the draft-drawer

Encouragement Pages-03/13/2020

*The 3 F’s of Writing will be tradmarked through JBHarris Writing Services. Look for this book to be released in May 2020 under Divinity Publishing. Thank you! -JBHarris

Avoid the frenzy.

In looking through your draft-drawer, it can be completely overwhelming! Utterly overwhelming! It can be discouraging. It can be nerve-racking! This space–if not put in the proper perspective–can look like a graveyard for your imagination. Which, no lie, can make any writer feel like a complete failure! Or it can lead to what I call ‘the frenzy’.

This is the feeling where you think you have to do everything all at once. This feeling robs you of the weapon that is creative energy. It forces you into a space of panic and doubt–a paralytic for any writer! This is the feeling you have when you feel that you cannot complete anything you have found–which is incomplete. This is also the feeling you have when you believe there is too much in front of you to try and complete what you have found–that is complete.

Conquer ‘the frenzy in three steps (the 3 F’s of Writing)’

Forgiveness. Life is hard. Writing even harder. Accept that what you have in front of you is not burdens, nor the sum total of them. They are opportunities. Wisdom dictates that you never squander them. Everything cannot be done at once–but one thing can be done. Choose wisely.

Focus. There are only 24 hours in a day. No more. No less. With the demands of your time, whatever those are, you have to be generous with yourself. The tool to develop as you take the challenge to complete a writing project is time-management. Dedicate a set day or time to work on what you have you decided to work on. Your work day will be–should be–unique to your needs. Whether this is a specific word count, page count or sprint (writing as much as you can in a set time (as few as 10-minutes or as long as 2 hours; it’s up to you!). Time can be enemy and ally. Make it an ally.

Faith. All writing is an act of complete faith. You are taking something which has only existed in your mind, and taking it –by force!–to a physical media. It’s scary! It is traumatic in some cases! But it is not impossible. Bear in mind that, every work is written one word at a time. One day at a time. One minute at a time. It can be done. It is not overwhelming, and it will not overtake you. Some days are easier than others, yes. On these days, the writing is a joy! On other days, it can feel like Sisyphus. But unlike the myth, the writer–you!–can make it to the top of the mountain. Letter by letter, word by word. If it helps, remember the words of the Little Engine That Could: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”

If you think you can, you will.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Asking, Seeking & Finding

On my podcast, The Writers’ Block, I talked about this concept I termed ‘the Draft-Drawer’. In this space, we writers keep everything! Old work. New work. Research pieces. Random scraps of work and the things you were too scared to think would become anything! Think of the Draft-Drawer as a catch all, or a junk drawer. Like with all junk drawers, it needs to be cleaned out every now and then.

Make no mistake, your Draft-Drawer can be anywhere! It can be a literal drawer in a physical desk, a file folder in a box, or a folder on your smartphone or other voice recorder. Don’t be afraid to look at what you have started or created.

Let me say it again: Don’t be afraid to look at what you have started or created.

The work you want, you may have already started. It may be something a small as a title, an old magazine or short story. It may already be there! The work you want may just be at your fingertips. How great is that!

Be brave.

I know it can be hard, because there and can be deep emotion attached to what you may find. Yet, you must be brave. You must face what is there–if you can, you have no idea what you will unlock.

Pick up your key.