writers

[char]

Wondering if there are other struggling writers out there.  I have been writing screenplays for a number of years. Have had options and some interest but really frustrating.  Recently completed a novel...sometimes wonder if I'm just banging my head against the wall.

char

[Michael Neill]

Hey, Char -

A more interesting question might be 'I wonder if there are any wonderfully successful writers out there - ones who used to feel like they were banging their heads against the wall but now, in some way, have broken through to the other side?'  Am guessing that at this point, inspiration might be more useful than empathy!

Have your read Steven Pressfield's the War of Art?  One of the best books ever written on what it is to be a writer (imho)...

Happy exploring,
michael

[Jay Budzynski]

Hi Char

Well I am not a writer, as such, yet I am looking at creating a E-Book some time soon, as a test run, yet that does not get me to what I was saying, I came across this site about 15-7 months ago, and even though I have not been for a while, when I did, visit, I got a few ideas, you might check it out maybe even create an account, and post some stuff,  as some times, peoples work as been picked up, by the main stream publishing houses, it just might be worth you having a look.

Hope that was helpful

LJ




http://www.fictionpress.com/

[Michael Neill]

Not to bombard you, Char, but here's a tip from earlier this year which may prove useful...

===================
THE STICKING POINT
===================

"The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self of the chains that shackle the spirit."

-Igor Stravinsky

As I've often written about in these tips, I live and coach by a simple yet powerful rule of thumb:

The most important choice you make
is what you choose to make important.

This is true in any area of your life - the results you produce will be a direct and reliable result of your priorities.  Prioritize doing what you love at work and watch your career begin to thrive; prioritize kindness, courage and communication at home and your relationships will soar.

So what's the most important thing to prioritize (i.e. 'make
important') if you want to move forward more quickly on a project or a goal?

Well, one of my favorite theories in the field of productivity management is Eliyahu Goldratt's 'Theory of Constraints' (see the 'Want to Learn More?' section at the end of the tip to learn more).  The theory is that when you prioritize identifying and relaxing the constraints that limit an organization's ability to reach a higher level of goal attainment, you will make that organization more productive.

An example Goldratt uses in his book 'The Goal' is that of a Boy Scout troop going for a hike in the woods.  All the boys hike at different speeds, and one boy in particular (named 'Herbie' in the book) tends to be the slowest of them all.  If you want to get them all in to camp in the fastest time possible, what order do you need to put them in?  In particular, where do you need to put Herbie?

Take a few moments to think about this now - where would you put the slowest kid in order to get the whole troop to camp in the fastest time?  Would you put him at the beginning?
The middle?  The end?  Or would you just allow the boys to create their own order based on whatever speed they happen to be going that day?

Let's think this through together...

Because the troop can't arrive any faster than Herbie arrives anyway, it doesn't help to let the faster boys go at their own pace.  They'll only wind up sitting around waiting for him.  If Herbie is placed in the middle of the line, you'll wind up with two groups arriving at camp at different times - the kids who are ahead of Herbie and the ones who are stuck in line behind him.  So the somewhat surprising answer is that the fastest way to get *everyone* to camp is to put Herbie at the very front of the line and do whatever you can to help him walk faster (i.e. encourage him, split the contents of his pack between the stronger boys, etc.).

What does this have to do with you?

Well, if you want to make the fastest possible progress on a project or goal, you need to first identify and then exploit the key constraints - that is the main 'sticking point' which is slowing down your progress.  By identifying and 'unsticking' that point, you will keep your project flowing ahead as quickly as possible.

Here is an example from a recent client session:

Tim is a screenwriter who wasn't writing and was thinking about giving up.  His first answer to the question 'what's the key sticking point?' was that he was tired all the time because of his new baby.  While that was certainly possible, I knew lots of writers (myself included!) who manage to write even when they're getting little or no sleep, so I asked him 'what else could it be?'

'I'm lazy.'

'What else?'

'I don't have the discipline to succeed in this business?'

We went back and forth like that until Tim went absolutely blank - he said he was feeling 'a bit spacey' and really tired, both of which in my experience are excellent signs that you're getting close to the truth.

So I asked the question a bit differently this time:

'What's the one thing which if you did that, everything else would follow?'

After only a few moments, he said 'well, I suppose if I got my laptop fixed that might get things going again.'

I was a bit stunned that he had overlooked that bit of information up until this point in the conversation, but I decided to keep probing anyway.  'What stops you from getting your laptop fixed?'

And finally, we got down to the real sticking point - he didn't know his warranty number.  I asked him to make finding that warranty number his top priority for the week.
Two days later he called me to say that his computer was up and running; by our next session together he had written twenty pages of a new screenplay, the first pages he had written in nearly three months.

When I thought about Tim a bit more, it struck me that if he hadn't kept looking for the key constraint on his productivity, he might have actually given up on a career he loved, blaming himself or his family when all the while all that was slowing him down was a warranty number.

It reminded me of the old poem:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a nail.

--------------------
Today's Experiment:
--------------------

1. Choose a goal or project which you are feeling stuck with (or would like to accelerate the speed of your progress with).

2. Ask yourself any or all of the following questions until you identify the key constraint - the one thing which is slowing everything else down:

*What is the one thing which if I did that, everything else would follow? 
*What stops me from moving forward faster?
*What's the key sticking point?

3. When you have identified the key constraint or 'sticking point', make resolving, enhancing or moving past it your top priority.

4. Repeat any time it feels like you are losing momentum on your project or goal.  Like sticks floating down a river, just because you've unstuck things once or even a dozen times doesn't mean they won't get stuck again.

Have fun, learn heaps, and don't give up the kingdom for the want of a nail!

With love,
michael

[jodyreale]

Wondering if there are other struggling writers out there.  I have been writing screenplays for a number of years. Have had options and some interest but really frustrating.  Recently completed a novel...sometimes wonder if I'm just banging my head against the wall.

char

Hi Char,
I'm a writer too. I write narrative nonfiction and personal essays, and right now I'm working on a collection.  I was frustrated a few years ago myself, but the truth is that I can't not write, so that's what I'm doing: Writing the kinds of things I enjoy the most. Have you tried joining a writer's workshop or critique group? I've found groups a tremendous source of support.

Best,
Jody

[aniinl]

Hello Char,
I didn't quite understand what exactly is frustating for you and why you're banging your head against the wall - because you don't sell what you wrote or because of the writing itself?

In any case, when I started to take writing seriously I became a member of fanstory.com. Because I wanted feedback on my writing and I was too scared to show it to anyone who knew what I looked like... You pay 4$ or so per month, and the feedback I got there over the past 2 years was more valuable than any writing workshop I've ever taken.
Also, they have forums on there about writing, how/where to sell your stuff, etc. I've only left it recently because I spend my time on my coaching studies now. It's kind of like this site, actually
If you're looking to sell your work, I found firstwriter.com quite helpful, it lists agents, publishers, magazines, contest, every possibility of getting published.

Hope this helps,
Anja

[char]

Anja..

thanks for your note.  I think what frustrates me the most is the industry and marketing.  I have had positive feedback on my work but the process of selling is long and daunting.  I guess that's the nature of the beast.

charleen

[marksherwood]

Hi Char,

Interesting post.

Do you actually need to sell your writings to put the next meal on the table ?

If you do..then some of the other posts are probably going to be of more help to you.

If you do not...why not just 'kick back' and enjoy the fact that you are writing anyway ?

After all, if you enjoy writing and dont need to sell your work, this universe has ways of pushing your work to the forefront of an editors / publishers eye....its when you are really desperate to sell, that the same universe has ways of placing your work under mountains of other work from other writers.....grrrr..bloody universe !!!

My tip...enjoy your writing...thats it!

Mark

[char]

Mark

Seem llike wise words.  I need to keep remining myself to detach from the outcome.  I really enjoy the creative process of writing and continue to work on being mindful of that.  I have a 9-5 job that keeps the meat on the table, plus am forutunate to have a lot of support from family and friends.

char

[Mark]

Hi Char,

A great site and service that I've come across is www.lulu.com

It's an online publishing company that you can upload your work and any accompanying artwork to and they can print books a copy at a time. I think a normal size paperback works out at less than £3.00 and you get an ISBN number and can sell them online etc.

I'm wondering how great you might feel to have a shiny new book with your name as author (and maybe even your photo) on arrive through the post? 

Kindest regards
Mark