| A writer wrote to me the other day looking for | | | | keep going with your story regardless of what |
| advice. Her problem, she told me, was that she | | | | new ideas come up. It's a good idea to speak |
| had too many ideas. Whenever she was writing a | | | | directly to your subconscious. Treat it as a |
| story, her brain would be zinging more and more | | | | separate person which, in some way, it is. It's a |
| ideas at her. | | | | separate part of your brain. Say: "Subconscious, |
| You might be thinking: Huh! I'd LOVE to have such | | | | thank you for that idea. I'm honouring that idea by |
| a problem. | | | | writing it down, and I'll consider it in due course. |
| Well, it sounds good doesn't it? But in reality it's | | | | For now, though, I'm keeping going with this |
| not so good really. Because the abundance of | | | | route." |
| ideas is stopping her from continuing. She's | | | | Then do literally make a note of the idea. It's |
| continually editing the same piece of writing over | | | | good to physically do this because a) it helps you |
| and over again to accommodate the new ideas - | | | | remember what will no doubt be excellent ideas, |
| and so, not making progress. | | | | and b) it shows your subconscious that it can |
| Here's what I said to her - and it's relevant to you | | | | trust you. |
| too: | | | | When you go back over the story you can refer |
| That's another kind of writers' block. It's a way of | | | | back to your notes and make any changes that |
| your subconscious stopping you progressing in | | | | you think are worthwhile. |
| your writing because it (your subconscious) has | | | | Of course, if the new ideas would take you in a |
| beliefs that writing is dangerous for you. There | | | | totally new direction, then you'll have to make the |
| are good reasons for why it thinks writing is | | | | decision as to which is better. Don't ignore those |
| dangerous - very briefly, it's because you risk | | | | ideas, they can be very inspiring. But you need to |
| failure, rejection and success. Success is | | | | be aware of whether the idea is a productive idea |
| dangerous because it leads to change which is | | | | or a limiting one. In other words, is it going to help |
| scary, and it can also lead to rejection. | | | | you, or just distract you. |
| The solution is this: make the commitment to | | | | |