Discouragement and the Older Writer
Is
discouragement with writing any different for the older writer?
The
older writer has the same pitfalls as any author, in addition to a whole other
field of sinkholes.
A lot
has been written by and for writers about not giving up. Advice pours forth
like rain in April and nervous writers drink it up.
For the
older writer, many of our distractions, problems, setbacks, have their own
unique characteristics. A different group of life events causes us to have
serious setbacks. Some of the most troublesome for our writing careers are not
things like school starting, getting married, a new career, or a demanding job.
They are painful interferences, like the death of a friend or loved one, being
diagnosed with a serious illness, caring for a sick parent or loved one, or
even taking the grandkids in for a week. These things can cause an author to
set their writing aside and even give up on it entirely.
How
to keep writing no matter what
1. Find ways to
stay positive.
Life is too precious
to waste days being anxious or depressed. Find a good book on how to stay
positive. If you’re pressed for time, keep it in the bathroom and never sit
down without reading a page.
Being
happy and being positive are decisions we make.
Choose
to be happy.
2. Keep in touch
with friends.
Relatives are
wonderful, but it’s friends who listen to you vent and cheer you up when all is
grim. Take time out for lunch with a friend, see a movie, or just chat over tea
and coffee.
3. Establish ties
with other authors.
This one not
only got me to be a writer, but my
author friends have kept me writing over and over again every time I was ready
to give up. Find other authors in your area; your local library is a good place
to do this. If that doesn’t work, they are easy to find online.
4. Keep writing
every day despite what life throws at you.
Joe Konrath, (if
you aren’t familiar with him, check out his blog) one of the most successful
eBook authors, writes 3.000 words a day, every
day, and he will stay up into the wee hours to maintain that word rate on days
that he is busy with other activities. His favorite advice? BIC – butt in
chair!
You don’t have
to write 3,000 words a day like Joe, but try to dedicate even 30 minutes a day
for writing.
Every week I
write a list of about five, to-dos for my writing. The first one on the list is
the number of pages I will write that week. Rather than a daily amount, I keep
it weekly, to about 14 or more pages a week.
Find a method
that works for you.
5. Explore helpful
tools.
Try a
mini recorder, carry a small laptop, an iPad, even a small notebook to take
advantage of any downtime when you’re away from home. I have a friend (much
more technically advanced than myself!) who uses a voice activation tool to
record her writing directly to her computer. Don’t let an opportunity to write
pass you by.
Dear Readers,
The months after the holidays
can be a good time to write, and this year I had a three-month recovery period
after hip surgery in late January. I was wheelchair bound and had figured on
getting a lot of writing done—I didn’t.
I did read a lot of books,
though, and made some progress on my newest novel, but nothing like I’d hoped.
Criticizing myself for that
indulgence got me nowhere. It took time, but I finally got back on track. The
best way not to get into that state is to stay on track in the first place.
That thought inspired me to repeat this blog.
Hope you find it helpful,
Marla
Some suggested reading:
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin E.P. Seligman
Happy for No Reason,
by Marci Shimoff
