6 Ways To Write While The World Is Stressing You Out By @alliepleiter
I know that many writers are having trouble tapping into their creativity during the pandemic. Thankfully, Allie Pleiter has a book that can help with this problem, and I asked her to share some tips about writing under stress. Read on for some helpful advice from Allie. You’ll also learn more about her valuable book, How to WRITE When Everything Goes WRONGâA Practical Guide to Writing Through Tough Times.
Allie’s Tips For Writing Under Stress
As the author of How to WRITE When Everything Goes WRONGâA Practical Guide to Writing Through Tough Times, Iâve been getting a lot of cries for help from writers these days. The crisis we find ourselves in right now can squelch any writerâs creative energy. New words can feel impossible, the focus to revise eludes us, and weâre just plain stressed.
How to writeâĤright now? Believe it or not, there are several things you can do to help yourself. Here are a few of my favorite tips:
#1: Try Small Batches In New Formats.
The trick is to pick a word count that feels doable–even if it must be tiny. One hundred words, for example, can fit on an index card. I suspect even the most traumatized of writers could manage six imperfect sentences that can be edited later. That work, once accomplished, can become the foothold for more. Can you tuck three or four cards into your pocket and set yourself the challenge to fill them? Your smartphone, a small notebook, or even email can help a small task feel small. All you need at first–maybe all you need at all–are baby steps.
#2: Change Locations.
Give yourself time in a different location in order to compartmentalize your brain space. You may not be able to go farâmaybe only to the next roomâbut even that shift can make a difference. Ritualize it if it helps, saying: âAt two p.m. I go out on the balcony with a cup of coffee and do my writing,â or âAfter lunch I make myself a cup of tea and write.â Remind yourself this is your time to work, and you can be fully present to whatever problems are facing you when you are done with your writing.
#3: When You Feel You Canât Escape Your Situation, Start By Describing It.
Many booksâfiction and nonfictionâhave been born of personal difficulties. Writing about where you are right now can âprime the pump,â proving to your creative self that writing is possible. As a bonus, you may also discover the seeds of a new project in the process.
Creativity is possible. You are just going to have to go about it in different ways for a while. @alliepleiter #writingtips #writingcommunity Click To Tweet
#4: Embrace The Lousy First Draft.
Brilliance is likely beyond your reachâeven if you discover you work great under pressure. Tell yourself: âIt doesnât have to be perfect; it just has to be written.â You can revise and polish your draft at another time once you get through the difficult stage of putting the words down on paper no matter how inelegant they feel. As best-selling author Nora Roberts famously said, âYou canât fix a blank page.â
#5: Set A Timer.
Pick whatever span of time feels possibleâeven fifteen minutes. Most of us can stand fifteen minutes of almost anything. Once or twice a day, set the timer and have at it. During those minutes, give yourself permission to âbe a writerâ rather than someone ill, caring, or coping. Starting is often the hardest part, and you may discover you can work longer than you think.
#6: Try Dictation.
Chances are you wonât need any special equipment for dictation because most computers and nearly every smartphone comes preloaded with some form of basic dictation software. If typing feels beyond youâor if you have a physical limitation such as carpal tunnel syndrome, eyesight issues, a bad back, or a broken wristâclose your eyes and dictate a scene, a setting, or even a character description to get you started. Carry on dictating as long as you can. An added benefit of dictation: You canât edit or see mistakes, so thereâs nothing to impede your progress.
Creativity is possible. You are just going to have to go about it in different ways for a while. The gift of writing God has given you hasnât gone awayâĤit may just be in hiding. I hope these tips will give you help to go find it. The world needs your stories!
As the author of The Chunky Method Handbook, Iâm passionate about creative people be more productive. If youâd like to join my Chunky Method mailing list and get many more writing productivity tips, simply text the word CHUNKY to 22828.
Buy The Book
How to Write When Everything is Going Wrong: A Practical Guide to W riting Through Tough Times by Allie Pleiter – Is your muse yelling âSOSâ? How do you keep the words pouring onto the page when your real life feels like itâs under attack? Every writer knows how stress and personal crises can strangle your creativity. Help is on the way in this brilliantly practical guide. Inside, youâll find advice that:
– Gets you through the thick of your crisis
– Gives you tactics that will energize you to keep writing
– Teaches you to use your stress to inspire your writing
– And much more! As the author of over 30 books and the creator of The Chunky Method of time management for writers, Pleiter has met deadlines in the midst of some imposing traumas. With candor, insight, and the wisdom of experience, she shares practical and inventive strategies for how to stay afloat and creative amid lifeâs stormiest seas.
More About Allie
Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction working on as many as four books at a time. She is the bestselling author of over fifty titles with a twenty-year career of over 1.5 million books sold. Allie also coaches on productivity and speaks on the creative process. Visit www.alliepleiter.com.Â
Get a free download of her 15 tips for writing under stress!
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