2 Ways to Keep Writing in Times of Crisis

From Art Made From Books. Find it on Amazon.com.

I have struggled for the past few days to come up with a brilliant topic for my next blog post. My struggle stems from living inside a whirling gyre of obligations that require my immediate and undivided attention.

Or, at least, that is what it seems to be.

But rather than fight "block" that often accompanies one or more life crises, I decided I would provide two ways to use your times of crisis to fuel your writing.

1) Write when you feel least like writing. How many times have you come across articles describing the multitude of "types" among writers? Are you a plotter or pantser? Are you a midnight writer, early riser, or mid-day muse? Do you write alone in a quiet organized area, or do you venture out to scribble while on a crowded train into the city?

Crisis doesn't care about your comfort zone. In fact, crisis requires that you step out of your comfort zone and complete tasks sans your comforts.

So, instead of waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting . . . and becoming more anxious about the fact that your perfect conditions for writing are too far out of reach, just start writing. Keep a writing instrument and something to write on with you at all times. And just start writing.

By calling upon yourself to do something in a time of crisis or in less than ideal conditions, you will not only improve your abilities to perform the task, you will quite possibly find that you gain a different perspective and understanding of the task at hand.

What better way to develop an exciting plot twist than to use your own life's plot twist as a catalyst?

2) Find ways to make writing part of the solution. For many young and novice writers, writing can, at first, seem to be part of the problem. What I mean by this is, writers sometimes see their writing practice as a problem to be solved, something 'other' that must be delicately folded into the otherwise normal aspects of the life they already possess.

When crises arise, even experienced writers may be tempted to put their writing on the back-burner, unable to justify fitting their writing habit into the day-to-day of managing difficult and threatening situations.

But if writing is your love, your passion, and your sanity, find ways to make writing a part of navigating and overcoming crises. Maybe the answer is submitting to trade magazines and trying your hand at freelance work. Perhaps writing a policy note or program evaluation note relevant to a job opportunity is the answer. You may even find that your crisis and your response to the crisis are excellent fodder for a personal essay or book. Write a proposal and see what hits.

Facing crises should not mean temporarily putting aside our paints, our pens, our dancing shoes, our music, or whatever activities we, for whatever reason, deem as impractical to finding appropriate solutions. These are the times when we need to harness our creativity and make use of our passions.


If you are going through some difficult times in your life, don't give up on the things that make you happy. The things that give you joy make enduring crises worth the struggle. 

Hang in there and happy writing!

2 Unconventional Tips for Starting Any Writing Project

If you have any experience in writing, you will understand me when I say that sometimes you have to stop and listen to what you have written. 

For academics, especially, we can fall into the habit of mashing and smashing words into a page to MAKE. THEM. FIT. *exasperated sigh*

But words, stories, and even written reports are, if you will permit me, alive and not easily bullied into existence. 

When we ask ourselves and our students to take a step back from writing before continuing to proofread or make additions or revisions, what we're really saying is that we need to listen to what we've written and ask ourselves 1) if what we hear is what we meant to say and 2) whether our writing is giving us hints as to where to go next with our project. 

But what if you struggle to put words on a page in the first place? What if you find yourself staring at a blank page attempting to divine some sort of message from beyond about how to even begin your writing project? 

How do you listen to your writing before you've put pen to paper?

Keep Your Inspiration Close at Hand

If you're sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper or a blank screen frustrated that you cannot seem to find a way to begin your project, I'm going to assume that something has inspired the content of what you are about to write. 

What is that inspiration? A book you read recently? A photograph? A conversation you overheard? A cause? A news article?

Kurt Vonnegut mug (thank you, Brother!), novel notebook,
and the picture that first inspired The Translator

Whatever it was that made you sit down and think, "This is what I'm going to write about," have that close at hand. 

The photograph that gave me the idea for The Translator sits framed on my desk. I've been known to take it with me when I write in other locations. I also have a copy of my father's end of tour report for his Volunteer Physicians for Vietnam position. That hangs just behind me in my office. 

When I work on my PhD and other academic or policy writing projects, I have news reports and pictures from the field that keep me working, keep me pushing to think deeper and write clearer. When I remember that the substantive focus of my research is often the reality of others, I am inspired to start writing from that place of purpose and urgency. 

Sometimes, just by having inspiring images and stories around you, you will hear what it is about those things that makes you want to write and that is where you start.

Don't Always Start at the Beginning

When you tell someone a story out loud, how do you go about doing so? Do you start with the punch-line? Do you provide an exorbitant amount of background information before you begin? Do you introduce the lesson or theme first?

Now, when you're writing, how do you begin? 

Most of us will admit that, more often than not, we start writing with the introductory sentence. Then we muddle through the beginning paragraphs, careful not to stuff them with too much information, but cognizant of any lagging that might occur. 

And then we obsess over those first few pages that we begin to lose our direction. This often leads to abandoned projects or, in the case of academic writing, really sloppy drafts.

Try this:

Start at the end. Or, start at a point (be it a scene, or an argument, or other aspect of your project) that you find particularly interesting about what you are writing. 

Read this. Seriously.

Just write it down. And keep writing until you start to hear the story unfold. You may gain greater insight into what is necessary in your introduction or first chapters. If you begin in the middle, you may find that you can assess what needs to happen before your pivotal point and what must necessarily come after.

In the First William Morrow Deluxe Modern Classic Edition (2014) of John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, the author describes his process of beginning a novel with the end in mind. It is only after he understands how the book will end that John Irving writes a killer first sentence that is both intriguing and relevant to the entire novel. 

However you choose to begin your writing project, remember that the best way to stick with that project is to trust in your process. By honoring your own writing process and allowing yourself to find your own method of writing, you will not only produce better writing, but you will find yourself striving to see these projects through to completion. 

Happy writing!