Your Writing Anxiety - 10 Ways to Bring ReliefWritten by Lynda Blake
Anxiety, apprehension, cold feet, consternation, dismay, distress, dread, fear, fright, horror, nervousness, panic, scare, strain, stress, tension, terror, trepidation, unease or uneasiness: whatever it's called, you've got it.And reason is ... you've got to write an article! Writing anxiety or 'writer's block' happens to all writers at some point in their writing lives. It may be that you don't know what to write about or, with your topic firmly in place, you don't know where to start. At this point, procrastination sets in. Doing anything, rather than actually writing, seems a whole lot better than putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Even walking dog, in pouring rain and gale-force winds, has higher priority! Try some of these ways to restore your writing equilibrium: 1. Avoid starting with a blank page. There's nothing more daunting than beginning from nothing. Work with a template. This will help you to stay focused on your topic. Download and print out some appropriate free graphic organizers from Internet or use graphic organizer software, like NotateIt, that will help you to rearrange and organise your thoughts in freestyle format. 2. Brainstorm your topic. Take some time out for creative thinking with a friend or colleague. You'll get some new twists on theme, especially if they're not 'experts' in your subject matter! 3. Write an outline. Just set out a list of headings. They don't even have to be in order - you can always rearrange them later. Write each heading on a separate card or piece of paper and shuffle result. A new order may emerge that you hadn't thought of, giving you a new slant on your topic. 4. Use a whiteboard. Fix a large magnetic whiteboard on your wall and use it to rearrange your ideas. If a whiteboard on wall feels too intrusive, try some inexpensive whiteboard software on your PC instead. 5. Break your task down into smaller chunks. From your outline, choose one heading and write. Then go on to another heading and write. It doesn't matter which order you write in, because it can all be rearranged later. Not only that, you're achieving your larger goal in a series of smaller steps and that makes it much more manageable.
| | Starting a Freelance Writing Career (or Thoughts About Taking the Plunge)Written by Michele R. Acosta
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of late; "Just do it!" runs through my mind like a mantra. Although my dreams have nothing to do with athletic shoes and little to do with athletics (unless you count long list of ideas I have developed which revolve around my sons and their activities), I have spent a long time avoiding one thing I've always wanted to do - write.Writing has actually been a part of my work life for a very long time. I've written and edited in business world. I've taught writing to high school students. I've written countless lesson plans, activities, etc. I have never tried to get any of my work published, until now. Making decision to write for a living was actually one of most difficult obstacles I needed to overcome. ("Overcome" is probably too strong. I am still scared to death that I won't be able to pay my mortgage.) I never doubted my ability to write, but I did doubt my ability to write for a living. My former employer helped me make decision by firing me. (They actually called it a reduction in force, or RIF for short.) After avoiding application process for weeks, then staring at an online application for close to an hour, I finally had to come to terms with myself and my goals for future. While I love teaching, I am tired of politics that accompany teaching. I can't face it any more. I need to pay my bills and be financially responsible, but part of raising my children involves being a role model. I don't want them to be afraid to take a risk that could help them realize their dreams because they watched their mother play it safe. Having said that, I must admit that my new found bravery faltered when I wrote two checks totaling $1100.00 for two children to play travel soccer next year. Nevertheless, I developed a game face and hid my fears from everyone. I even fooled myself for a while. As school year ended, my colleagues began asking me about my plans for fall. I answered - with confidence that I only partially felt - that I planned to write. After repeating this statement to tenth person, I began to feel somewhat guilty. After all, I was making it sound as if it were a done deal, when I really had barely started. I had a bunch of "how to" articles stacked in my home office that were conflicting and sometimes confusing. I had not even read some of articles yet.
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