Guest Blogger Crystal Reavis

When you sit down to write and just can’t

Have you ever sat down to write be it a short story, poem, or even a blog post and find you can’t think of anything (even though you had a plan)? You stare at the blank paper or computer screen, willing your mind to come to life? 

You had an idea where did it go? It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I can tell you it has happened to all of us at one time or another. Writers everywhere have a story to tell about the dreaded writer’s block. Even the name sounds iffy. No one wants to think about it much less go through it. So what can help you with getting over that state of blankness? I’m going to share with you a list of things that seem to work for me. Hopefully, some of these will keep you from giving up. 

• Go for a walk! Yes, a walk. Being out in nature relaxes you. This helps me forget all about writing or gives me some ideas. There’s something about being outdoors that just makes you feel better. 

• Take a long hot bath or show! I find my mind stops trying to overwork when I’m in a nice hot water. My body is at peace which helps me concentrate better.  I slow down and stop worrying. Total relaxation moment! 

• Read! This will not only get your mind off your own writing but it will allow you to step into an entirely new world. As you envision this work you may start getting ideas. I find some of my best ideas come when reading. I never steal or copy anyone else’s ideas but it helps me get my creative juices flowing! 

• People watching! Yes, I said people watching! You may be wondering why I do this and that is a very good question. This allows me to see different people’s personalities, moods, the way they dress and move. They don’t realize they are being watched and so are themselves. I am then able to build characters from them. This can even help with a blog post because often times we are writing about people in one way or another. People watching is a great way to beat writers block!  

• Watching TV! Many people see watching TV as a waste of time and while it can be mind-numbing it can also be useful. Just like reading and people watching you can get ideas from what you are seeing! The way the characters talk, walk and deal with different situations. You can even get inspiration from the sets. The color schemes or layout of the city etc. Watching TV can be a great inspiration for writers.  

• I’m sure this one is going to be my least popular suggestion but here goes. Playing video games! You read that right! Playing games can have the exact effect on you as reading or watching TV. If you play a game that has great character development you can glean ideas from them. You might even be inspired by the look of a character and use bits and pieces of their looks in your writing. Give it a try one time and see if it helps! 

• Last but not least talking! Talking to someone who’supportive of you and you can bounce ideas off of is a great idea! They can help walk you through what you’re having trouble with and give you a fresh set of ideas. Often times it is people outside of a situation that sees things the clearest! Find someone whom you can turn to when you need a set of ears and are willing to throw things out there for you. I find doing this helps me tremendously! 

I hope some of these suggestions can help you next time you have writer’s block and are ready to hit your head against the nearest wall. Often times we have writer’s block from overthinking, at least that is the reason in my case! If you have any suggestions of your own leave a comment! 

How To Overcome Writing Anxiety

How To Overcome Writing Anxiety

Fear, numbness, exhaustion, chest tightness, procrastination, lack of ideas, lack of goals, lack of purpose, lack of confidence, anger, frustration, blockage… if you recognize any of these symptoms before, after or while writing, you are probably suffering from writing anxiety.  When the whole process stops being fun and delightful, something is wrong. But, don’t worry, you are not alone. Together we’ll bring joy back to your writing.

First, we need to understand what is causing the anxiety. 

Perfectionism

Your logical brain is forcing you to write a masterpiece and completely exhausting the creative brain in the process. You can’t write a single phrase without the logical brains telling you to reread and rewrite it a hundred times. But perfection doesn’t exist. So, your logical brain decides to postpone the whole project until the creative brain creates perfection. “This is its job.” The logical brain says. Under pressure, the creative brain turns off. Having this ongoing strike inside your mind will give you anxiety. 

So try this: Instead of a long out-of-sight deadline, set smaller goals or missions to be achieved daily. For example, instead of “I have to complete my first draft in three month's” try something like “I have to write two pages every day no matter what”. Daily goals will keep you moving. After completing a mission, reward yourself with internet time.

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ Writing is peaceful and fun

§ I feel accomplished after a day of writing

§ I allow myself to write with the flow of creativity

§ I love to immerse in writing

§ Writing is my safe place

§ I am flawed and I like that

§ I am a prolific author

§ I always meet my goals

§ Writing brings me joy

§ This is the career for me

§ I’m proud of myself for writing every day

§ I allow my creative mind to speak up

§ Mistakes makes me stronger

§ I feel stronger every day

Unstable family

Having negative, critical, violent, abusive, dependent, emotionally distant or bickering family members is a major cause of writing anxiety. Both family problems and writing take a huge amount of energy. You can’t do both at the same time. We end up getting involved in family dramas, but, when it’s time to write, the missing energy causes us anxiety.

So try this: When your family shows instability, look for a safer place in your house. Distance yourself somehow. If they are used to negativity, nothing you do will make them feel better. Actually, sometimes, you trying to help will only make things worse. So, distance yourself. Allow them to do what they wanna do, but allow yourself to be different. Try making new friends as well, even online friends are valuable. They take away your attention from the bad mood. 

Positive affirmations to read every day: 

§ I choose to live my life in peace

§ I allow my family members to live the way they want

§ I can’t change others, and that’s okay

§ I am a free person

§ I am important, my decisions are important

§ I allow myself to be different

§ Writing completes my soul

§ Writing brings me joy and peace

§ I have many reasons to be happy today

§ I’m proud of myself for choosing peace

§ Writing is my safe place

Depression

The lifestyle of a writer is the major reason why depression is so common in our career. For example, no sunlight, no exercise, spending hours in the same position, thinking, thinking, over thinking, enduring loneliness (sometimes even when we are surrounded by people) and the financial uncertainty. Soon enough, your energy drops. What used to make you all excited and happy, now is boring or bothersome. In some cases, you can barely leave the bed. Sleeping is a mechanism your body finds to ease the pain in your mind. “Losing” the passion for writing can cause anxiety.

So try this: Exercise every morning, stretch, take a sunbath daily, enjoy happy songs before sleeping, change your workplace regularly, fill your walls with drawings and beautiful images, make small changes in your routine, learn something new, learn a new origami every day, learn a new language, learn new recipes, change your eating habits, start a blog or a vlog, try new writing habits, find a new restaurant, go out, write somewhere else (like in a coffee shop), write in a different genre and sub-genre, change the age of your characters, change the set, change the plot… you must be willing to let go of old habits and give yourself something new every day. 

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ I am surrounded by love

§ I am surrounded by amazing ideas to be written

§ I am proud of myself every day

§ My career is to make people dream, I’m so cool

§ I feel excited to start a new day

§ I feel excited to write

§ I am going on a journey every day

§ I am excited for tomorrow

§ Writing brings me joy

§ I allow myself to feel good right now

§ My heart is smiling

§ I love smiling

§ My purpose is feeling good right now

§ Writing is peaceful

Grief or trauma

If you went through a traumatic event, writing is hard. You no longer understand life as you used to. What you were passionate about doesn’t matter anymore. You are in pain, angry and/or exhausted. These feelings have taken over your mind. Forcing yourself to write will only bring anxiety into the equation.

So try this: Give yourself some time, a month, three months or even a year. In this period, don’t worry about writing or anything. Get some rest, watch movies, read books, lots of books, travel, discover the new you. When the time comes, you will naturally go back to writing.

Positive affirmations to read every day:  

§ I feel better every day

§ I am proud of myself

§ I am brave

§ I am surrounded by love and peace

§ Writing gives me a good sense of direction

§ Writing makes me feel good

§ I allow myself to cry if I feel like crying

§ I allow myself to smile

§ I love smiling

§ Writing is a good life experience

§ Good news is coming my way

§ I am excited for tomorrow

§ Something amazing is about to happen

§ I feel light and peaceful

Low self-esteem

Feeling bad towards your physical appearance, career/school situation, financial condition, lifestyle and past choices can also lead to writing anxiety. If you are not confident in who you are, you will have a hard time finding confidence in writing. Having a voice requires confidence. And if you can’t respect and appreciate yourself right now, hesitation is the cause of anxiety. 

So try this: Change your physical appearance somehow, buy new clothes, dress nicely at home, change your hair, draw beautiful patterns all over your skin. Don’t compare yourself to celebrities. Stop following celebrities and beauty magazines if they are making you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Find more realist celebrities to look up to. Give yourself love. No one deserves love more than you. Live in the present, avoid any thoughts about past mistakes or what to do in the future. Live in the now.   

Positive affirmations to read every day:   

§ I allow myself to simply be

§ I am part of this world, which makes me important

§ I enjoy my body

§ I feel pretty/handsome, regardless of beauty standards

§ No one has the same body and face as me, I’m unique

§ I enjoy my personality

§ I respect myself

§ I allow myself to make my own path

§ My opinion is what matters

§ I am proud of this body

§ I enjoy life

§ My voice is important

§ My voice is beautiful

§ I am beautiful

Decidophobia

Or the fear of making decisions. You don’t know in which genre you should write, or which sub-genre. You can’t decide which idea to write, or which character to create. You feel like drowning in an ocean of possibilities. Making a decision is too hard. And you stop yourself from moving forward for the fear of making the wrong choice. Being stuck causes the anxiety. 

So try this: If you can’t decide between two things, think outside of the box. Create a third option and go for it. You can also write all options in pieces of people and pick one randomly. Give yourself fifteen minutes to make a choice, nothing more than that.

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ I am taking the right path every day

§ It’s easy to choose

§ I trust my instinct

§ I am wise and I always have the answer

§ I allow myself to decide

§ I allow myself to move forward

§ Moving forward is good

§ I am always taking a good path

§ I feel confident in my choices

§ I know what to do and which path to take

§ The answer is always clear

§  

Can you identify what is causing your anxiety?

Now that you know the cause, let’s overcome it.

This post was found on an unidentified blog post.

Thank you to Wendell Thorne for the blog post below.

So, You Want To Be A Star?

Those of us who create art--any form of art--have always known that the pathway to "making it" as an artist is rocky, uphill and rarely culminates in what the world calls "success." I'm talking financial success here.

But in our minds, there was always a chance that the content we created might catch the eye or ear of some influential entity or individual willing to bankroll an album or a book or a show. The labels or publishers would plant down a wad of cash to finance --and more importantly, promote--a project and the artists were on an upward trajectory to fame and fortune. A dream come true.

Some of you already realize it, but those days are gone.

Even thirty years ago, when I was in college learning to write, the refrain that echoed was, Everybody with a word processor is a writer. Publishers were inundated with manuscripts, studios received an onslaught of screenplays and record companies were bombarded with garage demos that produced the books, movies and albums we came to know and love.

Not anymore.

Books have been dying a slow death for decades. People simply don't read anymore. A site like this, Goodreads, is essentially a book club, a place where the remaining literature lovers in the world congregate and feel a kindred spirit with the 20 percent of the world that still reads books for pleasure.

The music business has been on life-support for some time, as well. Eagle's guitarist Joe Walsh said he'll never record another album, for the simple reason that, regardless of its quality, it won't sell. The internet has made music freely available, on a wide variety of platforms. The only way artists make any money at all is by doing shows, which is why we see our favorite legendary bands wearily touring, year after year. However, with the realities of a dwindling fan base, the cost of admission and myriad options for our entertainment dollar, even those bands don't draw like they once did.

And cinema? You see what the studios send to the theaters anymore. Remakes and Sequels. Series of CGI-heavy noise-making films that thankfully needn't rely upon thoughtful and thought-inducing dialogue.

Obviously, the reason for the decline in paid artwork is our friend, The Internet. Well, coupled with advances in the kind of technology that allow an eleven-year-old guitar-whiz in Topeka to share his professional-quality recording of "Eruption", easily uploaded to a platform with a worldwide audience. The downside is he doesn't get paid for making it.

The point of writing all this isn't to bum you artists out. It's to say that, if the reason you're writing or acting or singing or playing or whatever is based upon a dream of making the big time, I'm here to say that the big time isn't there anymore. Rather, it's an ocean of small time. And if you're engaged in art in order to make a living, that's the wrong reason.

I regularly hear stories of amazing performances on television talent shows. Unrealvoices that blow the judges away. In my estimation, only one of them over the years has ever gone on to superstardom, and that's Carrie Underwood. The point is, when it comes to chops, lots of people have them; when it comes to parlaying those into a career, the odds are staggeringly against you.

Create because you have to because you are compelled to, because it satisfies your soul. Share it with the rest of us and we will enjoy the kindred spirit that ignites the passion in us all. If you get paid, that's super. But don't kid yourself that you're headed for a comfortable place in the money-making limelight.

Not anymore.

Tower Two - Where are you?

As I’m sitting here listening to Lisa Stanfield singing about running around the world looking for her love. It makes me wonder how many of us writers are chasing our own dreams.

When you look around and see people who are go-getters. Making all those proverbial ’balls in the air’ dance. And yet there are others that seem to be floating by without a care, or thought about their future or goals.  Of if they even have one.

And then you take a look at writers and place them in those same silos. The vast majority of writers can be placed in three towers.

Tower One –

A writer that has already made a name for themselves and just sit back and let the system work for them. Putting out a bestseller after bestseller.

Tower Two –

The writer who writes every day pushes researches, promotes and sells their soul for just one good month of sales so that they can put out another book and start the process over and over again. Always maneuvering those proverbial balls to just make it work.

Tower Three –

Those writers that pick up a pen every now and then. You know the ones. They tell their friends that they are writing a book and have been for 7 years. And for some reason, it never seems to appear. Or better yet, those writers that call or email a publisher asking to be published  - the staff member on the other end of the line says sure, send your work over to me and I’ll take a look. And then that same staff member has to hunt them down a wild animal that just destroyed a village.

Tower three brings on a sad reaction to all publishers as well as those writers in Tower Two. They just don’t realize just what they are missing or throwing away. There are some writers who search for years to get their book published.  And when they finally get that break, they find that they are in a totally different world than they thought they were. That they are now a business and have to put all of their efforts into growing that business.

Here’s the gig. That quote that says, writers, write! Well, it’s true. And now a day’s those same writers shamelessly promote and sell themselves to get to where they need to go.

I have told several people who tell me that they want to write or be a writer, that the days of publishers giving out great advances, sending you on book tours or doing your marketing for you are over. Now are the days of self-promotion, making and scheduling your own book signings as well as shipping your books on your own.

We here at Breaking Rules Publishing are looking for Tower Two writers. The ones that have the drive, the desire to get their book and name out there. So if you have the taste, the drive and desire to make it work, then we’re here to help you. It is our goal to help all of our writers reach their goals and fulfill their writing dreams.

Simply email us at breakingrulespublishing@gmail.com and we will do all that we can to make that happen.

If you’re in Tower Three – we wish you luck. We’re sorry, but we just don’t have to time to trail behind you, trying to find you in the rough. We’re off forging the road for those authors that are serious about creating their own path.