Hey guys! Welcome back to Homestead. I got many comments from writers in my article last week that the problem they were facing wasn't that they didn't think enough, it was that they thought too much. I wanted to help the writers who are, like me, overthinkers. So, settle in as we discover how to overcome the planning phase.
For the past six years, since I started writing I've definitely fallen deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Everyone has a rabbit. A rabbit is anything that you’re chasing. That can be a car, a promotion, or a relationship. In writing, it can be searching for a character trope that will hook your reader, or a dynamic you're so obsessed with you can't stop thinking about, or a plot point you find yourself giggling and kicking your feet over. These are rabbits. Say hi to your rabbit. Give them some lettuce, some scritches, some love. These are all things we love doing and are good to do, but only in moderation. If we chase after these things long enough, we can lose ourselves. My Dad called it quality of life. It’s all about balance.
If you focus too much on what readers will enjoy, you'll forget what it's like to enjoy writing for you.
If you think too much about a dynamic, you may become so fixed on it that your creative flow is impeded.
If you're busy enjoying the thought of something, you'll become addicted to thinking about it and never actually write it.
Not to fear! With every downside, there are three upsides. 1:3 is a nice ratio, and the best part is that chasing a rabbit into its bunker fulfills something you as a writer are craving. But like Alice, if you chase it too deeply, you'll end up losing yourself.
This happened to me about two years ago. I was so consumed with just dreaming and imagining scenes that I forgot two important things.
1) What reality is like
2) In order to be a writer, you have to actually write
How I overcame this was writing out of order, which I know isn't recommended for writers, but this helped me get out of my funk. I wrote down everything I was excited to write and used that as a launching pad to fill in the gaps. The first draft isn't supposed to be perfect and coherent. It’s just supposed to exist. That's what editing is for. Also, you know that big scene that you must write that the entire plot hinges on? Yeah, that scene in particular. Write it. Stop running from your responsibilities!
Another way to stop chasing rabbits is to hone in and focus. Lock in. Keeping a journal helps, I have a notebook for every story. Using Pinterest to visualize characters and settings and drawing your character can also help bring your ideas out of your mind and into the real world!
That's all for today folks, thanks for joining me and as always, stay tuned!
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