Hi, Writer. I’m your Inner Editor. I’m the one who stops you from writing a single word on a blank word document even though you are swelling with inspirational impotence. I’m the one who makes you stay up all night anxiously questioning yourself on whether or not you made the right decisions on a rough draft. I’m the one who tells you that you’re not a good enough writer to publish.
I can look like anyone or anything. I can look like a supervillain or the worst boss you’ve ever had. I can talk like the teacher who told you that you wouldn’t make it anywhere or personified nails on a chalkboard. Once you give me a form, you’ll be able to banish me. If you can, that is.
Once you personify me, you’ll be able to tell that I am not you. The way to make me stop bothering you is to send me out. Kick me outside to play in the sun. Banish me to another dimension. I’ll put up a fight. Let’s see if you can take me on.
If you manage to get me to go away, you can try a few things to get yourself to write:
· Free Write: Just write what you want on the page without thinking. Add a word count goal if you’re feeling bold.
· Outline: Write out what needs to happen in the scene and perhaps the dialogue before making it sound pretty.
· Word Sprint: Just like a free write, but with more pressure.
When I come back, you’ll know what to do.
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3 comments:
I am a chaotic writer - I write what comes into my head and deal with it later usually, but I have found the outline idea very useful at times when that just won't happen. In fact I recommended it to someone else only the other day. Great advice.
Tasha 💖
Virginia's Parlour - The Manor (Adult concepts - nothing explicit in posts)
Tasha's Thinkings - Vampire Drabbles
I’m very much a free-writer, also known as pantser. Otherwise I wouldn’t get anything written and would have to kill my inner editor!
When I was having knock-down, drag-outs with my inner editor, I started thinking of him as Stripe from Gremlins. Now when he shows up, my first instinct is to laugh. More practically, I've been trying the zero draft method to stifle Stripe and get something down. That's worked well when I'm struggling to make progress.
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