One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak during a tennis game is to comment on how great they are doing. Your comment will kick in their left brain's inner critic which will zap their flow and change their focus. In tennis this is an underhanded type of gamesmanship.
In life, it happens to each of us all the time. Even writers.
In writing, the same thing occurs as soon as the right side of the brain, the right hemisphere, gets a break, the left side begins editorializing. Even if the left side compliments you on your progress or the time you committed, it still zaps the flow. Flow stops, hiccups, and the writing or idea doesn't get to the next step.
This is an event that affects us all in more than just writing.
There is not any particular timeframe when this occurs either. It may occur when writing something short, like an article, memo, or email. Or it might not occur until chapter six of your book. This is why the freewriting exercise works so well. It allows your right brain to tell the left side to shut up for particular amount of time.
There is actually only one way to get the writing flowing again. It is doing some thing unfamiliar. When you are doing something unfamiliar the left side doesn't know how to logically respond. The left side then can't be its helpful self. Flow, intuition, and ideas naturally return with a renewed rhythm.
Whenever I am trying to describe something, my logic side kicks in and brings the next action to a halt. The self talk begins to say, "How can any words describing this beautiful sunrise?" Since drawing isn't a familiar item for me, I pull out a few drawing pencils or a water color brush and play. The drawing isn't something I do often. If I did, it would then become familiar and that self would stop me. It doesn't take but a few minutes of doing something unfamiliar before the flow flourishes again and I am able to return to the description or writing.
Always remember, all the words we use in our first draft look like ordinary words. It isn't until later that their appearance changes to extraordinary.
The left self is always telling us that every day scenes or objects are just ordinary.. A mere beer bottle on the side of the road can receive a message, "So what." When we push the situation we usually ask, "How can I make this come alive?" By doing something unfamiliar in the mind or in some type of action can we release the right side to the freedom to find the words. Do so by seeing the ordinary. Describing the ordinary. At this moment you begin using both sides of the brain. I guarantee that whatever you write will never be ordinary. Extraordinary writing is ordinary writing practiced.
Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Coach, specializes in infoproduct development.
Newsletters and additional articles available: http://www.abundancecenter.com
Blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
http://marketingstrategiestogo.com
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
Have you ever wondered how you can adapt your screenplay... Read More
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
As in all endeavors, toil is necessary to succeed and... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched... Read More
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More
Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project,... Read More
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis... STOP!"Why?"... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
At some point along the way, most of us have... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More
Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More
Using a ghostwriter to craft your free reprint articles and... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
My article this issue is an excerpt from a book... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that... Read More
Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens... Read More
The hardest part of nonfiction writing is finding a subject... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
1. SECRETS TO SUCCESS2. MAKING A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION3. AVOID... Read More
One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day... Read More
1. Before you write anything down define not what you... Read More
Balance your life ... Read More
A writer can never be self indulgent whether writing fiction,... Read More
At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit... Read More
Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense... Read More
A few magazines refer to their written idea sources in... Read More
Fiction manuscripts receive feedback that addresses and scores:· The theme... Read More
Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long... Read More
I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of... Read More
Good writing requires self-examination. Why is one writing? What part... Read More
If you haven't realized the success you wanted last year,... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
I started writing as a way of keeping safe memories... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?How we usually begin the preparation stage... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important;... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
Productivity begins by recognizing and valuing your brilliance, time, and... Read More
You are the only one who knows what being a... Read More
Whether you are writing a magazine article, composing a press... Read More
How many times have you checked out a job board... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Writing |