Writing Through the Excuses
It’s been a few years since I worked with a writers’ critique group. In some ways, that’s a good thing, but in others, not so much. Heaven knows, my ability to start new projects, or finish old ones has suffered. What I miss most, though, was writing sprints.
Whether the moderator gave me a topic, or I chose my own, I got a lot accomplished in the allotted time, much of it even usable elsewhere. After leaving the critique group, I found similar inspiration with meetup groups which met to write, and share struggles we might be having. Yet, I failed to find one I attended consistently.
I’d make a lot of excuses:
- I didn’t like the venue
- The time wasn’t good for me (usually because it was too early in the day for my preferred sleep schedule)
- There wasn’t a convenient restroom (an absolute must for my hamster bladder)
- I couldn’t relate to the other members
The list goes on, but I know the real problem was laziness, and the list of excuses, merely a roadblock I set up to explain away my own lack of motivation.
Sources for Writing Prompts
In between times, I’ve done my own writing sprints, often using Judy Reeves’ “A Writer’s Book of Days” for my writing prompts. Meanwhile, I slogged through my Morning Pages day after day, using it as an excuse to avoid writing anything else. I’d point to my plethora of filled notebooks and tell myself “see, I’m writing!”. In reality, it was merely another excuse to avoid starting something new, or finishing one of my many existing projects.
It wasn’t until Morning Pages became hit or miss, a victim of yet another slew of excuses that I realized I needed to get back to basics, starting with writing sprints. It didn’t matter whether they were self-monitored, or done in some kind of group. The key was to make them part of my routine, just as Morning Pages was for so many years.
I realized I have a series of prompts of my own, saved in files like “New Story”, or “Blog Ideas”. Since they’re ideas my own brain devised, maybe they’re worth letting my brain take further. They might generate the new project I’ve been yearning for, or at worst, get the creative juices flowing again. Perhaps the process will even get me over the seemingly unscalable mountain I call editing I’ve allowed to torment me for the last couple of years.
Re-forming a Consistent Writing Habit
Whatever the outcome, the key is to get me back to writing daily, and making it something more than a brain dump, or a recap of the previous night’s dreams. Heaven knows, I have enough dreams which would make decent stories, but up to now, most have been lost in the bowels of my Morning Pages, and never even made it to one of the files on my computer.
It took me a few weeks to recognize maybe my Morning Pages had begun to hold me back; an albatross around my neck, inhibiting rather than inspiring further writing. There’s a time and a place to step back, regroup, and try something new, or resurrect something that worked in another time and place; a time to recognize you’ve fallen into a rut of your own creation, from which only you can dig yourself out.
After much nagging from the Universe, I recognized I’d done just that. The time had come to pick up the shovel and start digging some steps into the rock wall surrounding my personal pit of ennui and despair.
Recognizing Self-Sabotaging Behavior
A few weeks ago, I taped the words “Writers Write” on the wall above my computer. In the 
weeks that followed, I added a poster entitled “Feeling Words” and another called “Feeling Wheel”. Soon, affirmations appeared on sticky notes, yet somehow, I continued to wallow. I’d yet to recognize the only thing getting in my way was me.
I was sleeping more, watching too much mindless TV, wandering the house looking for something to do, and eating like crap. In my right mind, I’d have recognized the signs. My creative self was suffocating, and if I didn’t take drastic action soon, the poor thing would need life support in order to even regain consciousness.
Setting daily habits hasn’t been a problem, especially given the number of hours I spend alone in a normal week. I’ve managed to fill a couple of hours a day with things that keep me healthy, or have me showing up. Looking back, I see I’ve used some of them as another excuse to avoid writing or editing. The amount of time I spend on Social Media alone is ridiculous. Like anything else, I need to do what I came there to do, and get on with it. Nothing I do in order to stay visible needs to take more than an hour a day.
Jumping the Next Hurdle
Will I find another Meetup group, or writers’ critique group right now? Probably not, though opportunities arrive in my in box almost daily. I’ve learned I’m better off depending on myself, and setting my own schedule. It’s harder to make excuses when the hardest thing I have to do is either sit down at the computer and put my fingers on the keys, or pick up a pen and paper.
Even now, I find my mind wandering to things that can wait a little while, which reminds me the biggest hurdle I face is corralling my own monkey mind. I’ve learned I can toss the monkey a banana, or turn it loose on my mental playground, allowing me to stay on task for an hour or so. If I manage to give it something especially entertaining, it’s been known to stay out of my way for several hours at a time.
In hindsight, my most productive writing experiences have occurred when I had some kind of goal. In what seems another life, I did 3 NaNoWriMos, and ultimately completed 2 of the 3 novels I started. I wrote a memoir, though it took me nearly 10 years to finish it. I’ve now rewritten it twice, and am slowly slogging through rewrite number 3; a more intensive process involving individual files for each chapter. The ultimate goal is to rearrange them into a more meaningful order. Oh yes, and to publish the blasted thing.
Whether I get into the habit of daily writing sprints, do another NaNoWriMo in November, or find another way to get my creative juices flowing, I know consistency is the key. It may take a few tries to get the right combination, but I’m finally ready to cast off the shroud of ennui, climb out of this desolate pit, and be the writer I was meant to be.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri 
believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.
If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.
