Overcoming Resistance by Steph Beth Nickel

 

I first came across the idea of resistance as it pertains to our writing in Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art.

If writing is a regular part of your routine—and you've overcome the resistance that threatened to keep you from putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, at least for the most part—you may not be able to relate to this post. And that's awesome!

However, if you, like me, are still dealing with resistance, read on. 

I can come up with any number of excuses for not working on my long-neglected manuscripts. Maybe you can relate.

My clients' work has to be my priority, as do my volunteer responsibilities.

I have an excess of "starting energy." But pushing through "the messy middle"? That's a different story.

Do I really want to finish my manuscript(s) and revise it/them two, three, or more times?

Do I have what it takes to learn to self-publish?

Would it be worth the financial investment to get my books out into the world?

Since I've planned to self-publish one or more books annually for several years but have never done so, maybe I should simply give up on my publishing aspirations completely.

And seriously . . . does the world really need the books I have chasing each other around in my mind?

It's so much easier to work on short pieces like blog posts and articles.

I have errands to run and housework to tend to.

I have so many books TO READ (and podcasts to listen to).

And, to be perfectly honest . . .

I think I'll just lie here on the couch and scroll on my phone, pausing long enough to watch a series of mindless reels, another YouTube video, or a full-length TV show.

Talk about resistance!

Whenever we encounter resistance as writers, we have to be honest with ourselves, acknowledge that much of the time we're simply making excuses, and develop a detailed plan to overcome.

So, here are a couple of steps I'm going to take: 

Before needs to become one of my new favourite words. Before I lie back on the couch and pick up my phone on any given day, I will work on my manuscript—if even for 15-30 minutes.

I will schedule actual timeslots into my week for writing and others for researching self-publishing. I am not only a pantser when it comes to writing but also when it comes to life. I vehemently resist a rigid schedule. And while a certain amount of flexibility can be a very good thing, some things have to be done at a specific time on a specific day or they will remain undone. At least that's how it is in my world.

I'd love to hear what you do to overcome resistance.

A is for Audacious, by Lorrie Orr

 

An audacious amaryllis

audacious: adjective

     intrepidly daring: adventurous

     recklessly bold: brash

     marked by originality and verve

"Writing makes a person very vulnerable. It opens you to public criticism, to ridicule, to rejection. But it also opens conversation and thought. It stirs minds, and touches hearts. It brings us into contact with our souls. So how can it possibly be a waste of time, an idle act, a mistake, a betrayal of truth? Who can possibly tell us not to do it?"

Joan Chittister

Order of Saint Benedict

                         

Anyone who writes demonstrates a degree of audacity and boldness, for all the reasons Joan lists in her words above. It takes courage to think of oneself as a writer, and even more boldness to admit to writing if one is not a Louise Penny or Adam Gopnik. People ask questions we might not want to answer, or even know how to answer. 

Still, we write because it's what we do. Writing is part of our DNA, much more important than publishing. To become a better writer, here are some ideas for adding a little audacity to your writing life:

1. Get out of your own way. It's easy to become self-conscious about writing, always second-guessing, wondering if someone we know won't approve. If God has given you words, use them to his honour with your best ability. Ask for release from what holds you back.

2. Failure is more interesting than success. In telling stories, being they memoir, fiction, or anecdotes in an essay, having characters who struggle and strive for what they want helps readers relate more closely, for we all struggle in some way. 

3. Set audacious goals for yourself. Canadian comedian Jim Carrey grew up in a working class environment in Ontario where there was no money for education. He worked on his routines little by little. In 1985 Jim Carrey wrote himself a $10-million cheque and placed it in his wallet as a goal to work towards. Ten years later, in 1995, he signed a contract for Dumb and Dumber in the amount of $10-million. Coincidence? No. He set an audacious goal and worked towards it. 

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, sewing, reading, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days with happiness and contentment. She is newly retired from teaching high school Spanish. 

Sitzfleisch - by Lorrie Orr

 

In my attempts to develop a suitable rhythm for writing I've thought of emulating other writers. Like Edith Wharton, I've thought about staying in my nightgown all morning and write propped up on the pillows. But I'd get a crick in my neck, and sadly, unlike Edith, I have no assistant to come by and pick up my scribbled pages to reorder them and type them. Scratch that idea. 

Perhaps William Faulkner's situation for writing As I Lay Dying would be better. He was a night supervisor at a coal plant, but everything was quiet between midnight and 4 am, so he wrote on an improvised desk. A few problems arise as I contemplate this idea: I turn into a pumpkin at 10 pm, and I know of no nearby coal plants who might employ me. Moving on.

Parisian cafes seem to inspire a lot of writers, among them Hemingway, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Voltaire who enjoyed up to 40 cups of coffee per day while writing on the second floor of Cafe Procope. Alas, I don't drink coffee, and commuting from Vancouver Island to Paris is simply not practical. Au revoir, Paris. 

Instead, in my own humble home where no one picks up my mess nor brings me tea on a tray, I practice sitzfleisch, putting my bottom into a chair and staying there for a designated amount of time. 

In German, if someone is described as having a lot of sitzfleisch, it means they have the ability to just sit down and get a job done. Writing requires enormous amounts of sitzfleisch, don't you think? 

I'm very much a donkey led by a carrot, so I promise myself little treats once I accomplish a set goal, be it time, or word count. A single square of 78% dark chocolate is a great carrot, as is a walk around the block, or a phone call to my mom or a friend. As often as not, once I do get to my goal, I am eager to carry on and find that I do not need the carrot. 

Taming the lure of the internet is crucial for maintaining sitzfleisch. How tempting it is to check my blog feed, or my email, or to see what's happening on Facebook. Sternly, I ask myself, "Lorrie, who is stronger, you or the Internet?" Alas, in the interest of truthful writing, I confess that it's about a 50-50 split. But how virtuous I feel when I do overcome! 

My simple rules for writing include:

1. Do the important work first, in the morning.

2. Set a small goal and exceed it. 

3. Repeat.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, sewing, reading, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days with happiness and contentment. She is newly retired from teaching high school Spanish. 

Of Self Lives and Other Mysterious Things. By Marcia Lee Laycock

 

Image by Bronislaw Zrozka from Pixabay.com

What is the shelf life of a book? For some it goes on and on. The Bible, for instance, is still a best seller, with approximately 5 billion sold since publication of The King James Version in 1611. The best selling novel of all time is Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes, published in 1612, with 500 million books sold. Next is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859) with 200 million sold.

For others, however -- and most fall into this category – the shelf life is short.

I wondered if my first novel, One Smooth Stone had run its course as I filled out a purchase order for the book recently. I knew mine were likely the only orders being filled by my publisher now, thirteen years since its launch. I sighed. One Smooth Stone had moved the hearts of readers – from a psychologist working in a local prison who told me the book helped her help others, to a young victim of rape whose faith in God was restored.

So I prayed that God might extend its shelf life and continue to do His good work through it.

Then I happened to read a blog post about audio-books. It was mentioned that someone I knew had started creating them. I emailed him and after settling on the parameters we began the process. He worked chapter by chapter, sending the mp3 file to me when it was done. I listened and read along, noting any changes needed. A few times he contacted me to ask permission to change something in the text. He even pointed out there was a minor thread left dangling in the book. We tied it up neatly and carried on.

It felt like new life had been breathed into the novel. When it was completed I could not contain my delight to see it listed in the audio-books on Amazon. God still had a plan for One Smooth Stone.

In this digital age, we writers need to be open to new methods of getting our words out there. I became aware of this when I sat in the office of the personnel director of Wycliffe Bible Translators’ centre in Papua New Guinea. When I told him I was a writer, he said, “Oh, we’ve been praying for you! We need someone in the Non-Print Media department.” I frowned. “Uhm, non-print? But I just said I’m a writer.”

I was soon assigned to write short radio scripts, stories about what God was doing through Wycliffe all over the country. The vignettes were edited to ensure cultural clarity, then translated into several languages and sent to Guam to be broadcast throughout the South Pacific. The reach of my words had never been greater. After that I was asked to write the script for a video outlining Wycliffe’s 40 years of work in PNG. That was another adventure all together!

Being a writer in this century means being able to adapt creatively. The good news is “… we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV).

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Home Words is a newsletter that will bring updates, personal news and a short devotional to your inbox each month. Receive one of my most read short stories when you subscribe :)

For more information about my writing and speaking ministry, visit my website 

WRITING IN THE CRACKS OF TIME by Bob Jones

Are you struggling to find time to write? There may be more time than you know what to do with in the time that falls between the cracks.

Here are five strategic ways to find 72 minutes a day, everyday, for writing.

1. The last twelve minutes before you go to bed must be seeded. Those 720 seconds are prime time to prepare for your next day’s writing. Ready your writing space for the next morning. Tablet. Pen. Computer. Chair. No clutter. Spend the other ten minutes thinking about one thing you want to write about in the morning. The subconscious mind is a ready writer. Your last prevailing thought will simmer during the night. You can get a peaceful sleep and a jumpstart on your day.

2. The first 30 minutes when you awaken must be guarded. I find cracks of time at the crack of dawn. My cell phone is silenced. No one else is awake. The house is still. Being a morning person doesn’t hurt. I can count on one hand the number of mornings I’ve missed the dawn in 2020 without needing a wake-up call. Not a morning person? Set your alarm. A hot café mocha and I’m ready to go. The first 30 minutes of my day are the most productive. They must be guarded. No email. No social media. Focus.

3. Take care of business by working over time. Some time between after dinnertime and before bedtime, carve out 30 minutes of my time. Excuse yourself and go to your writing place. Hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob. Writing is nobody’s business but yours. Get down to business. Thirty minutes becomes sixty and then ninety and before you know it, you’re banked 350 minutes of writing after one week. Over time you will be surprised how much writing you get done.

4. Choose the time that is most convenient for everyone else in your life. This is your sacrifice of love. Married to a morning person? Write later at night so you can be with the one you love in the morning. Got kids? Write before they get up or after they go to bed. You are required to do shift work, work weekends or work more than one job? Write in the cracks of work. You may feel these choices leave you writing in weakness, but weakness is God’s favourite place to show his strength. When you make sacrifices out of love, don’t be surprised how God makes time out of your sacrifices. 

5. Never leave home without a way to redeem the time. Every week you have one or more moments of unexpected wait time. Waiting at an appointment. Waiting for a meeting to begin. Waiting because of a cancellation. Don’t fight it. Write in it. Prepare your mind to seize the opportunity in adversity.

Cracks let the light in. Are you ready?

Please take time and leave a comment below. Thank you.

Inspirational Podcasts for Writers by Wendy L. Macdonald

I’ve lost track of how many podcasts about writing I’ve listened to; however, I know which ones I recommend most. Like me, the ladies who produce my favorite podcasts, Write from the Deep, are Jesus loving nature-lovers.

 Each and every podcast has been a humongous blessing to me.

Interruptions & Detours:

When I wondered if the reason my life was invaded by a string of interruptions was because I’m not supposed to be a writer, along came some Write from the Deep podcasts to the rescue: Gratitude (Robin Patchen) & The Right GPS for the Writing Journey

I listened to how an inspirational writer successfully navigated bumpy trails and unplanned detours.

Sometimes the reason we have roadblocks is because spiritual warfare is happening. This means: We must forge prayerfully ahead unless God specifically says to stop.

Self-Doubt:

When I wondered if other writers struggle with self-doubt as much as I do, along came Write from the Deep to the rescue with a podcast overflowing with encouragement: Did God Really Ask You to Write?

Sometimes the reason we’re discouraged is because we need a reminder we’re not alone.

Writing Seasons:

When I wondered why my writing life is a roller-coaster ride, along came Write from the Deep to the rescue with a podcast about the seasons of a writer’s life: Writing Season

Sometimes, the reason why we’re in a valley is because it’s a natural season of the writing life.

Anyways, I think I’ve given you a good idea of what you can expect when you listen to one of the Write from the Deep podcasts. You may also want to visit their website at: Write from the Deep


Enjoy. And don’t forget to tell them Wendy Mac sent you. I’m one of their loyal listeners.

I'm nosy-to-know if you have an inspirational podcast you'd like to recommend to me?

Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

P.S.

  I’m a podcaster too. You can listen to any of my 155 and growing list of short (5-10 min.) inspirational programs here: Walking with Hope

Life Is In The Interruptions by Bob Jones

“Maybe life IS the interruptions,” wrote Janice Dick.

As a pastor I can say a solid “amen” to that.

I used to work hard at time management and schedules to avoid interruptions. Now I work hard at life management to include interruptions.

Much of effective pastoral care is usually found in the interruptions.

The man widowed after 45 years of marriage whose call interrupts message prep about Biblical families because he needs help making sense of his newly single life.

The distraught mother whose call interrupts Board agenda prep because her adult son was just found dead in his apt.

The novice small group leader whose text interrupts budget prep needing to know why the God he is teaching about is so heartless in the Old Testament.

The seeker who shows up at the office interrupting an evangelism training seminar because they passed by the church and saw the sign that says, “Come as you are.” And so they’ve come. Now. To talk. About God.

In reading the Gospels two things stand out to me about how Jesus dealt with work and interruptions. Jesus was busy. Why else would John record in his gospel that if everything Jesus did was written down, the world would not have enough room to contain all the books about his work. (John 21:25) That’s busy.

But Jesus was never hurried.

Interruptions did not stop his work – they became his work. He was never too hurried to pause.

A woman with an “issue of blood” interrupted him on his way to heal a little girl. He paused. “Who touched me?” The woman was healed and so was the girl.

A blind man in Jericho interrupted Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem by calling out for mercy. His friends tried to quiet him. Jesus paused and healed him.

The longer I have worked at writing, the more I see that the writing life and life in general is not about balance but about priority. Relationships trump rules. People trump schedules. Family trumps just about everything.

Setting your pen down or turning aside from a keyboard to pay attention to an interruption could be the best thing you can do.

As I was writing this post about interruptions I was interrupted by a call from my eldest son and grandson. They’re five hours away in Saskatoon but as close as a Facetime call. An ironic interruption? Not really. Just life. At its best. Hello?

Bob is a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. His office walls are adorned with his sons’ framed football jerseys, and his library shelves, with soul food. He writes to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose.

Follow his writing at Pointes Of View.

God’s Best Plan: Stop Writing by Marcia Lee Laycock

New Leaf

“Why don’t you ever have time for me?”

My heart stopped and I turned to my nine-year old daughter as she burst into tears. I gathered her in my arms and we talked. She had needed me when she came home from school that day, but I was glued to the computer screen, and had only given her a vague “uhuh” when she started to tell me what was on her heart.

A short time after that, a man stood up in a congregation and said, “What you are doing is good but your obsession with it is not.” I knew immediately God was speaking to me. I knew my writing had become an idol in my life. When I needed comfort, I wrote. When I was afraid, I wrote. When I was angry, I wrote. I went to my writing instead of my God.

So I prayed and God answered. "Stop writing fiction." I didn’t like that answer and I argued with Him about it. But eventually I gave in but I asked the Lord for one thing - "Please, please take away the stories that continually flow through my head." I feared I would go mad if they continued and I was not able to write them down. He answered that prayer. For over two years. No story ideas, no scenes, no characters came to mind. I continued to write devotionals and articles for a local newspaper, but no fiction.

Then one Sunday morning, after the service, I  chatted with a woman about abortion. She asked, “Can you imagine what it would be like for someone to discover that his mother had tried to abort him?” I did imagine. A character began to take shape in my mind so vividly I knew God had released me to write his story. I prayed and then I wrote. That novel, One Smooth Stone, won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award. And I wept, not just because of the award, but because of what God had taught me.

He taught me that if I am obedient to Him He will bless me in ways I could never have imagined. He taught me that a strong “no” may seem harsh but will always be given with loving intent. He taught me that He intends “to prosper (me) and not to harm (me)... to give (me) a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Those years of fasting from fiction changed me and changed my work. It was, in a way, a time in the wilderness that stripped away what was not good and left a clearer, truer path. The withering away of what was dead left room for the new and necessary growth.

“Stop writing fiction” was not what I wanted to hear, but it was God’s best plan.
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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has four devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded on Smashwords or on Amazon. It is also now available in Journal format on Amazon. 

Her most recent release is Celebrate This Day, a devotional book for special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving. 

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