Category: Unsolicited Advice

Day 11: Dealing With Writing After a Hiatus

March 11, 2016 /

The key I’ve found for writing or posting after a long break is the ability to brush it off and make it not awkward. Of course, you want to address the reason for your hiatus.

For example, I haven’t posted as much as I would probably like, because I’ve been flooded with being busy due to the 8-week intensive program known as Startup Institute that has eaten up all my time and energy. [/shamlessplug?]

lazyninjaturtle

(I swear, this hasn’t been me.)

There is always the risk that your followers will read this as an excuse. And, barring getting stranded on an island full of Velociraptors or something equally catastrophous, it usually is. But, it’s really up to you to find the compelling reason why they were invested in you to begin with and channel that.

peterpan

(And I know you all come for the gifs.)

Of course, the best you can hope for is that all will be forgiven and that everyone will move on. But, you can’t expect that everyone will be as patient and understanding as you might hope. You will probably get some hate. And you will definitely lose followers. That’s the bottom line.

But, let’s be honest. You should be writing for you (and the people who actually care) and not for them. Keeping a working schedule is always great. But, you should always write with the eternal mantra:

hatersgonnahate

(Truth.)

#transformandrolloutmfers

Day 0: Writing With a Deadline And Writer’s Block

February 28, 2016 /

This might come as a shock, but writing with a deadline can really suck. The mind can sometimes be like this:

hahano

Creative inspiration can be a tough pill to forcefully shove down your gullet. I would imagine that even people who write giga-tons of copy every single day will occasionally run into this problem as well. There are lots of exercises people do to get over the hump that is commonly known as writer’s block.

Some examples that often come up are:

  • actually exercising like going for a jog

3pmSgx8

  • taking some time away to do something else like reading

readingalone

  • distracting yourself by eating a quick snack

yum

  • simply writing through it or getting literally anything on paper

pretendwriting

There is a running trend behind all these activities. Well, a couple actually.

But, first and foremost, it has to do with taking your mind off the deadline. Sometimes your mind just doesn’t like the feeling of squeezed in the proverbial vice that is forced creative output. In retaliation, it will shut down and absolutely refuse to do anything helpful. To get around this, sometimes you have to con your mind into thinking that it has all the freedom in the world and then, like magic, the juice of creativity will begin to flow once again.

Obligatory

(Obligatory.)

That being said, there is no tried and true sets of methods to do this. There is a pretty good chance that none of the previously aforementioned activities will help you specifically meet that deadline. At the risk of collective eyerolls, it boils down to you finding what works best for you. As you get to know yourself as a writer and take time to reflect on your writing habits, you tend to learn naturally what works best for you.

eyeroll

(Yeah, I said it.)

For example, when looking at myself, I know that, if I don’t just sit myself down and just start writing, I will get easily distracted. Wikipedia rabbit holing and endless YouTube playlists are my jam. So, unless I force myself to write, I simply won’t ever start. And, even if it is total garbage or something I’m not even supposed to be writing, it often sparks new thoughts and ideas that I didn’t have before.

But, I am not you. Unless this is me reading this. Then, yes, I am you. Or am I?

#existentalismcrisisincoming