Writing is like breathing, but not in a good way
By Guest | September 26, 2010 |
Today’s guest post is by Rebecca Hargreaves. Rebecca was a finalist in our contributor search. We loved her post, so we invited her to share it with us. Enjoy!
Sometimes, for no reason at all, I become aware of my breathing. I notice how my lungs expand and contract with each breath. I enjoy the sensation of cool air filling my body and the slow warm exhale that follows. I marvel at the wonder of it.
But then suddenly, I can’t breathe. There is just not enough air funneling through my nose. My lungs seem to have forgotten how to do their job and I’m suffocating. I don’t know how to breathe anymore and there’s nothing I can do about it. Somehow, becoming acutely aware of the intricate details of breathing has made me over-think it to the point that I am frozen.
The same thing happens with my writing all the time.
I will be typing away, enjoying the flow of words on the screen, when — bam! — I can’t remember how to write. Everything on the screen looks bizarre and out of place. I can’t recall the rules for punctuating dialogue. Passive verbs swim before my eyes. I see the plain, dull word blue and rack my brain for a more inventive word: cornmeal, indigo, azure, cobalt. Then I chide myself because — of course! — simple language is always better.
Part of being a writer, particularly an aspiring one, is studying craft, but all those rules and tips can become like shackles. It can create timid writers. Ones who are afraid to make giant awkward splashes and instead write safe, neat sentences that may conform to guidelines but are often uninspired. There is a time for rules in writing, but one should only cage the beast after it has been let free to run and wrestle and tumble in the mud until it is exhausted and ready to collapse, willingly, inside the cage.
Of course, like most things in life, this is easier said than done. So, when I find myself paralyzed in front of the computer, worrying over whether the “h” in “he said” is capitalized or not after the quotation marks of a dialogue line (see, it’s so silly!), I turn to these simple tricks:
- Speed things up – Timed writing is a writer’s strongest tool. It’s magic. Set the clock, set the word count, and write until your fingers hurt. No thinking! Just do it.
- Write something else first – Now is the time to pound out that blog post, write your grandmother a letter, or scribble a poem in your journal. Writing in another format, preferably one with lower stakes, will jolt you from that hyper-analytical state and allow you to embrace the simple pleasure of writing again.
- Stop writing and have fun – Getting too entangled with comma usage and –ly adverbs is a sure sign you are officially taking things too seriously. It’s time to shake it off. Go for a walk, play with the dog, turn up the music and dance around the kitchen in your socks. Blow off some steam, have a laugh, and then get back to writing.
Image by *theritesunderneath.
Many thanks to today’s guest.
You can read more WU guest posts by visiting this link.
I can definitely relate to this. Great tips!
This hit so close to home! Thank you.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lydia Sharp and Phaze Books, Katie Ross. Katie Ross said: Some great tips and an even better analogy! RT @PublishingGuru: Writing is like breathing, but not in a good way https://bit.ly/cL3eg7 […]
“There is a time for rules in writing, but one should only cage the beast after it has been let free to run and wrestle and tumble in the mud until it is exhausted and ready to collapse, willingly, inside the cage.”
LOOOOVE that. And I think #2 and #3 are fantastic advice – I turn to them all the time. (So maybe that means I should try #1 too… ;P)
I totally agree with #3! Writing is supposed to be an enjoyable time. When I find myself in the same situation, being mid-way through a sentance and suddenly finding my thoughts have vanished, I take a deep breath and write anything that comes to mind. I know I can always correst it later.
BTW I really loved your description of the air filling your lungs, it was quite beautiful.
Ugh. This is SO true.
I can’t say I’ve obsessed about the process of breathing, but I HAVE got caught up on the involuntary exercise of blinking, so I know of which you speak.
*blink, open, blink, open, blink, open*
When it comes to writing, I obsess about the words “that” and “was.”
*put it in, take it out, put it in, take it out*
LOL-I can relate to this big time! Ok, so I’m not really aware of the breathing issue- but I’m sure I will be now ;). But the being too aware of my writing to where it stops me? THAT I understand. That freezing of the word flow, where you start questioning everything you put down? Oh yeah.
LOL- thanks for a great post and for some ideas on how to get past it :).
Great post :) Congrats Rebecca! I agree with you in so many ways. Writing is like breathing! I also start second-guessing everything I have written, which is why I have come to like timed writing so much. I use Write or Die which helps me get the words out without thinking too much, just telling. Then, I can edit and revise later.
So true, Rebecca–all of it! There’s no question that I’ve made myself extremely self-conscious in the past few years. I recently found a notebook from a writing class I took in college. While some of the prose is cringe-worthy, most of what I wrote back then shows so much more risk and emotion than the “careful” stories I wrote after reading too many craft books. I wish I could go back in time! (I’d also tell myself to wear SPF every day!)
There is a time for rules in writing, but one should only cage the beast after it has been let free to run and wrestle and tumble in the mud until it is exhausted and ready to collapse, willingly, inside the cage.
Love that, and I love this post, Rebecca. Your advice to “write it fast” is something I heed often; I keep a timer on my desk for writing sprints.
[…] “perfect” words to use, is to try timed writing. I was happy to see it suggested in this guest post on Writer Unboxed. I firmly agree with Rebecca Hargreaves’ comparison of writing to breathing. Sometimes we […]
Love this…the title of the article is what had me at the start. Am learning these things for myself too.
Thanks.
LOL, I love the photo you chose for this post, and much of the imagery. If you were self-conscious while you wrote it, it didn’t show in the least.
Also, the metaphor is spot-on for me. Thank you.
It’s amazing how we can start “second guessing” ourselves before we’re even finished with the “first guessing”. LOL Your suggestions were great.
I remind myself to keep moving forward with the WIP and the editing/revising can come later. After all, you can’t drive a car using the accelerator and the brake AT THE SAME TIME. LOL
Great post! Love the image of letting the beast run and play before caging it up. :) (And timed writing! I haven’t done that in a good long while–silly me. It’s such a great thing to do. Thanks for the nudge.)
Love that caged beast analogy! My best writing is when I zone out and let the words take over. It can get pretty messy but I remember that bit about not being able to edit a blank page, and I keep going. When I stutter to a stop your #2 is my best solution.
Thanks for a great post.
Thank you.
This post is timely.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Crap! Now I can’t breathe! In… Out… Seriously, Ms. Hargreaves is right on. Sometimes I forget how to spell simple words because I’m focusing on the writing so much. Thank you for the tips!
I suppose writers all over can identify with this exact scenario. Great tips for tiding over this phase, too. Thanks.