Ask the Author: Doug Bedwell
Answered Questions (2)
Doug Bedwell
Tough call... I'd say it's either the poverty or the self doubt.
More seriously, when someone genuinely loves something I've written, it's the best feeling in the world.
More seriously, when someone genuinely loves something I've written, it's the best feeling in the world.
Doug Bedwell
If I'm not writing productively, or just not writing well, it's often because -- in one way or another -- I'm trying too hard. Sometimes that can mean I'm putting too much pressure on myself to get something just absolutely perfect right out of the gate, or maybe I get into the trap of trying to write too much too fast. For me, "Writer's Block" is something of a catch-all term, encompassing the thousands of different ways that I can find myself frustrated with my own work.
And when that happens, it's usually best if I try to get some distance between myself and whatever is hanging me up. I don't think good things often come from beating my head against a wall, so I take a step back. I take a step to one side. I let myself think about it. I go do something else for a while. I re-read and edit what I've written so far (I do a *lot* of re-reading). Many times, I'll just go take a walk.
Sometimes, I'll simply set the whole project aside for a while. I'll put it into a drawer for a day, or a week, or even a year or more if that's what it takes. One of the luxuries of putting words on paper is that -- whatever you might be writing -- up until the point you actually send it out into the world, you still have the power to make changes.
But no matter what else, sometimes when I'm writing it's just not working out, and really that's OK. I try to remind myself that I don't need to find a perfect solution in the next five minutes. Writing is an ongoing process, not a to-do list. So whenever something isn't working -- for whatever reason -- I try to let it breathe a little, until I'm ready to try it again, probably in a very different way.
And when that happens, it's usually best if I try to get some distance between myself and whatever is hanging me up. I don't think good things often come from beating my head against a wall, so I take a step back. I take a step to one side. I let myself think about it. I go do something else for a while. I re-read and edit what I've written so far (I do a *lot* of re-reading). Many times, I'll just go take a walk.
Sometimes, I'll simply set the whole project aside for a while. I'll put it into a drawer for a day, or a week, or even a year or more if that's what it takes. One of the luxuries of putting words on paper is that -- whatever you might be writing -- up until the point you actually send it out into the world, you still have the power to make changes.
But no matter what else, sometimes when I'm writing it's just not working out, and really that's OK. I try to remind myself that I don't need to find a perfect solution in the next five minutes. Writing is an ongoing process, not a to-do list. So whenever something isn't working -- for whatever reason -- I try to let it breathe a little, until I'm ready to try it again, probably in a very different way.
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