Lukara - What to do When things go Wrong

Alyssa Lukara – What to do when things go wrong.
(Willamette Writers – June 4th, 2011)


www.transformationalwriters.com
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Riding Grace by Alyssa Lukara


WW Announcements:

Workshop – Jessica Morrell – June 24th to June 26th; Cannon Beach?
WW now owns a house in Portland. Can rent one of 6 rooms for $10 for 24 hours.
WW Conference: August 5th thru 7th

Start:
Inner Stumbling Blocks – When writer hits a brick wall.  Part of rites of passage for a writer.

2 Sections:
1) Common Obstacles: (In handout?)

Controversial Subjects (in memoirs and fiction and non-fiction). All could have controversial subjects. (should have?)

Roots of writing passages:
1) Safety – writing is a risky business. Also scary. Makes author feel unsafe.
a. Readers – are humans and like comfort zone. Writing takes them out of comfort zone.

Example: Oprah – says all her guests have a pervasive sense of unworthiness.

Writing: means you have something to say to the world.
With this + obstacles, know help will show up: reports, guides, writing groups, books, workshops, scheduling routine for writing.


Problems for writer:

1) Lack of time. – Most everybody deals with this. Is both true and not true. A case of priorities.
a. Writing or doing other things.
b. Writing is selfish: There are always other more important things you could be doing.
c. Tiredness makes you not want to write. (Stephen King wrote first book while doing laundry).
d. Writing routines: She says, no matter how much you write in a day it’s good.
i. Her: writing first thing in the day works best for her  makes her feel good.
Making writing her number 1 priority.
e. Major myth about lack of time: Trying to set writing expectations to high (lots of hours) – common and a set-up for failure.
i. Happens even to professionals that are productive.
ii. Not about judgment (or guilt from not writing).
iii. Decrease expectations; spend less time writing.
1. Tricks herself into writing more.
f. Time is not just a rite of passage. It’s like a gatekeeper. ???

Example: Her: Her: Starts with short time periods (for a new book) and build up (even though she does have discipline). (Starts with 15 minutes. Some of her best work during this 15 minutes).

The point (above): Don’t limit yourself this way (by a large commitment of time). What matters is what writer can accomplish; not spending large amounts of time – just set out to do what needs to be done.

You will eventually get to a point where you are very busy – you need to set up structure of whatever works for you.


2) Procrastination: (Variation on lack of time). Many face this issue. Trying to think of other things to do instead of writing. (Eg. how important emails can become).
a. Believing can’t write unless their muse is inspiring them. (An excuse not to write).
b. Know that it’s still necessary to sit there during those blank times (writer’s block)
c. Friends and family won’t understand routines

Example: Micromovements:
Make list of appointments for self:
1) Find a pen
2) Find paper
3) Put pen to paper,
And on and on and on.


III) Critic and self-doubt – two sides of the same coin. Critic creates self-doubt. (eg.aren’t good enough, are wasting your time, etc.)
Self-doubt: Vulnerable, can’t express self, all the bad things that will happen.
Good news: Negative voices all a normal part of writing.
Self-doubters & critic: have no legitimacy – everybody has this going on.
Sometimes a barrier. Every time you overcome it you gain confidence.
Acknowledge critic but know it isn’t valid.
Critic: Purpose is to protect writer.
Only one time she lets it stop her: if she tries to share with writing group too early.
Will then give herself a day off, and after wave of doubt passes, starts writing
Again.
Her: Powering or forcing way through for her doesn’t work. She is more gentle with herself.
Positive side of critic: Editing and looking for positive discernment.
Will need eventually. Can give critic a new job then.


Being part of a writers’ group important  Need feedback. Need to know you’re word have an effect on readers.
Note: It’s not your business how others see your writing. Your job is to keep the writing channel open.


IV) Overwhelmed: (By the magnitude of what you’re trying to accomplish).
1) Start by taking a deep breath.
2) Look for structural problems: (Writing is a creative art but is also a mini-business.)
a. Borrow business tools and break job into smaller pieces.
i. As in, present moment What can you do today?
ii. Write down what you have already focused on and accomplished today
1. With a book this list is endless. –
2. To Do List: With writing is always larger than what you can get done.
a. Every day appreciate what you did
b. Example, what you read or what movies you watched – any accomplishment no matter how small.

V) Writer’s Block – Many proposed solutions exist. Some don’t even believe writer’s block exists.
EITHER WAY  IT CAUSES PAIN.
Reword: Writer’s Block  Writing Pause
Leads to procrastination. She had many pauses on her memoirs. Came up when:
1) When trying to do too much -- (went from original 1000 pages to 200 Pages)
a. Focused on 1 or 2 most important things she was trying to communicate: Other stuff dropped away.
i. Helps decide what to include and what to cut
Structural Problems:
Hers: Memoir a long story. She needed info on craft of writing (and/or writing memoirs?)
Ask self: What do you need to learn about structure, craft? What’s your theme?
Can it move forward? Are you clear where book starts and ends?
(Example: John Irving – can’t start a book until he knows the ending).

She says: if you’re blocked, look at your writing without following chronological order. Maybe what’s most important rather than what’s in chronological order.
Books have their own timing and gestation process. Sometimes she’ll write in the middle.
Sometimes you can get way too close to the material.
Timing: She went through a lot of feelings – sometimes wrote anger at people in her life. She found she needed to forgive them before she could write these parts (although it works for some people to write with anger and revenge

Writing Pause: Can happen when creativity dies or writer gets burned out.
Suggestion: Give self an artist date once a week. Treat the artist in you to a reward two hours once a week.
Sometimes we are in survival mode (surviving life). – Hurts creativity and makes it hard to write.



Fear

If you are feeling afraid about writing, you are very close to your writing subject.
When you are getting a calling to write a book, fear comes up (soul quaking?)

Example: Get a quaking anxiety when starting a new book. She resists writing book until pain of not writing greater than the pain of writing. Should move through fear anyway. Another rite of passage.

Real writing: Is very scary. –
1) when opening self up to your muse.
2) From creation: Many writers will have fear bring them to their knees.
But it can be overcome.

Eg.
1) Writers never get rid of neuroses.
2) Fear and obstacles are normal.
3) Fear comes up to try to keep you safe.


Ways to deal with fear:

1) Accept fear as part of the territory. Stop making it an enemy. It will loosen its grip on you and you will learn something from it.
a. Worst thing you can do: Try to push it away.
i. Instead, invite fear to tea. Find out what it tells you. (write it down?)
ii. Acknowledge fear.
iii. Listen to it.
iv. Tell it you’re going to write anyway.
v. Write
b. Fear will keep coming back – Accept it as one part of your creative journey.

2) Rather than spending a long time on fear, write down fear.  Will help break cycle and you can move on.

3) Give your feeling of fear to a character. Give it as much emotional power as you can.
a. Give fear a voice, and a name and picture how it works.
b. Give it it’s own scene. Work through it this way.
c. Use different voices from inside your head
i. Way to reconcile the voices.

4) Write freeform.
a. Write anything at all, (subconscious) :
i. Eg., grocery list, To Do List: anything



Exercise:
1) Think about fear about a writing project.
2) Feel where your fear is located in your body.
3) Feel the energy about this area.
4) Feel the feeling without that energy.
5) Feel it move to your heart.
Neutralizes fear. Write fear from neutral place.


Five: Write a poem about fear and self-doubt. Connect words and let subconscious create words.


Six:
Once a day: Do something out of the ordinary. Something outside of comfort zone.
(eg. take a different route traveling; )



Writing takes courage. Writing about difficult subjects. She had “Life Block” until she finished her book and put it out in the market.
Must do things you think you can do and that you think you can’t do.

Seven:
Stand outside your own story. View from outside. Will help you keep from going through such emotional intensity.
Practice with something not so bad at first. Then write your most potent subjects through 3rd person to get objectivity  then go back to first person.
Moving horrible experiences from inside to outside is a piece of art.
Good to know that whatever you’re writing will be good for somebody. Even if it’s just entertainment for the reader.


Perspective on Writing Obstacles:

A writing obstacle is a gift to overcome. Sometimes helps writer. Not all writers have freedom to overcome a writing obstacle (countries where writing is censored).  Your newness becomes part of the universe.