Fiction in a Flash: The Basics of Writing Flash Fiction

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There seems to be two types of writers in this world. One enjoys taking their time telling their story, introducing characters, unveiling the plot, creating tension until they arrive at a (hopefully) satisfying ending. The second takes the shorter route, where there are minimal characters and backstory, words used thoughtfully and expediently, and an ending that is often unexpected and profound..

As you may have guessed, the first type is a novelist, while the second excels at flash fiction. While their approaches to storytelling are wildly different, they both try to accomplish the same thing—entertain readers.

According to Writers.com, flash fiction “delivers a complete narrative with plot, characters and setting, in fewer than 1,500 words. It relies on efficient use of language and storytelling without inhibiting the story’s flow and impact.”

Writing flash fiction is the equivalent of writing one scene from a novel. But even that one scene must be complete with an inciting incident, conflict and resolution.

There are several types of flash fiction, depending on the length of the story. Traditional flash fiction is a maximum of 1,500 words while the shortest type is a six-word story. There are other types and lengths in between.

Some writers might be put off by the idea of writing a story in less than 1500 words, believing that it can’t possibly be done—or be done well. Much like other writers are overwhelmed by the idea of writing a 90,000-word novel. If you have a short attention span or dread the thought of spending weeks or months writing a full-length novel, flash fiction might be worth experimenting with. It can also provide another creative outlet to complement your other writing projects.

What makes flash fiction unique and challenging is the restrictive nature of storytelling. Since you are limited by the length, you don’t have the luxury of expounding on details or characters. You really have to think carefully about how to develop your plot and the role of your characters. The key to writing flash fiction, suggest writing experts, is to plan your plot first to create the skeleton of your story, then fill in with the most critical descriptive details.

Jericho Writers offers the following tips for writing flash fiction:

* Limit the number of characters to one or two people (sometimes three). Again, you don’t have the luxury of length and space to introduce a myriad of characters. If you’re used to writing novels, think of the flash fiction as the same length as a single scene that contains only a few characters.

* Deal with a single conflict. Focusing on one single conflict moves the story along at a brisker pace without going off on different tangents.

* Focus on one genre. Because you’re working with a limited word count, stick to one genre that will be easier to write a story that readers will be able to follow.

* Limit world building and scene setting. In a 1,500-word story, you may only have one or two scenes where the story takes place. Likewise, you won’t have time or space to have heavy descriptions of your world. You may have to limit the world-building to a couple of sentences.

* Make every word and sentence count. Avoid passive voice, which tends to add unnecessary words. Be succinct, and choose the best words that tell your story. Use descriptive, concise language.

* Start in the middle of the story. You won’t have the luxury of a long, introductory narrative filled with backstory, detailed setting and interior narration of your protagonist.

That seems like an awful lot to think about for a simple, 1500-word story, but as you can see, flash fiction is deceptively complex. Writers.com offers several more tips for writing flash fiction.

Begin by plotting the story first. That creates the spine of the story. Then go back and fill in with description and figurative language to make the story more complete.
End the story with a bang. Conclude with an unexpected and surprising ending that makes the reader think about the story long after they’ve finished reading it.
Be a ruthless editor. Start with a draft, just as you would with any manuscript, then go back and cut, cut, and cut some more. Don’t be shy about axing entire paragraphs that read well but don’t move the story along.

Writing flash fiction can be more challenging with its numerous restrictions, but all that planning, plotting and editing you have to do can help you become a better writer when you’re ready to tackle larger projects.

For more information about flash fiction, check out these other sources:

Flash Fiction magazine
Flash Fiction Online
Writing flash fiction: a complete guide, Jericho Writers
The Benefits of Writing Flash Fiction, Jane Friedman.com

Six Strategies to Overcome Writing Anxiety

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again, I suffer a bout of writer’s anxiety. I could be typing along at a pretty brisk pace, making progress on my novel, but in the back of my mind, I begin to wonder if my writing is good enough. Other times, the anxiety is brought on by a challenging client assignment. In those instances, I want so much to do well and impress the client that I worry myself to death over the details.

Fortunately, my cases of writer’s anxiety are usually short-lived and not so severe that I can’t continue writing. But it does give me pause about my capabilities.

According to the Writing with Anxiety blog, writing anxiety is the feeling of apprehension, tension and fear that occurs when you’re about to write or even in the middle of writing project. It can affect you physically, emotionally, mentally. Physically, anxiety can manifest as sweaty palms, a faster heart rate, rapid toe tapping, or excessive blinking. Emotionally, the anxiety might make you cry or pace the floor. Mentally, it could freeze you to the point where you can’t think straight, or you might relive an episode from your past when you were criticized for your writing.

It’s usually not the act of writing that causes the anxiety, but the outcome. There’s worry and fear about how your work will be received, and those feelings can galvanize you into inaction. Memory can also play a role. If you’ve been criticized too harshly in the past, or if people doubted your talent and commitment to writing, those memories can carry over into your current work.

Sometimes deadlines can set off a series of setbacks. With a looming deadline or something valuable at stake, such as a winning a scholarship or completing a MFA program, that can also bring on a sudden case of writer’s anxiety.

In an interview with Writers.com, writing instructor Giulietta Nardone believes writing anxiety starts in childhood. In school, she says, we are often taught that there is only one right answer to a problem. But writing isn’t about finding the right answer. Writing is about exploration. It’s a process of discovery—of ourselves, of the world around us, of life’s mysteries, etc.

When you stop searching for the one right answer and focus instead on exploring the infinite possibilities around you, your writing will flourish and you won’t worry so much about what other people think because it will no longer matter what they think.

Every writer is different, of course. Some people have more severe cases of writer’s anxiety. They may stare at the blank page for hours, summoning up the courage to begin writing. But they are so beset by fear that they don’t write a single word.

I believe a little bit of writing anxiety is normal. Even the most experienced writers and those with numerous published titles to their name experience some anxiety when starting to write a new story.
So it’s natural that you might suffer writing anxiety too at some point. When it happens, know that there are several things you can do to minimize the tension. While these strategies may not work for everyone, they can be a starting point to helping you feel more grounded and secure about the writing process.

Strategy 1: Talk to someone. When you begin to feel anxious, find a friend, your spouse, a writing buddy, teacher, or even your pet (who may not say much but make good listeners.) Venting your emotions to someone close to you can help you feel better. Writing buddies, coaches and teachers can be especially helpful because as creatives themselves, they’ve likely experienced anxiety about their work and can provide meaningful insights.

Strategy 2: Write in a journal. Even if you don’t keep a journal, writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand where your anxiety is coming from. Knowing the source of your anxiety is the first step to overcoming it.

Strategy 3: Practice yoga and meditation. Both of these practices can help you develop mindfulness and help you stay focused on the present moment, which can counteract the mind spinning we do when we worry about the future.

Strategy 4: Go for a walk or do some form of exercise. Tension can build up in your body, especially if you have no outlet to release it. Make sure you’re getting some exercise every day. When anxiety hits, going for a walk can release that pent-up energy. By the time you get back to your desk, you might feel more energized to start writing again.

Strategy 5: Focus on what you can control. Realize that you can’t control people’s feelings, and you can’t control what happens in the future. What you can control is how you feel and what you do. What you can control is your writing—when you write, how much you write, the types of stories you write, etc. When you focus on yourself and not on how others perceive you, you empower yourself to do your best work.

Strategy 6: Feel the fear and keep writing anyway. Sometimes the best way to keep the anxiety away is simply to acknowledge that it’s there and keep writing in spite of it. Use the fear and tension you feel to your advantage. Let those feelings propel you, not paralyze you. Feel the fear (about writing) and do it anyway.

Conducting Research for Your Novel

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One of my favorite types of novels to read is historical fiction. I’m certainly not a history buff, but I do enjoy the mix of history and storytelling that transport me to a different time and place.

What impresses me most about these novels is the amount of thought and preparation that must have gone into it before publication, and the amount of research the author had to do before writing a single word.

If you read historical novels, or any kind of fiction for that matter, I encourage you to read the author’s notes and acknowledgments pages. The notes will tell you a little about the author’s thought process in the writing of the book and share the various sources they used in their research. That might include interviews with experts, places they visited, and specific books that they read. The acknowledgments page includes names of people who helped the author in the writing of the book, such as beta readers or experts in a certain field of study, like a police detective with knowledge of police procedure, for example.

Why Is Research Important?

Research is critical to get the story details right, or as close to right as they can possibly be. Research makes the story more authentic and believable and helps bring readers into the story as if they are there with the narrator.

But what kind of research is needed? How much should you do before writing your story? How much of your research should make its way into your story? You don’t want to overload the story with non-essential details that could bore readers, but you do want to include just enough to make sure they understand the context of the story.

When you’re thinking about your next story concept, take a moment to brainstorm key details you might need to know. For example, if you’re writing a novel that takes place in the Florida Keys and you’ve never actually been there, you might need to know the region’s history, the types of shops one would find when visiting the Florida Keys or how to fly fish. If there are scenes that take place on a yacht or sailboat, you might need to research the various parts of the boat. Remember you want to provide an authentic picture of the region to build context for your story.

Even if you’ve never visited the location of your story, there are other sources you can use for your research. Other sources of research are newspaper and magazine feature articles, YouTube videos, and tourism sites. Don’t overlook local libraries and history museums whose staff may know more about a locale than you ever thought possible.

The Power of Interviews

Interviewing experts can also boost your knowledge and give you ample background for your story. Begin by compiling a list of experts you might need to interview. Do a Google search for sample questions, if you can’t think of any of your own, or use AI if you’re more inclined to go that route. For example, you can give AI the following command: Give me a list of questions I should ask someone who is a professional fly fisherman.

Don’t be shy about doing in-person interviews. You’ll likely get more detailed and relevant responses that way. People are usually flattered to be asked to participate in an interview. I find that most people love talking about the work they do or their hobbies—whatever they’re most passionate about.

When you think you have enough basic research to understand the setting and background for your story, start writing. When you’ve finished the first draft, review the manuscript and note where you might need to include more historical information or other details you didn’t think of before.

More Tips about Research

When writing your draft, avoid information dumps. Too much information can bore readers while insufficient information might confuse them.
Use primary resources whenever possible over secondary. Primary is first-hand knowledge, like a subject matter expert. Primary knowledge will make your story more credible.
Don’t use research as a means to avoid writing. It’s easy to get lost in your research. You can spend weeks immersed in history. Experts suggest giving yourself a time limit, say two weeks or one month, to use exclusively for researching and preparing to write your story. Once the draft is complete, then you can go back to see where you might need to do more research. Avoid the urge to pause writing to look up a topic.
Before you start your project, make a list of all the places, topics and details you need to research. That way you won’t forget what you need to find out for your story and you won’t pause in the middle of your writing to look it up.
Conduct interviews with experts either in person, by phone or in an online chat. You’ll get the best detailed information that way. Leave emails for follow up questions

Research may either seem like grunt work to you, or a trip down the rabbit hole. When you make a list of what you need to know, and the sources that can help you find it, you’ll be able to craft a story that is authentic and believable.

Tips for Creating a Compelling Opening Chapter

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I had planned to write a post about what makes a great opening chapter or first 10 pages, then I realized I had already written a post about it several years ago.. I couldn’t think of any way to improve it, so I am repeating it here. The information is especially helpful for those participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

If you’ve ever read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, you probably remember this opening line:

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love, we find out who we want to be; in war, we find out who we are.”

I’d be hard pressed to find any opening more poignant than this one. From the very start, readers are taken on an emotional journey that doesn’t end until the final sentence.

Writers are tasked with the challenge to create a similar experience with their readers. The start of any novel should accomplish several things: create the tone of the story, provide the point of view, reveal character, and show tension and conflict, among other things. Certainly, the opening line from The Nightingale accomplishes most of these objectives. Does your story do the same?

Why is the opening so critical? Because if it doesn’t grab the reader’s interest and keep it for the first few pages, the reader will likely close the book and set it aside, never getting to the end of it. Ask any published author, editor or agent what makes a strong opening, and you’ll hear a number of answers, which are summarized below. And these suggestions don’t just pertain to fiction, but to short stories, memoir and non-fiction works too. Without a compelling start, readers will dismiss your effort.

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), keep the following suggestions in mind as you write the opening of your novel.

1. Skip the prologue. There is ongoing debate about the merits of a prologue. Many editors and agents feel they aren’t necessary. I tend to agree with them. I’ve rarely read a prologue that made a difference in my understanding of the plot. The one exception is Caught by Harlan Coben, which provided sufficient background on one of the main characters to make you second guess the outcome. But if you plan your story well and write the opening pages right, there shouldn’t be a need for a prologue.

2. Create a protagonist that readers will care about. The opening is your opportunity to reveal your protagonist’s character. Is he/she rebellious, angry, ambitious or curious? In the above opening from The Nightingale, the character speaking is introspective and perhaps has gained wisdom from life experience. It makes me care about who she is and what else she (and it is a she, btw) might have to say.

3. Ground your reader in the story’s setting. According to the Write Practice blog, let readers see where the story takes place. Establish early on what the setting is for the story – the time period, the location, the season of the year, etc. When the reader feels grounded in the setting, they feel mentally prepared to experience the events as the characters do.

4. Create conflict and tension. Identify what the inciting incident is – that starting point to your story that changes the status quo. Where is the conflict? Is that conflict with another character, with a situation or within themselves? That conflict is needed to create tension, which helps draw readers in and keep them reading to see how the conflict is resolved.

5. Don’t frontload with dialogue or action. According to Fuse Literary, too much action or dialogue can confuse readers. Sure, you want to start with some sort of action, but an opening chapter heavy on action and dialogue and not enough narrative or backstory can be confusing to readers who may need a point of reference to understand what is happening on the page. You need some action, of course, but balance it with some narrative so you don’t lose readers’ interest.

6. Don’t overload the opening with backstory either. According to recent Reedsy webinar, Crafting a Novel Opening, writers should focus on what the reader needs to know at that moment. There’s plenty of time to reveal backstory and world building as the story progresses, says Shaelin Bishop who led the discussion. Weave in backstory throughout the length of the manuscript, and allow details to breathe between scenes. This approach will help with the pacing too. If readers are overloaded with details up front, they may feel overwhelmed.

7. Hook the reader with an interesting twist. Start where the story gets interesting, which is usually at the point where there’s a change in the status quo. For example, the protagonist gets a letter with good news or bad news, a new person enters the protagonist’s life, or they get into an accident that alters the course of their life. “Show what is interesting rather than focusing on the mundane. It’s okay to show less of the status quo than you think you need to,” says Shaelin Bishop with Reedsy. This approach avoids overloading your opening chapter with too many details that can bore your reader.

8. Every scene should serve several purposes. For example, one scene can establish the tone of the story, reveal something about the character and hint at future conflict. This sounds complex, but it’s necessary to keep the story moving forward and keep readers interested. Don’t waste your first sentence, or any sentence for that matter. Write every scene with a purpose in mind. If it doesn’t serve purpose, and if a character doesn’t serve a purpose, cut them out.

To get into the habit of writing stronger openings, try these two exercises.

Exercise 1: Take 10 minutes and create as many opening sentences as you can think of. It could be for a current work in progress or any other story. Experiment with different perspectives. Here are a couple of examples of intriguing openings that made me keep reading:

“You would think it would be impossible to find anything new in the world, creatures no man has ever seen before, one-of-a-kind oddities in which nature has taken a backseat to the coursing pulse of the fantastical and the marvelous. I can tell you with certainty that such things exists ….”
The Museum of Extraordinary Things, Alice Hoffman

“My name is Serena Frome (rhymes with plume) and almost forty years ago I was sent on a secret mission for the British Security Service. I didn’t return safely. Within eighteen months of joining, I was sacked, having disgraced myself and ruined my lover, though he certainly had a hand in his own undoing.”
Sweet Tooth, Ian McEwan

Exercise 2: Select five novels from your collection that you enjoyed reading. Go back and read the first page from each one. What made you turn the page? Why did it grab your interest? Did it reveal anything about the setting, tone or character? Did it create tension and conflict? What can you learn from these first pages that you can adapt to your own work?

Follow these tips to make your opening chapter compelling enough to keep readers engaged to the very end.

How to Avoid Becoming a Self-Indulgent Writer

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We all enjoy a little self-indulgence now and then—a long soaking bath, a couple of glasses of wine, dinner at an expensive restaurant, lots of chocolate, etc..

But when it comes to writing, self-indulgence can confuse your readers and, worse, kill your story.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines self-indulgence as “excessive or unrestrained gratification of one’s own appetites, desires or whims.” As it pertains to writing, self-indulgent writing is writing that fulfills an author’s desires rather than the audience.

“It’s writing that doesn’t serve the story,” writes author K.M. Weiland. “It’s made up of ‘darlings’ you’re always being told you’re supposed to kill. It’s stuff you might love as a writer, but if you were an objective reader of your own stuff, you probably would not.”

In a recent post on her blog Helping Writers Become Authors, Weiland describes the different ways that you might see self-indulgent writing in the books you read. For example:

A story that seems to never end as if the author is reluctant to finish it. The story itself might be over by page 325, but it continues to page 389. Or the writing comes across as rushed and needs editing. This is particularly true for books that are the last in a series.
The author spends too much time world-building as if they’ve gotten lost in a world of their own creation.
Scenes or dialogue that stretch out too long because the author seemed reluctant to end it. Or scenes or details that seemed to repeat as if the author forgot their place in the story while writing it.
Characters that have no purpose in the story because the author seemed to love the character’s personality
Giving a character a platform and voice to spout your own opinions about a current issue. Often called grandstanding, and it can come across as preachy.

So how can you recognize self-indulgence in your own writing? Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

Who is your audience? Are you writing for yourself or for readers? Weiland says you write the first draft for yourself; the second draft is for the reader. It’s in that second draft that you weed out the little self-indulgences that detract from your story.
Why are you writing this story? Is it to slay your personal demons? Or is it to entertain readers and take them on a journey to a world you’ve created? Always keep the reader in mind as you write. Ask: what do readers need to know to help them understand this story?
Have you fallen in love with certain characters? Do those characters have a purpose in your story? If you love them but they don’t have a meaningful purpose, it’s time to “kill your darlings” or at least, save them for another story.
How much of yourself is in the story? Did you inadvertently portray yourself as the protagonist or the victim? Naturally, there will always be aspects of ourselves in our characters, but when you have become that character, it’s time to rethink who you want that character to be.
Is there a character who is grandstanding—spouting opinions that you hold dear? Unfocused and personal musings or pontificating about current issues can turn off readers.
Have you fallen in love with a setting or have you provided too much backstory and detail about the world you’ve created? Too many setting details can slow down your story.
Are there any poorly-devised plot twists? They can create unnecessary scenes and push the story into dead ends. I’ve seen this happen when a plot twist added 50 pages that didn’t need to be there, pushing the total page count to more than 500 for a women’s fiction.
How much time do you spend inside a character’s head and provide self-talk. Especially if you’re writing in first person, it can be easy to get inside your protagonist’s head—and stay there. It’s important to provide just enough inside thoughts to provide important details and back story without grounding the story to a halt.

Self-editing is a crucial skill to learn so you can assess your own work as objectively as possible. If you haven’t mastered the art of self-editing, recruit a friend or fellow writer to review your work. They may notice areas of self-indulgent writing.

Just as in real life, a little self-indulgence is fine. But when self-indulgent writing interferes with the story’s progress or confuses the reader, it’s time to make adjustments. You don’t want too much self-indulgence to kill your story.

For more insights about self-indulgent writing, check out this article at Flocksy.

Find your writing superpower

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On your writing journey, you’ll develop a full range of editorial skills from writing dialogue to creating an imaginary world for your characters. Conversely, those newly-developed skills may be more on the administrative side, such as managing tasks and making the best use of your time.

Some skills must be learned, while others seem to be born within us. I call those natural abilities superpowers. A writer’s superpower is that one aspect of writing that they are better at than any other skill.

If you’ve been writing consistently for a while, you may notice that you have a knack for doing certain things, almost by instinct. Those skills emerge organically from within. That superpower comes about with consistent practice.

And if you don’t think you have a writing superpower? Don’t worry. It’s there somewhere. You just haven’t discovered it yet.

Allison Tait, who writes children’s’ books, has this advice for developing writing superpowers in kids, but I think her advice works just as well for adults. She writes: “I encourage kids to identify one superpower and use it to give them confidence to keep writing. Because when you’re confident that you’ve got at least one thing going really well, then it’s much easier to take risks with writing and to try different things.”

Writing is a risk, but to be successful at writing, you have to experiment to see what works for you. Writing forces you to dig deep within yourself and release all the old, stagnant feelings you have buried there. It’s about exposing yourself to others, who may not like the person you reveal yourself to be. It takes courage to write, especially when you know how high the stakes may be and that readers may not like what you create. But still you continue to write—because you love to write.

How do you find your own superpower? By being consistent with your writing practice. Write as often as you can. That’s how you discover your special skills, your superpowers.

There are other ways to find your superpower, such as:

Being curious about the world and the people you encounter every day.
Reading widely in all genres, even non-fiction.
Experimenting with different writing styles.
Immersing yourself in creative environments and in nature.
Learning about your craft by taking classes and attending webinars.

There are numerous possible superpowers you could discover. Here are a few that I’ve recognized in myself and in other writers. You may discover different superpowers of your own.

Idea Generator. Some writers can come up with plot lines almost at will, while others knock their heads against a brick wall looking for inspiration. For these idea generators, writer’s block is a foreign concept. They have notebooks with story ideas and notes for the next work-in-progress. No sooner have they completed one story that they’re ready to write the next one.

Task Master. Most writers have numerous unfinished manuscripts sitting in a desk drawer collecting dust. Not the Task Finisher, who manages to finish every project they begin. They seem to have a clear idea how their story will end, and even if they don’t, they keep working at it until they do. This is one superpower I wish I had.

Time Manager. Some people love routine and schedules; others don’t. The Time Manager can set a schedule and follow it to a T. They just know how to make the best use of their time to meet deadlines and get the most work done within a certain time frame.

Writing Warrior. It takes courage to write. A writing warrior isn’t afraid to get words down on the page and doesn’t second-guess themselves about how the story will unfold. The warrior trusts that whatever comes out on the page is the story they are meant to tell.

World-building Visionary. With a vivid imagination, world-building visionaries can see an entire new world in their mind and then describe it in rich detail. This is what makes science fiction and fantasy writers so unique. If J.K. Rowling wasn’t a world-building visionary herself, would any of us be able to experience Hogwarts the way Harry Potter did?

Conversation Analyst. An ear for dialogue and the audacity to listen in on other people’s conversations without guilt can turn an average writer into a conversation analyst. They can detect the emotional undertones, the wording choices, vocal accents and mannerisms that make the conversation real, and then emulate those details in a carefully crafted dialogue.

Technical Translator. Some people have a knack for understanding technical lingo. They can read a technical manual then “translate” the instructions into plain English that others can understand. This superpower is especially helpful when writing non-fiction, but you might use it for describing scenes involving a scientific or technological method.

Sensory wizard. Though we are all born with five senses—taste, touch, smell, hearing, and seeing, only a blessed few have the ability to write descriptive prose involving those senses so that readers feel and see and taste it too.

Emotional Caretaker. Few writers have ever been able to touch my heart and soul with their words. I’m not talking about descriptive writing, but emotional writing. The simplest words can be filled with so much emotion and drama that they make readers feel something within themselves, make them cry, or send chills down their spine.

Self-editing Guru. Writing the first rough draft is the easy part. Editing is where the hard work begins. The self-editing guru can edit their initial draft and rewrite scenes without second guessing themselves. By the end of the second or third draft, they have a publishable book, while other writers are still slaving away on a fourth or fifth round of edits because they question whether the story is good enough.

So which superpower do you have? Which one do you wish you could develop further? Or do you have a superpower that’s not on this list? Share with me in the comments.

The Burden of the Unfinished Story

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How many unfinished manuscripts do you have lying around the house? I have so many, I’ve lost count. That’s because I always get excited about a fresh, new story idea, and I take time to sketch out the plot and characters. Next thing I know, I’ve drafted the first four chapters – and left my current work in progress collecting dust.

But there are certain consequences to leaving a story unfinished, writes author Colleen Story at her blog Writing and Wellness (although the article appeared in her newsletter). Unfinished stories can be detrimental to your physical and mental well-being.

She cites research by a Lithuanian psychologist in the 1920s that found that people are more likely to remember the tasks that they had left undone than the tasks they had finished. The feeling of unfinished business stays with you—until you decide to do something about it. It can feel like a weight around your shoulders, dragging you down.

Unfinished stories can also affect your mood too, Story says. It can cause stress and anxiety, fatigue and creative exhaustion, and sleep issues. They take up valuable mental and creative space in your brain, so that you can’t think or work on anything else.

Conversely, when you do finish a task, whether it’s a writing assignment for a client or a novel you’d been slaving away over for the past two years, you feel lighter and freer. That burden of unfinished business has been lifted off your shoulders. You can live and breathe again. It energizes you, boosts your self-confidence, and gives you pride of accomplishment. That feeling of euphoria can be addictive too, carrying you into your next creative project.

If you have a mini-library worth of unfinished stories, it’s time to make an important decision. You have several options:

Continue to keep the story hidden in your desk drawer and make yourself sick over the unfinished story.
Pull it out, look it over with a fresh eye and decide if it’s worth working on again. If it is, then get back to work.
Look at it again, decide it isn’t worth your time and let it go—literally and figuratively. Letting go of it is a release too. Some stories are meant to be finished, let alone published. Call them practice stories.

If you still need more evidence to finish that unfinished story, consider the example of author Laura Dave, whose book The Last Thing He Told Me became a national bestseller and was turned into a mini-series (and a whale of a book too!). In a recent panel discussion, she admitted that it took her 12 years to finally finish the manuscript that had been sitting in her desk. She tried working on it several times because she was sure it held some worthwhile nugget there. Only after an astute agent looked at it and provided suggestions was Dave able to finish the book.

Moral of the story: don’t give up. If the story is worth telling, if there’s a nugget of truth you want to share, then keep working on it. If your heart is no longer in it though, don’t waste your time on it. If time is the problem that you can’t get back to writing it, then you need to figure out how to make the time in your schedule. Writing should be a joy, not a burden. If an unfinished story is still a burden for you, then it’s time to ether let it go or get back to work on it. Not finishing what you started can be detrimental to your health and peace of mind, while finishing your story will be a cause for celebration—and give you another reason to keep writing.

Strategies for Coping with Writing Anxiety

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Writing doesn’t come easy for a lot of people. The prospect of writing even one word paralyzes them. They’re so anxious about writing something that others will eventually read that that freeze, unable to write a single word. Even the most prolific published authors claim to feel anxious about the writing process some of the time.

Writing anxiety is a very real thing, affecting hundreds of thousands of people each day. It’s far more common that you think.

I’m not talking about writer’s block, which is the inability to come up with the topic or story you want to write. You draw a blank when you stare at the page. You are literally blocked from writing anything.

Writing anxiety is different. It’s defined as the tension, worry, nervousness or other negative feelings about a writing task. Think of it as stage fright for the written word. Just like a novice actor might freeze up under the spotlight, so do writers freeze up when they have to write about something.

It doesn’t matter if what you’re writing is a 300-page novel, a 1000-word essay, or a letter to someone you know and care about. Writing anxiety can strike at any time.

Whereas writer’s block occurs when you can’t think of anything to write about, writing anxiety is more about the feelings associated with your message and audience. You may know exactly what you want and need to say, but fear how it will be received.

Causes of writing anxiety

Experts say there are numerous causes of writing anxiety—from the pressure to perform to trying to please a specific audience. Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help you work through your writing anxiety.

Cause #1: Pressure to perform.

Writing anxiety may occur when you perceive the stakes to be high. For example, a grad student who is required to write a dissertation to complete their academic studies may feel anxious because the stakes are so high. The pressure to perform a writing task at a high level to receive the promised rewards can increase a person’s anxiety.

Cause #2: Lack of understanding of the writing task.

When a writing assignment for work or school seems complex or vague, that can cause some anxious moments too. No matter how many times you look over the assignment, nothing makes sense. It’s difficult to know where or how to start a writing project when you’re not sure what the finished product is supposed to look like. Lack of understanding of the writing task can result writers to feel anxious to the point that they produce a poor quality product.

Cause #3: Desire to please someone or a specific audience

Sometimes writing for a specific audience can cause some anxiety. For example, if you’re submitting an essay for a writing contest, you might feel anxious about being judged by a group of strangers. Or perhaps you’re trying to impress a new client after they’ve given you the first assignment. You want to do your best work, but with the stakes so high, you agonize over how they will view your work.

Cause #4: You’re attempting to learn a new writing style

As writers, we’re often faced with learning a different style of writing. Perhaps as a novel writer, you’ve never written poetry before. Or as a longtime business writer, you’re trying your hand at writing grant proposals, which is not part of your portfolio. There can be some anxiety when you’re learning something new.

Cause #5: Desire to please someone close to you.

If you’ve ever had someone in your life who has had high or perfectionist expectations of you, you know how anxious you can feel to try to meet those expectations. Or conversely, they belittled your desire to be a writer. Even if that person is deceased now, their words of encouragement (or discouragement, as the case may be) can still ring in your ears many years later. This, too, can create feelings of anxiety whenever you sit down to write.

Any one (or two) of those causes can paralyze you into inaction, resulting in writer’s block.

Strategies to counter writing anxiety

Fortunately, there are ways you can deal with writing anxiety. The nervous feelings may never go away completely, but these strategies can help you work through the issues preventing you from writing.

Strategy 1: Do some soul searching.

Pinpoint why you’re feeling anxious about writing. Is it the process that scares you? Is the assignment too complex or vague? Or are you trying to please someone with your writing?

Journaling can help you sort through your feelings and thoughts. Or talk to a close friend or relative who can lend an empathetic ear and perhaps provide valuable insights.

Strategy 2: Be clear about the writing task.

If the reason for the anxiety is a writing assignment that is vague or complex, talk to the person who assigned the task to get their perspective. The last thing you want to do it tough your way through the assignment, then turn in something that doesn’t meet their requirements. Get clear about what is expected before you begin.

Strategy 3: Break down the writing project into smaller pieces.

By tackling smaller chunks of the assignment, you won’t feel so overwhelmed. If you’re writing a dissertation, for example, tackle a section at a time, even one page at a time. With a little bit of effort each day, you’ll soon see steady progress as the number of completed pages grows.

Strategy 4: Don’t worry about first drafts.

First drafts are never perfect. Get your ideas down on paper first. You can always refine them later. Alternately, you can use an idea board for working out the overall project. I like to use the bullet point method where I jot down each individual idea that I want to include in my manuscript as bullet points. This approach helps me organize my thoughts and makes sure I’m including every detail.

Strategy 5: Do all your research up front.

If your writing project involves research, doing much of your research before writing can help you understand your subject well. You become a mini-expert and gain confidence in your ability to speak and write about the topic. The writing process goes much more smoothly when you feel confident about the subject matter.

Strategy 6: Read your finished work out loud.

It’s never easy to hear criticism about your written work. It might help to read your piece aloud to someone and get their feedback. This will help you get used to the feedback/critiquing process. Reading it aloud can also help you pinpoint problem areas in your writing so you can correct it before you submit it.

Have you ever suffered writing anxiety? What strategies did you use to get past those feelings so you could write with greater confidence?

Why Creative Ruts Happen, and What You Can Do About Them

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I’m taking the week off from my blog to focus on other writing projects. Please enjoy the following article, which was originally published in May 2019. I’ll be back next week with fresh material.
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Falling into a creative rut can feel like the end of the world, like you’re stuck in a desert with no sign of water or food or life. When they happen, you can do one of two things: fight them to the death, or embrace them.

Ruts are not a bad thing, says author and freelance journalist Kristin Wong. They serve a useful purpose, prompting you to question your life goals and career aspirations. Ruts, she says, reminds you that you are human after all, not a machine.

Other creative types see ruts differently. Author Jane Porter suggests that it’s not a rut you are experiencing at all, but impatience. You want to see results right away. You want to see progress quickly and in the right direction, just as you sketched it out ahead of time. You want to see proof that your hard work is paying off. But, Porter says, efficiency is not the same as creativity.

Do a Google search and you’ll find hundreds of articles with suggestions for dealing with ruts. But most of them don’t address why they happen in the first place. Wong says ruts usually happen for one of three reasons:

* Information overload. The Internet provides a lot of information, and it can be easy to get lost in it. Some of the information is legitimate; a good portion is not, and we have to discern between fact and fiction. It’s also easy to get distracted with non-essential ideas that don’t fit in with your own aspirations. When you feel lost, it’s easy to seek guidance from other people and forget that you even have a brain and a voice. You need to block out the distractions so you can hear your own voice and follow your own path.

* Burnout. Creative professionals often work on the same project for months or even years. But after looking at the same pages all the time, you can become bored. You begin to feel stagnant, and run out of ideas of how to fix your writing or artwork. Burnout is natural when you stare at a project for too long, says Wong. To counter burnout, it’s important to take breaks – lots of them. Self-care is as much a part of the creative process as the work you do. During those breaks, learn to do nothing, even if it’s just staring out the window. Breaks give you stamina and energy so you can keep going toward your goals.

* Uncertainty about your path. Sometimes you can be so engulfed in the process of creating that you lose sight of your overall vision. It can translate as boredom on the job. When you continue to do a job out of routine, and you’re unclear what the overall vision is for that job, it can throw you into a rut.

So now that you have a better understanding why ruts happen, what can you do about them? Ask any creative person and they will tell you how they deal with them. But their ways of dealing with ruts are as different as they are. Check out this Huffington Post article about how 29 artists break out of ruts. It’s important to find what works best for you. Here are a few ideas:

1. Take a break. Most creative people will tell you that frequent breaks are necessary for clearing your head. Go for a walk, take a weekend getaway, play with your pet, or take a nap. When you return to your desk, you may notice a solution you hadn’t seen before.

2. Work with your hands. Find ways to work with your hands. Try gardening, playing in the sand, mold clay, juggle, or anything that requires you to use your hands rather than your head. Playing with something tangible like dirt, water or clay can be therapeutic.

3. Take a bath or shower. Ever have an eureka moment while showering? There’s something about immersing yourself in water that releases creative energy. In astrology, water is often associated with creativity and artistry, so any activity involving water may help “flush out” new innovative ideas.

4. Try something different. Do something you’ve never done before, says Christine Mason Miller, author of Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World in a recent Psyche Central article. Sign up for a cooking class, for example, visit a nearby town you’ve never been to before or go horseback riding if you’ve never done it. The key is to open your mind up to doing something different. If you experience something out of the usual order of things in your life, that new experience can spawn new creative ideas.

5. Make small changes. Sometimes making small changes to your environment can help you look at the world differently. Miller says whenever she falls into a creative rut, she will repaint a room, rearrange a room or buy a new piece of furniture. Bringing something new into your environment can spark creative ideas.

6. Show up and be present. Give your work all the attention it needs, even if the quality of work you produce isn’t quite what you want. At least you are still working at it.

7. Allow yourself to be bored. Author Jane Porter says our brains are too occupied with information, data, news and other stuff. Our brains are too busy, and all that busyness can kill creativity. It’s okay to be bored every so often, to do nothing, to think of nothing. Use the time to stare out the window or a picture on the wall. Become a blank slate. Think of it as part of the creative process.

8. Surround yourself with beautiful things. Visit a museum, listen to classical music or read poetry. Enjoy the sources of beauty and creativity that surround you. Seeing it in nature or seeing it in the works of other creatives can inspire you.

9. Embrace your creative rut. Realize that feeling stuck is part of the creative process. Once you understand this, you can embrace it for what it truly is – a reason to keep creating.

Creative ruts are inevitable, and a natural part of the creative process. They serve as red flags alerting you that something is out of sync. When you fall into one, don’t fret. Recognize it for what it is – a chance to recharge your creative spirit so you can produce your best work.

How Reading a Variety of Books Can Improve Your Writing

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When I first began my writing journey nearly about five years ago, I was inspired by Stephen King’s book On Writing, in which he encouraged writers to read often and read a variety of book titles. Around that same time, I had started volunteering for a non-profit group that provided books to incarcerated women, and I became familiar with the books they often requested from our library (most of which were donations). So I was reading everything from true crime, prison life and re-entry to African-American and Hispanic fiction.

Adding fuel to the fire was a blog post I came across about a reading challenge—reading books under certain categories, themes, genres or book titles—no matter how crazy those titles might be. The list included everything from reading a non-fiction book, a book about motherhood, a book turned into a movie or TV series, or a book with a color/number/person’s name in the title. You get the idea. The challenge wasn’t about how many books you could read, but the variety. It simply added another layer of fun to the activity of reading.

Put altogether, reading a variety of books became ingrained in me. So what that I rarely read the current bestseller? I learned as much by reading a classic John Steinbeck novel as anything else on the current bestseller list. I learned that every book you read can teach you something about writing.

More important, reading a variety exposed me to authors I probably would never have read (Toni Morrison, for example) and about different cultures and perspectives (Indian culture through the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, for example). It showed different uses of language and unique and interesting characters and settings (fantasy, for example).

Reading a variety has also shown me the things that don’t always work in storytelling and what does and does not appeal to readers. That knowledge is helping me craft better stories, stronger plots and more interesting characters. (At least I hope it does.}

Reading a variety can nudge you out of your comfort zone and challenge your brain to see things differently. If all you ever read is the same genre, boredom can settle in and you’ll likely see the same plot lines and the same types of characters over and over again. When that happens, it may be time to mix things up a bit. After reading a couple of historical fiction novels, switch it up by reading a memoir or a classic. You can always return to your favorite genre.

Here’s what you can learn about writing by reading outside your favorite genre:

Sci Fi/Fantasy – Learn about world building with its own unique population and language. This challenges you to think outside the box.
Mystery/thriller – Learn techniques for pacing and creating suspense.
Literary – Learn about character-driven plots, character motivation and story arcs.
Memoir – Learn about a person’s history, emotions and experiences. What makes them tick? How did they become the person they are now?
Non-fiction – Learn to explain technical or complex subjects. Get background information about a subject.
Commercial fiction or current bestseller – ask yourself why they are so popular with readers. What is their appeal? Why are people buying this book?
The classics – Learn about the use of language from years ago. Important if you’re writing historical fiction.
Plays/drama – Pay attention to dialogue. How do the characters speak and relate to one another?
Read Latino, African-American, Native-American, Middle Eastern, Asian-American authors – Notice how their culture influences their story telling.

The way I see it, reading is the flip side of writing. Without reading, we would never experience the fine art of storytelling. So read a lot, and read a variety. Your creative writing self will thank you for it.

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