creative risk Archives -

Sometimes You Gotta Kill the Witch: Break Through Extreme Resistance

February 27th, 2018Sarah Lovett3 Comments

My last post contained an array of tips for breaking through writer’s block, and they can be very effective for normal resistance, but sometimes you gotta kill the witch to break through extreme resistance! Get along with the voices inside of my head I can relate to Eminem’s song, The Monster, and after decades of writing, I’m pretty familiar with the myriad voices inside of my head. I know plenty of Creatives who count “The Monster” as their theme song. At least on darker days. Friends with the monster that’s under my bed And most of the time, those voices and I work well …

Help, I’m stuck on the page! — 10 Tips to Get Your Pen Moving Again~

April 24th, 2016Sarah Lovett2 Comments

1) Breathe! Slowly, deeply, it’s all okay and normal and you will be fine, truly. (And repeat.) 2) Put the story structure info away—in a drawer, in a trash can, in a virtual trash can—and don’t look at it again. When it causes anxiety it is no longer useful. Shred any piece of paper that tells you that there are rules for writing a novel. 3) Know that finishing is difficult for your creative self (and mine and everyone’s!). Resistance can swell a bit when the end of a draft (or even “almost-draft”) nears. 4) Know that you are the …

Tuesday’s Writing Tip: Put Words on Paper & Give it Up

March 22nd, 2016Sarah Lovett1 Comment

Put words on paper, forget whether the putting is easy or hard, and don’t believe the voice judging shitty or brilliant, give it up and stay curious around what happens—we writers are never really in charge, we are channels for flow.

Writing Without a Net: It’s Worth the Risk

March 13th, 2016Sarah Lovett1 Comment

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.” ~ Gail Sheehy We are always writing our story. At our core we write to understand, to change, to evolve. When it comes to creativity and writing, there are no guarantees that we will become rich, famous, or even remotely well-read. We can use our fears to stop us from taking creative risks; or we can use our fears to connect us to our characters and our story. That is our choice. Wishing you creative risk~S

Writing Wisdom from the Miraculous Mary Karr

February 27th, 2016Sarah Lovett0 Comments

“Don’t approach your history as something to be shaken for its cautionary fruit…Tell your stories, and your story will be revealed…Don’t be afraid of appearing angry, small-minded, obtuse, mean, immoral, amoral, calculating, or anything else. Take no care for your dignity…” ~Mary Karr

Kill Your Darlings-Quick Writing Inspiration

January 25th, 2016Sarah Lovett1 Comment

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” Stephen King

Absolutely Do Not Let Fear Stop You From Writing Your Stories

December 15th, 2015Sarah Lovett0 Comments

“I don’t think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you won’t be good at it.” Anne Lamott

Scared to Write Your Book? Let Your Fears Be Your Guides to Success

December 4th, 2015Sarah Lovett1 Comment

Afraid of writing your book because…? Go ahead and jot down a list of your worst fears. Scared of dying? Scared of failing? Scared of finding out you can’t write your way out of a paper bag? (Who needs to do that, anyway?) Scared of hurting others with your words? Scared of contaminating the world with darkness? Scared you’ll find out you’re a monster? Scared you’re just too scared to do anything? Fears. We all have them. You can’t put them in a bottle and cork it. You can’t reason with them. But you can shift your relationship to your …

#NaNoWriMo2015-Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #28)

November 29th, 2015Sarah Lovett0 Comments

When I fall in love with a book it is because I experience the story as if it lives and breathes inside me; I can summon and recall the evocative and pivotal images as clearly as if I’d been there. Because I am there, each time I dive into a story I love, I participate as a reader and the most powerful images are a dance of the visual and the visceral. Make wise use of the pivotal images of the story you are writing. What is the opening image of your story? Visualize your hero just as the story …

#NaNoWriMo2015-Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #22)

November 23rd, 2015Sarah Lovett0 Comments

If you started writing your novel on November 1st, you are fast approaching your final week! Kudos for those of you who pushed the edge of the envelope (and filled the pages) this month. If fear kept you from beginning, continuing, completing your first draft, acknowledge your fear and sit with the feelings. Take a few minutes to free write to see if you can focus in on the nature of your fears: Are you afraid of failure? Afraid of writing total crap? Afraid of actually finishing? Afraid of success? Afraid of attention? Afraid of being seen? Afraid of not …