Posts by Mary McDonough
Today, we welcome back author, book coach, and actress Mary McDonough. Mary has kindly agreed to write a series of book-coach-related posts for us–because sometimes (often? in nearly every instance?) it takes more than a single action to deal with the boulders you’ll meet on the road to publication.
Welcome, Mary!
I feel blocked about writing my second piece for Writer Unboxed. While I did poop scoop today (click HERE if you missed my first article), I’m finding all kinds of other reasons not to write. Why, I ask myself? I’ve known what I want to write about since I finished the first article. But here I sit, facing an obstacle course that is holding me back. Perfect how the Universe brought me these blocks to consider as I write this article. Coach, coach thyself!
My last article addressed the negative voice that sometimes, or always, takes over our headspace. The inner critic who paralyzes us and crushes our creative spirit. The “You can’t have that; you can’t do that” voice. I call it the No-No Voice. It leads us away from writing. For me, I tend to look at all the shiny things in my office instead of writing. Look, is that a woodpecker tapping into the facia on my house? What a lovely rose quartz crystal. Maybe I should hold it for a while. Meditation is always good. Oh yeah, writing the article. Focus, Mary.
I often hear my clients say, “So now that I KNOW about the No-No Voice, how do I stop it?” They want to get rid of it immediately and forever. Some clients want to strangle or kill it like a character in their books, which is great because here comes the creative instinct! But I encourage a deeper dive into why these obstacles are there in the first place, so we can learn to move past or around them, because they do come back. I’ve even challenged people to use the blocks to their advantage. “But how?” they say.
At times in my life, I’ve been convinced the blocks on my path stop me from getting where I want to be. It’s all their fault and now I’m stuck. When this happens, I can usually see stuck-ness all over my life. In my emotions, my relationships, driving to the market with stupid drivers all around me. Even my dog works my last nerve. It can’t be the dog’s fault.
When I’m stuck in my writing, I see stuck-ness all over there, too. My plot feels stuck, my characters are stuck, my career is stuck. I just can’t get myself to enter the course to get back on track. I watch the blocks grow into boulders and then rise into unsurmountable mountains. Other times I see quicksand waiting to get me if I move forward. I see no way to get back on my writing road. This is when the No-No Voice can jump in and have a field day.
The narrative can sound like this: I can only write what I know. I have a deadline. I feel pressure. I’m not that good. My story sucks. I can’t write outside my gender, race, religion, age, or experience. I haven’t lived or researched enough. I’m too… […]
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Please welcome author and book coach Mary McDonough to Writer Unboxed today!
If the name Mary McDonough sounds familiar, it may be because she portrayed Erin on The Waltons for a decade. Mary chronicles her Walton family and life beyond the mountain in Lessons from the Mountain, What I Learned from Erin Walton. Her debut novel, One Year, was published in 2014, followed by a second novel, Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane, which was made into a Hallmark movie.
“A warm, heartfelt novel about what it means to belong to a family. You won’t want to put it down.” –Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of A Lowcountry Wedding
Perhaps the result of the many years she spent working in and successfully navigating her place in a difficult and highly visible industry, it seemed only natural for Mary to connect and guide others. Thus, her work as a Life Coach began. We’re thrilled to have her with us today wearing that Life Coach hat, ready to advise and guide and do that thing she does so well.
You can learn more about Mary on her website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Ever have those days where ANYTHING sounds better that writing? I’ve had many. Sometimes the days stretch out to weeks. One day, as I was avoiding life in general and my novel in particular, I found myself gazing out into the backyard. My dog was lying in a sunny spot, enjoying himself. For a second, I wished I had a dog’s life, but then I remembered, I have to finish my book. I should be writing. Then a thought wafted into my head.
Mary, you need to poop-scoop the back yard. You haven’t done it since yesterday.
And off I went. Dutifully picking up doody. I went into the garage to toss my prize and saw the trash had piled up. What better time to take out the rubbish and organize it for trash day, which was only five days away? Of course, after that task, I had to wash my hands. As the warm water slid over my palms and the scent of soap filled my nose, I realized it was late—too late to get motivated or in the mood to write. That would take forever, I told myself. So I started making dinner instead.
Just like that, another day had passed, and I had not written a single word.
As a writing coach, I’ve seen procrastination with clients as well. I had to be accountable to myself, and take a coach-approach to my own writing. When I realized I’d rather clean my garage, scrape the BBQ, exercise, or even scoop poop than sit my butt in the chair and write, I had to ask myself why.
Did I really not want to finish my novel?
I knew that wasn’t true. My desire to share my story was all-consuming.
So, why do we do it? Avoid the page, the computer, and sometimes stay away from our designated writing nooks. Why do we avoid writing at all costs when we know it is our passion? We crave adding the words “The End” to anything. We love being a […]
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