomed to writing short pieces, consider each paragraph, chapter and section as its own self-contained unit.
It’s that simple.
Has this happened to you – has your beautiful inspiration turns into a monster with a capitol B? How did you overcome it? Please share your success with overcoming the ruinous B word in the comments below.
Images courtesy of Bob AuBuchon and bmhkim.
Cynthia Morris helps writers, artists and entrepreneurs make their brilliant ideas a shining reality. She writes articles, e-books, blogs and is finishing a historical novel set in Paris. Get your creative juju back with Cynthia’s creativity workshops, from her Juju Infusion videos and from her free newsletter, Impulses, all found at Original Impulse.
I remember once reading a book that said when you discuss your ideas before you write anything, your brain then considers that idea “told” and loses the impetus to actually write it instead. If you keep the work to yourself and only discuss plot etc. with a friend when you’re stuck, you feel more of a zeal to get the thing done!
That’s fascinating, Icy. It’s true that the more you tell it, the less you want to write it. I am glad you made the distinction between telling the story and working it out with someone. Much different.
Thanks for the “words of wisdom”. You make good sense to me. The article Cynthia wrote is good, and I’m glad to see so many others adding good feedback to it. As a novice, all this is a bi help. Thanks again … to everyone.
I consider myself as a writer, and the “shut up” part isn’t really suits me. Sometimes, when I was working on a story I just had to talk about it with someone else. It’s not like he could transform the plot, but in that way I could see the “people’s” reaction. Moreover he asks questions about the story, and as I talk, I can see the plotholes I left. So if i talk with someone it helps me develope a more specific and more accurate story.
Richard,
What you’re referring to is a different kind of ‘talking about’ the writing. Sorting through plot issues with an engaged and articulate listener is not the same as going around proclaiming that you are writing a book. Telling everyone the story can indeed diminish the impetus to write it. Working through craft issues with peers or support can be invaluable, especially for people who process and learn things verbally.
In any case, whatever works for you works best for you. I suggest possibilities to help people see and act in new ways to make creating easier. There’s certainly no ‘one way’ for everyone. That’s why the comments section is so great – we get lots of points of view! Thanks for sharing yours. :)
Thanks for this response to Richard. I too, need to talk to someone about what I’m writing. It helps to have one someone you trust. I can’t say that I always accept sugestions that are offered, but it still helps to hear someone else’s insights.
Absolutely true. It’s like the other big problem people have when they get involved with writers groups. If being in the group or attending conferences makes them feel like they already are a writer, they stop writing.
After all, we all have a lot of anxiety around writing, so if we can get the rewards without facing the blank page, we’ll go for it.
Personally, I recommend planning a book thoroughly before you start writing, because being prepared can lower that anxiety.
This is such a great article. I’m a novice writer. Of course, in one’s first blaze of “I finally have the time”, I was excited to tell that very thing to everyone. Excited about the whole story of my “book”, I told it all to my family, to friends, and to whomever the subject of writing came up.
Yes, it’s exciting. Yes, it’s approval seeking, especially for me, and it’s also ego-stroking. Most gave me these reactions: my family, “OK, there goes Mom on another one of her ‘inspired good ideas’. Poor lady, she’ll never finish it. It’s painful to watch”; from friends, “yeah, right. Uh-uh…” with whispers of unbelief between themselves; from strangers or acquaintances, “hey, that’s great. GREAT ideas, especially for the youth! Good luck!” (I’m a retired secondary ed. teacher) The people who don’t know me believe me. I’ll never see them again. Those who do know me don’t believe in me. Answer: SHUT UP ABOUT IT!!! Thanks, Cynthia. Discouragement is a terrible thing.
Glen,
We all have that inner compass that tells us when we’re fooling ourselves – writing or ‘living a writer’s life’. We have to remember to take the benefits of groups and books and conference and how-to articles, and then go do the work. It’s all too easy to linger in the anteroom of ‘about writing’ than to do the hard work.
Planning can help – to a degree. Some people express all their energy for the idea and once it’s outlined, they lose interest. When I’m coaching a writer, it’s important for us to discover what they love about the writing process – what works to keep them engaged over the long haul, then guide them toward that as much as possible. If they love planning, they do it. If they love riffing, that’s the way they need to work.
Having said that, planning non-fiction is a lot easier than planning fiction. For my novel, I have a plan (if you can call draft 15 a plan) but it’s still likely to change as I edit. That’s what I love about writing – discovering something as I go along. (And forgetting that it’s a big ‘B’!)
Yup, the thing about talking and talking about something makes it Real to everyone else, so if you don’t do The Thing you keep talking about, well dot. dot. dot.
However, once you are published and have book or books out, you have to talk about the (next)Book. Because people are expecting it, waiting for it, and because you have to let people know you are writing another one. So dot.dot.dot! :-D
Kathryn,
Oh yes, I’ll be talking about my novel a lot when it’s done!
I love this post. I’ve noticed the more I tell my story, the harder it is to get it written. I’m so sharing.
Cynthia,
I LOVED this piece!! It really resonated with me personally, as I am more a short-piece kind of gal. But now I’m writing this book (does this mean I’m blabbing about it?); anyway, I manage by tricking myself into thinking each section is its own entity and pretending I’m not writing a book.
I do agree that blabbing about the book is easier than actually doing the work. Luckily, I do not have this problem. A few people know because they need to. And if the book never gets published, I won’t be embarrassed because I never have said I’m publishing a book, only that I’m writing one. And that is the truth.
And I know I will not be deterred; I will finish the book. Regarding publishing, let the chips fall where they may….
Beth,
I’m glad this post resonated with you. I like your approach – no expectations about publishing – just focus on the actual writing of the book.
Your determination to complete your book is very clear. You will do it! And then your publishing juju will kick in and your book will make its way to the world.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I like Beth’s approach. I’ve been writing a novel for years … in my head. I can sit down and write a short story with no problem (not saying they are good, but I do write them). If I can just approach witing a book as writing a series of short stories all about the same thing, just taking the next step with each writing, then maybe I’ll actually get a book written. But, I never tell anyone that I am witing a book … I’m afraid they’ll ask to read it … :o{ Maybe I’ll just keep witing short stories and work on getting some of them published. Hmm … don’t know.
MaryJane,
Short story or novel – that’s a big question. Ask yourself: what’s the most exciting choice for me?
Projects that are engaging and often seem beyond our reach are the ones that will keep us committed through the long haul.
Perhaps you can play with your stories – read them and see where the connections are, where are the unresolved/interesting issues and see how a novel might spring from that.
Neither form is better than the other; it’s just a matter of doing what’s engaging for you.
Maybe a novella? :)
In any case, the important thing is that you’re enjoying your writing. And wisely keeping mum about it!
Keep writing!
What a fantastic post. I love the comment re telling people about your book ‘It’s getting your jollies on the content without doing the work’.
As a ten-minute play writer and blogger, I’ve become too accustomed to writing snippets and fine it hard to sit down and work on my masterpiece! So I’m going to follow your advice, keep schtum and tackle it in small chunks.
As they say
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time!
Cute.
Excellent post.
I’ve noticed the same thing about anything I set out to do. There’s a point at which it’s safe to tell other people, but until then, best to keep quiet about it. Usually that’s the point at which the thing is literally a thing: at the risk of sounding too esoteric, it is manifest. Put another way, ideas are awfully awfully tender . . .
Kirsten,
It’s true – ideas are tender! That’s part of why we love them so much – the freshness, the possibility, the excitement.
It might have been Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way who described it like this: your ideas are like tender shoots, tiny plants that need your protection. If you put them out on the front walkway or porch, anyone can step on them. Keep them safe while they grow and can stand on their own.
It’s great that you know that point where you can bring your ideas into the world. Trust that.
Great post. I’m currently writing my first large project and I call it my “story”. Others ask if how the “story” is going – and that really encourages me. However, when someone starts talking about my “book” I feel fear, cold, painful fear.
Additionally, I find twitter as a publication platform for word count is very encouraging for me. Each day I write, I post “1xxx words today” and it helps keep me going.
Nicole,
That’s great – you’re saying that this ‘B’ word really has that negative effect on you. I’m glad you figured out a way to talk about it that works for you.
I know some people would read this and say, ‘Oh, just get on with it! What does it matter what you call it?” But these things do matter to us. How we live with our creative projects, what we call them, and who helps us make them are important make-or-break decisions.
I love your use of Twitter for cheering you on. What’s your handle? I’ll join your cheering section!
Good article and good advice! :) I always tell people I’m writing a story. That doesn’t seem to hold the same weight as a book and it doesn’t put as much pressure on me as a writer. I knew I could write a story, but I wasn’t sure if I could write a book. Four months later I’ve finished my first book and my story is continuing into a second. :)
Autumn2May,
Congratulations on finishing the first part of your story! I’m glad it’s continuing on.
Funny, isn’t it? It seems stories are charming and books are daunting.
Whatever it takes to get them out onto the page!
Thanks! :) Yeah tricking myself into thinking I could do a story, even if I couldn’t do a book, seemed to work pretty well for me. :)
Very good post, Cynthia! It happens with me too. I have noticed that even when I don’t discuss the storyline with anyone and just ‘talk to myself’ about it too much, it loses impetus and I cannot write after that. I have to just write! No talking, ‘just shut up and write’ is what works for me.
I break it into pieces and work. But I always get stuck at the last piece; my biggest issue is getting to a logical conclusion. I just don’t seem to be able to end stories well. Would you have any suggestions on how I can work on it?
Mia,
You have the work ethic of a real writer – keep plugging away until you’re there. But then you get to the end and Whaaaa??!!
The good news is that you know one of your writing weaknesses – endings are tricky for you. More good news is this – I think they’re tricky for most of us. It’s a big magic trick to pull it all off in a way that not only makes logical sense, but has an emotional payoff for the reader as well. No small feat!
I’m not a teacher of writing craft, but here are some things you may want to try:
Go back to the original impulse of the story. What theme or message does it convey? What’s the impact you’d like it to have on the reader?
Then, with that in mind, play with different endings. And I mean play. Make up a dozen different endings. Some will be absurd. Some will be right, some will be wrong. The point is to loosen your perspective so you can come up with something that feels fresh and right for the story.
I always bristle a little at the word ‘logical’ – there has to be a word or a way to combine both logic and emotion to a satisfying conclusion. I’m not sure you want to be too logical – if you can offer a surprise or insight at the end of a story, it’s even more satisfying. (Think of the twist often found in the last line of a haiku.)
Two books that have helped me with my novel:
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
They apply to novels but also to the arc of a story as well.
Hope that’s helpful! Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience with us.
Generally, if you get excited over your goals or your fantasized results, the brain eventually loses the satisfaction because it feels that it already happened.
I felt that the more I work on a project after telling my goals, the more frustrated I become because it took too much time than I thought. The real rewarding feeling is still too far and I feel like I’m in a rut. I guess to avoid this, I just condition my brain to look forward to the actual work.
Pardon me if I’m speaking generally here. Writing a book is as long term as animating a film and they both have stories to tell. Hehe.
Sporky,
It is the same – whatever the project, we all need to have a way to relate to it that works for us.
Your frustration about how long things take is very common. I think it’s because the way we communicate now is so fast – an email to India in a nanosecond, etc.
But the actual act of creating something takes time. Writing, as other arts, is a SLOOOOOOOWWWWW process. My clients always underestimate how much time it’s going to take to write something.
That’s why it’s good to know your own creative cycle, how long things take, where the dips are, what gets you past inertia or blocks, so that you can cope with the fluctuations of interest. Ultimately, when you’re working professionally, you come to do the work with less attachment to how excited you are about it. It sounds like you’ve figured that out already!
I love your work. Thanks for speaking up so I had a chance to meet you and see what you’re up to.
This is a FABULOUS article – so common sense but so good to hear too! I’ve done this with my first book as well as my second. I found once I stopped talking about it, I could find my way back to it. With something so big, having a plan for tackling this elephant is critical for me, otherwise I get too overwhelmed by the endlessness of the project. Thanks so much for sharing this – great insights!
Great article – thanks
I have been writing, on and off, since I was about 7yrs old – now 72 yrs. For many years I earned my living writing training manuals, tenders, newsletters, publicity booklets, reports,speeches for other people and other ‘non-creative’ writings – but always in between writing short stories and novels – all unfinished. In all that time only one short story has been published. Why? Fear of failure or too much fantasizing about what it will be like when I’m rich and famous?
So in July this year I came to a decision – I would publish a book of my short stories by Dec this year – six months to complete and publish. I wrote out my goals, how many stories, how many to publish, what size , etc, Decided that I would also learn how to do perfect binding and print and bind all my books. I decided to publish between 30 to 50 books – not a massive amount by any stretch of the imagination – some will be given as gifts and some will be sold (see that – positive thinking) in local shops and community centres. I live way out in Australian bush in a community of about 500 people within a hundred mile radius. I think I have probably told all of them that I am doing this and they all ask how things are going. Two friends who are artists are doing the cover and illustrations inside for me. I belong to a small local writing group who are as excited as me about it and are giving me useful feedback.
I have box files of half written stories and novels, as well as newspaper cuttings and notebooks of ideas, collected over 60 plus years. (I am a hoarder).
I have set myself a goal of completing one story a week and am already ahead of my goal with 8 finished.
I am also learning new skills in the printing side – what paper to use, what printer, how to make a perfect binding jig , what glue to use, etc.etc,
The amount of freedom this has given me is astronomical – I can put what I like in MY book !
It will not make me famous or rich but I will have published my book by the end of this year. The pressure is to ‘get something published’ has gone and I am now writing for myself.
Magi,
How exciting! Good for you for going for your book. I’m delighted that you’re feeling the freedom of that choice and relishing it fully.
You are already rich in your commitment and in the pleasure you take in your process. Who knows what this book will do once it’s done! That’s part of the fun for you to discover.
Thanks for reading and for writing. Enjoy it!
Haha the B word = book. Love it! Great article thanks!