The #1 Enemy of Creative Types (And How to Avoid It)

I once had a student that would not put pen to paper. They were paralyzed. They had a five page paper due in two days and they had not written one word.

"What do you think is the problem?" I asked. 

"I have writer's block," she answered. 

"What do you mean by 'writer's block?'" I asked. 

"My mind is a complete blank. I literally can think of nothing to write about. I don't even want to think about this paper anymore because when I do, I just feel drained. This assignment is depressing me and I haven't even started it."

My student wasn't experiencing writer's block. She was experiencing something even more sinister.

Apathy.

But wait, I hear you say, how can one be said to be apathetic if there's evidence of trying?

The answer is that if you, as a writer, go chasing after topics and ideas about which you are not thoroughly interested, sooner or later, you may find yourself unmotivated and indifferent about your writing practice.

From Art Made From Books. Find it on Amazon.

My student's error occurred when she felt she had to pursue a topic that was completely out of her line of passion. She talked to me at length about what she has tried writing about and, from the attitude she displayed in listing these topics, even I was beginning to feel depressed about the assignment.

"Why are you taking this course?" I asked. 

"Because I'm really interested in parts of African cultures," she replied. 

"What parts?" 

"No, it's really off-topic," she replied.

The course I was teaching focused on peacemaking and conflict mitigation in the Sub-Saharan region of the world.

"Just tell me what it is about African cultures that made you enroll in the class." 

"The music," she answered.

Ah ha! As is sometimes the case, this student had a tangential interest in the course and was now struggling to situate her interests with the topic.

Without hesitation, I seized the moment.

"How do musical traditions in Sub-Saharan African countries contribute to peacemaking and conflict mitigation?"

You should have seen my student's eyes light up. It was as if a light had been switched on.

Long story short, the student left my office in a hurry and, on Friday morning (with a smile on her face), she proudly presented a very well-written and interesting paper on the topic I had suggested in our meeting.

What is irritating about writer's block is not that we can't seem to think of anything to write. The problem is that we have plenty to write about, but can't seem to capture the words for the thoughts zipping through our heads.

The lesson here is that, if creativity is part of our living, part of what we are expected to do as a function of our employment, we can sometimes get caught up in the actual assignments and lose sight of our passions. Sure, we all have to engage in topics that are not directly in our line of passion, but as creative people, we owe it to ourselves and our audience to find ways to incorporate our passions in everything we do. 

So the next time you feel yourself begin to panic or lose interest in an assignment, re-evaluate how you approach your task. Recall those topics and ideas about which you are really passionate, and then ask yourself how you can incorporate them into the work you must do. You, and your audience, will benefit from this practice.

Happy writing!

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!

4 Essential Books for Writers of Fiction and Non-Fiction

 I love books. Probably a little too much.

My partner and my close friends know that, if I'm curious about a topic, or if I feel like I need to educate myself, I head to the library first, Google second.

There's just something about having the time and space to flip through a book, to hold it in your hands, bookmark some important pages, come back to it later . . . I loves me some books.*

Having said that, I wanted to share several of the books that I have found useful to the pursuit of developing myself as a writer, both in fiction and nonfiction. Although the following selections lean more toward the realm of nonfiction, I'll be sure to post some of my fiction writing favorites in a subsequent post.

Developing Your Platform & Promoting Your Work

I don't care who you are - Even if only part of your gig is getting people to notice your writing, you need to do three things:

1) Establish an online social media presence,

2) make your work accessible to people beyond bookshelves, academic journals, and trade magazines,

and 3) give people the opportunity understand and connect with who you are as a professional beyond the work that you have published.

Blogging for Writers
In this fabulously illustrated 176-page how-to for blogging, Robin Houghton provides several examples of how writers have successfully maintained blogs and, as a result, have enjoyed writing success beyond selling individual pieces. While the book focuses on building blogs on Wordpress and Blogger, the tips for how to design your blog, what to post, and how to grow an audience apply to all platforms.

Create Your Writer Platform
What I love about this how-to book by Chuck Sambuchino is that the author includes, not only the necessary steps to developing a platform, but descriptions of what a platform is, why it's necessary, and how successful authors have built their own platforms. (In case you were wondering, your platform is "your visibility as an author.") Seriously, find this book and, if you're skeptical, just start reading the third chapter, "The 12 Fundamental Principles of Platform." You'll be hooked, I guarantee.

"Oh, but Jennifer, I'm a graduate student. All I need is a well-put together professional website that contains links to my Twitter feed and LinkedIn profile, a place where people can view my CV and read about my current projects."

My friends, what you have is the beginnings of a professional platform. If you want to slam-dunk your academic job interviews and applications, demonstrate that you have a following, that you are engaged in work that is not just "unique," but that is useful and necessary, and if you do decide to venture into the realm of praxis, you will be well-equipped to make the change. Future employers love a one-stop shop for preliminary vetting.

 For Those Graduate Student Types

I have two publications that each and every one of you should have in your arsenal.

Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write & Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation
This book changed the way I thought about my dissertation and my entire PhD experience. I bought it after I had passed my final qualifying exams. I was experiencing a phenomenon that I've heard other PhD students discuss: the emotional intersection between having completed all purely didactic requirements and beginning the dissertation phase of the degree. Depression, anxiety, and exhaustion, peppered with a few existential crises . . . such is the rite of passage, it would seem, for all doctoral students.

Fear not! This surprisingly humorous and well-organized book by Dr. Patrick Dunleavy (a Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science) should be the first thing you read before you begin your dissertation (indeed, before you begin your prospectus). Dunleavy goes into great detail of how to approach each section of your dissertation and how to organize the entire document in such a way that your committee will have an easier time evaluating your work, and you will be proud to put your name on it.

But seriously, you have to pick up a copy. Open to any page, read a couple paragraphs, and then stop kidding yourself and buy a it. Mine is dog-eared, highlighted, written over, and nearly broken in half at the spine. You'll want your own copy, trust me.

Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success
This is not so much of a book as a 350-page academic writers' workshop that you can come back to time and time again for free. Dr. Wendy Laura Belcher (a Professor of African literature at Princeton) not only outlines the steps necessary to write and submit a successful article in a 12-week period, but she helps the reader develop their writing style and habit, something with which young scholars often struggle. The book is flush with worksheets to plan, organize, and revise your writing. There are also helpful tips regarding how to target your audience and select appropriate publications for submission. Unless you're one of the fortunate souls to have attended Dr. Belcher's courses on academic writing, I highly suggest giving this book a try.


I hope these brief reviews are useful in providing some preliminary resources for your writing life. It is my intention to continue to post similar reviews of the resources that I have found helpful. If you have any questions about these publications, or if you would like suggestions for books regarding other aspects of writing, please let me know. I would be happy to help if I am able.

Happy writing!

*Let it be known that, here, I'm referring to my love of non-fiction books. But do not misunderstand. I have read (and own!) every book that Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ever wrote. I also love classic English and American literature, poetry, and literature from the African continent. Books are just the best!

3 Ways to Confront Writer's Fatigue

Let's be real.

Some days, it is really really difficult to get anything done, let alone work that gives you anxiety for one reason or another. 

If you are like me, you are often pulled in different directions because your curiosity gets the best of you. I love to learn and I love to get involved in activities and groups that I find interesting. My problem is, I don't know when to put on the breaks.

It is absolutely insane for me to be working on a dissertation (remotely), a full-length novel, personal essays for magazine publication, and consultant research.

But I am. 

And you know what?

I'm producing the work that I need to produce. I am completing projects of which I am proud. And I very much enjoy the writing process. So while I can't say that I am always in love with all aspects of what I do, I can say that the privilege of writing, of making the written word a central part of what I give to the world, gets me out of bed and in my office when my anxiety and frustration are maxed out.

Starting my work day with a bowl of coffee and the cover of my novel on my desktop. I don't work on my novel every single day, but having this cover on my desktop never fails to inspire me to keep going.

Not everyone is great at multi-tasking. I actually don't consider myself a multi-tasker. I consider myself well equipped to compartmentalize, at least with regard to intellectual and writing pursuits. But if I had a dime for each day that I struggled to move beyond feelings of anxiety, despair, frustration, and even fear with regard to my writing projects, I would be able to concentrate on nothing but finishing my novel. In a large cabin. By a lake. With room service.

Here are three ways that I deal with writer's fatigue. I hope they are useful to you, or at least provoke your own thoughts regarding how you might better manage whatever obstacles keep you from enjoying your writer's life:

1) It really is, honestly, okay to say no. I still struggle with this statement. Saying no, from my perspective, means missing out on opportunities for myself, as well as opportunities to help others. But what I have learned is the more I say 'yes,' the more I forget meetings and deadlines, the more stress I put on my personal relationships, and the lower the quality of my work.

2) You do you, even when others don't quite get it. This is not to say that you shouldn't take into consideration the constructive criticism you are bound to get. I live for constructive criticism, probably to a fault. I've had to learn that, not only is it okay to stick to your guns, so to speak, but in doing so, you're not just producing material, you are producing material that is uniquely you and, therefore, value added to the world.

3) Allow yourself to dream and get excited about your dreams. Everyone has seen those tag lines that implore us to 'follow your dreams.' My father always reminded me that dreams are just dreams unless you turn them into goals. This is true. But if you don't allow yourself to think beyond your measurable goals, you run the risk of losing the energy and excitement that led you to those goals in the first place.

For more tips for writers, check out the other posts on this blog, or visit my Write. Just Write. Pinterest board.

Happy writing!

For Fiction to Work, You Must Know Your Truth

I have helped many middle school and high school students hone their fiction writing skills through private tutoring and supplemental educational programs. Fiction writing was, for many of them, a struggle. Many viewed this practice as antithetical to the pursuit of education, given what they understood as the nature of fiction writing.

I have a theory about fiction. For fiction to work, you must know your truth.

When reading and critiquing students' work, I would often sit down with them, one-on-one, and ask them how the story they wrote conveys their truth. Not surprisingly, this inquiry would often provoke questioning and confused looks from the student.

To clarify, I would ask, "What is it about this story that is truthful?"

"I don't know, it's fiction. I made it up."

"There's nothing about this story that speaks to something that you know to be true, either through experience or education?"

"What does that matter. It's fiction."

What these students didn't realize was that fiction is a form of truth-telling. The storyline, the characters, the setting - these may all be fictitious in the sense that they have not or do not exist in the world as we know it, but ask any author and they will tell you from whence these fictitious elements came.

The fiction of authors comes from a place of personal truth, a yearning to tell a story so that these kernels of truth can be shared in a way that is both entertaining and evocative. 

And why, you may ask, do I use phrases such as "personal truth" and "what you know to be true," rather than "facts?" The answer is that each and every one of us experiences the world differently. Facts are facts, these are not subject to interpretation. But how we perceive the world, the value we add to what we observe, these behaviors create a personal truth about the world for every individual.

Sharing your personal truth and relating to the truth of others is part of the craft of being a writer. But first, you must know yourself and you must know your truth.

In Kabale, Uganda. As a researcher, I am humbled to have the opportunity to hear others' personal truths.

I use these three tactics for finding my personal truth:

1) Journal Pick a thought or action that is particularly interesting to at the moment. Maybe it's something that happened that day, maybe it's something you've been thinking about for a while. Hash it out in your journal. Your thoughts on paper may surprise you.

2) Make Lists Choose a category and simply write the first 20 things that come to mind. Your category may be serious ("Things of Which I Am Terrified") or light-hearted ("Things That Always Make Me Smile"). The point is to reach into places in yourself that have not been called upon to speak up.

3) Practice Honesty This is not a writing exercise, but rather a challenge to be mindful of your truth in everyday activities and decision-making. Why do you make the decisions you do? Would you have made a different decision under different circumstances? How does your decision affect you? Others?

Try these out for a while and see how your writing changes as you learn more about yourself. Infuse your writing with your truth and you'll notice how much more interesting and magnetic your writing
feels.

Waking and Writing: Creating a Manageable Routine

This blog was never meant to be a "writing advice" blog, but given enough time, eventually some tidbits about the writing process are bound to surface. This is one of them.

I am an early riser. I relish in getting up before most of the people on my street and in my city. I enjoy experiencing what life has to offer those who awake before dawn. 

My routine, before I began the work of making writing a part of my life and career, was to go for a run as soon as I climbed out of bed. I kept my running clothes and gear as close to the bed as possible. I put my running shoes on before I left my bedroom. I ran before school. I ran before the local cross country team was practicing. I was that serious about making running a central part of my morning routine.

So why does it seem so difficult to stick to the same routine with writing?

The answer, I believe, has to do with the nature of the behavior that is being highlighted. It's easy to stick to a healthy routine when the results, the rewards, and the kudos received are tangible and fairly immediate. 

Everyone knew I was a runner. Neighbors would comment on how they wished they had my energy and willpower. I knew I could enter races all over town, and often did. My physique reflected my routine. I felt healthy. I felt in control. I felt accomplished.

And so keeping my routine became fairly uncomplicated. 

Based on what made my morning running routine so enjoyable, I've created a list of four ways to accomplish a similar morning routine for writing:

1) Measurable Results With writing, the fruits of our labor are less visible, even to the writer. We may sit at our computer or our journal and write for an hour, only to realize that perhaps a fraction of what we have written is "acceptable" to our enterprise. Rather than measure your success on the edited version of whatever you have just written (a version that, I'm willing to bet, is mostly in your head), use word counts or page counts to mark your progress. Leave the critiques to a later date, or after so many words/pages.

My partner is half Norwegian. I was blessed to engage in some morning writing at this beautiful location outside of Oslo.

2) Recognition of Your Efforts No one may know the extent to which you are dedicated to your writing. But you do. While others may not label you a writer, either because they don't know what you do for a living or because they don't know exactly what a writer does ("Can you make a living doing that?"), if you know you are dedicated to the practice and a writer's life, call yourself a writer. That's the first step to letting others know about your commitment. Who knows? Maybe a friend of a friend is an agent and is curious to see your work!

I also collect typewriters. It seems impractical, but I am inspired by these writing instruments of yesteryear.

3) Confidence to Take Next Steps If you are anything like me, you may have difficulty letting go of your writing, allowing others to read it and provide feedback. But if you are serious about your writing and making a living from it, you must allow your work to be criticized (and praised!). The more you write, the more confidence you will have. The more you submit, the more you will grow as a writer. 

4) Set Yourself Up for Success Making a morning routine of writing, for me, meant three things:

1. Creating a space dedicated to nothing but the practice of writing.
2. Insisting that, no matter what, writing always came first in the day. If my partner and I were leaving the house at 6a for a trip into the mountains, I knew I needed to be writing no later than 5a. 
3. Incorporating pleasantries in my writing routine. Freshly brewed coffee in my favorite mug, fuzzy slippers, inspirational pictures and quotes on my office walls . . . even investing in my favorite writing pads and pens. These are all delights that make me want to get up first thing to be by myself and write.

Working on a doctoral dissertation, research projects in partnerships across the globe, and a historical fiction novel can be daunting. But starting the day just by sitting down and writing puts everything into perspective.

By focusing on these four, small changes, you can begin to develop your own routine that you will then have to protect and nurture in order to develop a habit. But just like other routines, you will have good days and bad days. 

One of the things I was most proud of as a runner was that, even if I felt less than my best, even if I didn't make the four miles I had intended, I always always laced up my shoes and left my house with the intent to run. That behavior, in and of itself, was probably 90% of the reason why I ended up running, even just a mile or two, every morning.

The same goes for writing. In order to develop a serious habit, you have to give yourself (and your writing) a fighting chance. Get up, pour that coffee, sit your butt in your chair, and write.

If you are interested in reading the writing advice I have gleaned from others, follow my Write. Just Write. Pinterest board.