The Blank Page...and other Writing Paranoia

If you’re a writing, there is a good chance you’ve felt the nudge, sting, or shove of self-doubt. Maybe with a little fear sprinkled in for good measure.

I know I have! On both sides of publication, writers have a tendency to doubt their own abilities, worry about the general acceptance of our words on paper, and question our calling.

And, of course, those tiny doubts escalate into a tidal wave crashing down on us, leaving us with enough paranoia to star in a Stephen King film!

Today we are going to talk about a few of the paranoia we may face as writers.

Below is a list of some top diagnostic paranoia for writers. Don’t worry if you can’t find your particular paranoia in the list, I’m only chatting about three today. There are many more (saggy middle, overused words, etc) – enough to satisfy any constant worry-er or justify any need for chocolate.

1.       Blank First Page

Who’s been there? You’ve finished your novel, edited it until it shimmers and now it’s time for…the next story. (gasp)

 Whether you have an idea for a new book or not, the empty page can evoke one of two emotions. Sheer delight or utter panic. Starting something new, delving into a novel storyworld and characters can be exciting, but it can also bring a sense of anxiety with it.

If your first book has done really well, then you feel the added pressure of making the second book as good or better than the first (and usually under deadline). If your first book hasn’t been picked up by a publishing house, you have the added pressure of trying to ‘make it better’ and your mind spirals a frantic struggle of ‘what do publishers want? How can I improve my craft? What if I do all this work only to have it rejected again?

 

Hope Note: “He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it”(Philippians 1:6) – God has started a story in your heart, a desire to create words with meaning, and He has the power, ability, and love enough to see the end result of what He’s started in you.

 

2.       Tell-Tale Signs

You know that verse in the Bible from 1 Corinthians which says “now let me show you a more excellent way”?? Well, with that idea in mind, let’s chat a little about the show vs. tell controversy in writing. ‘Telling’ in and of itself isn’t the “kiss of death” in your scene. There are times when telling must happen, but a ‘more excellent way’ shows the action through our words.

Simple examples?

Clark was angry.

Clark slammed his fist against the desk, sending the Spock bobble head into a frantic shudder.

Now, it’s pretty obvious the better choice. The second is not only more visual and descriptive, I also tossed in a little characterization for good measure. Learning to write with more active verbs and ‘action’ descriptions is the ‘better’ way, but writing a few telling lines here and there should not leave you stressed. Find the best way to describe what you need for your story. If telling? Tell. If showing? Show. :-)

Hope Note: “Now I will show you a more excellent way. Love….” I Corinthians 12: 31b-13:1a

God has given us the best example of show vs tell in all eternity. Through Christ, we see the example of perfect love – in his life, death, and resurrection. Though Jesus told people of his work, the Bible never records him telling anyone that he loves them. He talks of God (The Father) loving them, but doesn’t say it himself. Instead, he shows us. His sacrifice, patience, and grace speak more than words, and because of His love in creating this writing gift in us – he will help us ‘show’ the story He’s written on our hearts.
 

3.       Hole-y Plots, Batman

Besides #1, this is often my greatest paranoia! :-) Getting through a book with a full-proof plot can be a daunting task.

This is where a solid critique partner or group comes in handy! Why? They’ll ask the important questions and help you check for holes. Are all the loose ends, including important aspects of subplots, tied up at the end? Is there a point near the end where one of the main characters begins a lot of monologing (to explain situations that happened earlier) OR do you suddenly have a lot of ‘telling’ instances to make up for information not given earlier? Are the events in the novel logical?

Or if your character suddenly diverts drastically from his/her personality in choices or acts without proper motivation, that should bring a full-blown question-mark to your mind about possible plot holes.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed with the possibility of plot holes, become proactive in both your writing and editing.

Know your main characters’ motivations for what they do…and make sure you keep asking “why are they doing this? Why does this have to happen to propel the story forward?” with each and every scene.

Keep it logically consistent and relatively plausible. When we start having to ‘stretch’ our story beyond what’s fitting, then we might want to check for holes.

Use that crit partner or group! It’s vital to get some other eyes on your manuscript who can see your story from a fresh perspective.

 

Hope Note: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12: 1b-2a – but I’d read the whole chapter if I was you)

Writing a novel is like a marathon. It takes time, planning, pacing, endurance, energy, focus, direction, and maybe a few cheering buddies along the way. But just as God is the author and finisher of our faith, He will give us the necessary skills, awareness, and people to help us make it through the panicked moments if we are willing to listen and learn.

 

Don’t forget what God tells us about paranoia!

1 John 4:18a “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear”

When we remember to whom we belong, who has equipped us, and how much HE loves us – his peace will not only calm our spirits, but give of wisdom to learn from others, grow in our skill, seek advice, and learn to revise well.

 

What are some writing paranoia you experience in your writing world?

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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction whenever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids with special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015. You can connect with Pepper on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com, Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-D-Basham or Twitter at https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

Out of the Heart - Guarding Your Heart and Writing the Bigger Story

"But the words you speak come from the heart..." - Matthew 15:18 (NLT)

Lately, I've been feeling a bit weary when it comes to writing. I'll be honest. I still love it. It still fills me with hope and excitement and anticipation. But it feels me with other things do. Fear. Worry. Anxiety. My proposal is out there in the world right now, and while that should make my heart flitter with opportunity, it also scares me in a way I don't know that it's ever scared me before. After five years of writing and my fair share of "no's," I find myself braced for other sorts of possibilities... rejection. Even the feeling of failure. Not pretty things to talk about, but things all writers eventually deal with.

In addition to the fear that so often creeps into the writing life, our world is full of negative stories. All it takes is one glance at what's trending on your Facebook account or a few seconds of the news to hear all sorts of maddening things. Ebola. Terrorism. Kidnapping. All sorts of should-I-or-shouldn't-I scenarios begin to arise as we try to make decisions about what is safe and what is not, what is being overly cautious and what is necessary.

Too much time spent on social media can certainly exasperate this problem, can it not? I am a firm believer in standing in the gap for our friends and praying for one another's needs, let me be clear. But on the flip side, some people seem to use Facebook to exclusively share horrible news stories. After just a few minutes on Facebook, sometimes I find myself feeling burdened, depressed, or even a little panicky.

Why does this seem to happen to us so easily? And what is the answer? To go even further, how can this tendency affect our writing?

Photo by winnond, at freedigitalphotos.net

I believe that, as all youth pastors have at one point or another said, what goes in comes out. Put very simply, we feed our minds, hearts, and spirits every day. Some days-- perhaps most days-- we are not conscious about what we are feeding ourselves. But when we get that I-ate-too-much-ice-cream feeling after reading some shocking news story or imagining the worst possible scenario happening to our books, there is a reason for the feeling. We have fed ourselves the wrong things.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting we stick our heads in the sand and pretend the world is perfect. The world is far from perfect. We are far from perfect. People get sick and need healing. Jobs are lost sometimes. Evil people can seem to be so loud. And at times, the unexpected happens. We must be diligent and disciplined, compassionate and actively interceding for those around us.

But we were never called to fix the world. We were never called to be God. We were called to release our trust to Him.

How can we manage to do that when the world seems so very chaotic and maddening?

It's vital that we set boundaries in our lives and remain intentional about what we "feed" ourselves. Our thought lives, our imagination, and our hearts so readily stray from the goodness of God that we must pull ourselves back to Him, as a watering pail pulled from the bottom of the well. He is our living water. He is the answer, not only for our needs, but also for the needs of those in our world. But if we run 'round and 'round the well frantically with our hands atop our heads, we will never help anyone, including ourselves.

In practical terms, this may mean limiting Facebook time so you can spend more time reading the Bible, or watching only a few minutes of news per day. If you're a particularly creative person whose mind goes wild when you hear about health epidemics or terrorism, you may need to become especially diligent about cutting off your imagination before it breeds fear and panic.

Above all else, guard your heart. As Proverbs tell us, it is the wellspring of life.

The really cool part is, the mouth (or in our case, keyboard) speaks from what is in the heart. So if you're feeding your heart a bunch of awful stuff, it only makes sense you may find yourself struggling with your writing. But on the other hand, if you are filling your heart with living water, it's going to flow into your stories in a way only God can orchestrate.

If you want to write the kind of story that changes lives, first let God change your own. If you want your writing to be a ministry, recognize that means praying over your stories and future readers, and guarding your own heart. What is inside you will naturally flow out. And that's one of the coolest, highest callings of the writing life.

It is oh-so-easy to sit down at the computer drained, neglecting devotions and our prayer lives. But God has called us to so much more-- to create with Him from a pure heart.

I challenge you today to do something bold. Consider yourself a minister to your readers, even if you don't have any yet. Imagine what they'd look like if they were standing in your living room, in need of advice, encouragement, and maybe even a laugh. Would you offer them more than what you're doing now? Would it be worth protecting your heart for them?

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.