iggi Tips: How to Make Writing No Big Deal

Sometimes it feels like getting any writing done is this Big Screaming Deal.  Those are the times when writing feels like work and I need to force myself to sit and hammer out a certain number of words.  A lot of times I end up wasting time, procrastinating, doing everything else I need to do but not writing.  This is because the writing feels like such a insurmountable hurdle that I psych myself out before I even get started. To get out of these slumps, my only solution is to let iggi take over.

iggi Tips for Making Writing Less of A Big Deal

1)  Write NOW.  iggi is impulsive; when it wants to do something, it has to happen right that second.  Thing is, when it comes to writing, iggi has a point; "now" is always the best time.  Instead of waiting for a four-hour block of time to free up before I sit down and write, I've started carrying a notebook so I can jot down things in those snippets of time between all the "life" in my life.  While 4 minutes of writing might not be as long as 4 hours, it's certainly longer than no writing at all.



2)  Make a mess.  I have to learn to embrace the supreme ickiness of my first drafts.  I shouldn't try to make a masterpiece on my first go-round because masterpieces are hard.  iggi tells me just to throw some words on a page and not be afraid of what comes out.  I can always come back later to revise.



 3)  Me, ME! MEEEEE.  iggi is all about iggi and iggi knows everything.  Trouble with me is that I've turned second-guessing into an art-form.  What I need to remember is that even the worst verbal spillage can contain a nugget of something beautiful if I take the time to look.  I have to trust that I'll be able to find that one treasure amid the junk.

4)  Stuff.  iggi liking stuff. The blank page freaks me out so I've had to learn to avoid blank-page-syndrome.  If I'm working on paper, I scribble or doodle on it first.  If I'm working on computer, I put something in the document (quote, prompt, assignment, idea...)  The point is to have something already on the page before I start to write.

In the end, the important thing is that I'm writing, whether it's fifteen minutes of total garbage or fifteen pages of lyrical goodness.  I will now sign off and go write today's story.

Happy writing!