How to Stop Yourself from Writing by John Greeves

How to Stop Yourself From Writing

by John Greeves

There are many well-known tactics writers employ to stop themselves from writing. After all it’s easier to make excuses, than to sit down and write something of substance. It’s something we all do, consciously or subconsciously. Writing is not as easy as many people make out. It takes perseverance, resolution, fresh ideas, self-discipline and many tough qualities, which can be very demanding. We can all find excuses for not writing without ever blaming ourselves.

I’ve listed some of my top ten word stoppers:

2. Displacement activities.

You drag yourself up to your room. Not the best of starts. Mentally you don’t seem prepared. Then you insist on making a coffee, several phone calls, responding to email and then querying an account. You convince yourself all these things are necessary as you tidy up your room. Maybe tomorrow will bring a rush of inspiration, but for now you’re searching for that long lost shopping list.

2. I haven’t got time.

Life is always busy. Whose turn is it to pick up the kids? Family and work can easily be cited as the reasons you can’t get down to your writing. Look at other activities you do like watching a ‘soap,’ or going to the pub on a Friday, or that evening class on a Tuesday. If you can make room for these activities, then you can structure time for your writing.

3. The Self Critic

You’ve been beating yourself up lately. The selfcritic has crept back in. Maybe one or two rejection slips haven’t helped and then of course there are all those nagging doubts. Whatever you do, perfection seems to elude you. Why can’t you shape your manuscript like your favourite author? This is a time for

resolution not doubt. No one ever promised you an easy ride. Every time you hear the slap of rejection on the hall floor, get writing. There are publications out there, which will take your work, but you need to offer something, which is marketable to the editor.

4. The well is dry

It seems you’ve written all you know from your experience and are feeling stale. Stale bread can be toasted or diced and fried into croutons. There are always other avenues to explore, or boundaries to cross. If life is so dull, become enthused with other places, people and events. In writing, nothing is new; it’s just the ability of seeing a different path to journey’s end.

5. I am only a novelist

Perhaps you aren’t a novelist, that’s the problem. You are a writer, but haven’t discovered the proper avenue for your writing. List other ways or genre you could pursue. Study the market. Take time out to write these forms. This may even help you to return to your unfinished novel. Sometimes you have to trick the mind as well. Pretend you are writing a series of parts and not a book, so it doesn’t feel so arduous.

6. I like the image of being a writer, but not writing.

Unfortunately, too many people play at being writers. That’s fine if you like pantomime, but remember successful writers are usually self-driven. Discipline is important, and hard work necessary in creating success. In real life, the writer pursues a living, which is far removed from any notion of celebrity and only dresses up in cold weather.

7. I feel I’m not producing anything of quality at the moment.

Look at what you are writing. None of us can be Ernest Hemingway, but we can aspire to develop our voice. Maybe it’s time to put away the manuscript for a while. Perhaps it’s worth taking radical action, such as rewriting it from a different point of view. It may be, the idea simply doesn’t work and needs to be ditched. The important thing is to stop procrastinating, either continue or move on to something new.

8. Publication is impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but the majority of published writers also faced the same dilemma. You’ll be up against the main publishing houses, which often refuse unsolicited manuscripts; however, there are hundreds of magazines, the web and numerous small presses where writers still have every chance until the big opportunity comes along.

9. I’m too old, too young.

Young people often complain they haven’t the wide experience to write. Older people complain they are stuck in the register of their generation and cannot mirror the society of today. Age doesn’t have to be a disclaimer. We can all write from our own experience.

10. I’m not good enough

Be courageous. Sweep away the nagging doubts. Try something different. If it doesn’t work scrap it and try again. Failure remains an important part of success. The quality of work we produce isn’t consistent, much of what anyone writes ends primarily in the bin, but there are times when quality shines through, but it does take a lot of polishing.

Sylvia Plath gave very good advice for all writers. ‘Everything in life is writable if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.’ So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to cast away fears and start to write again.

John Greeves originally hails from Lincolnshire. He believes in the power of poetry and writing to change people’s lives and the need for language to move and connect people to the modern world. Since retiring from Cardiff University, Greeves works as a freelance journalist who's interested in an eclectic range of topics.