10 Lies Writers and Dreamers Tell Themselves
Relationships are built on trust.
We shouldn’t be telling lies to our friends, partners, kids, parents.
But do you know who it’s really easy to lie to?
Ourselves.
And we’ve got to stop right now!
If you want to accomplish your dreams, whatever they may be—and let’s assume you want to write since this is a writing blog—you need to revise and edit your lies.
Here are 10 lies writers and other dreamers tell themselves and how to revise and edit them.
Lie: When I’ve settled down/unpacked our moving boxes/the kids are older/my boss isn’t so demanding/the birthday party is over, then I’ll start writing.
Revise and edit: I have a notebook, so I’ll write for 10 minutes. Incremental time like this always adds up to Something. (And if there was a birthday party, I now have a piece of cake for my writing sprint!)
Lie: I don’t have anything different to say or add.
Revise and edit: Everything has been said…but not everything has been said by me.
Lie: I just can’t get past the middle.
Revise and edit: The middle of any project is the hardest, but one tiny step, then another tiny step past the middle is momentum to get me through.
Lie: My characters are boring and so is my story.
Revise and edit: In my first Blue Sky* draft I’m going to make these characters larger than life and my story over the top. This way I can find the heart of the story and the pieces that work.
Lie: What’s the point? This goal isn’t that important to me.
Revise and edit: Wait? What?! My dream deserves to be fulfilled!
Lie: (My personal favorite, as some of you may know and be sick of already…) I’m too old to be getting into this now.
Revise and edit: There’s always room for new voices. I like this Chinese proverb: The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is right now.
Lie: It’s hopeless. There are too many gatekeepers.
Revise and edit: A dream is never hopeless, and all those other writers who were published had to get through the same gatekeepers. Obviously, it can be done, and it will be done by me, too.
Lie: Too many people need me. (That might be true, of course.)
Revise and edit: I can get up to work on my dreams a half hour before the world wakes up and starts knocking on my door. (Or, I can stay up a half hour after the rest of the world goes to sleep.)
Lie: There are so many things I want to write and do, I don’t know where to start (Absolutely true.)
Revise and edit: I’ll choose one project to work on and complete the first draft, then I’ll reassess.
Lie: I’ve never been good at planning/outlining/following through.
Revise and edit: If I have food in my refrigerator, my kids are clothed, or I’ve ever gone on a vacation, then obviously I’m able to plan and follow
through.
Have you ever uttered any of these lies to your sweet, dreaming self?
If so, please edit them so they work for you.
Who’s the boss?
You’re the boss!
Have fun!
~Gail
*See my post “How to Kickstart the Creative Process and Reenergize” where I talk about a book called The Imagineering Process: Using the Disney theme park design process to bring your creative dreams to life by Louis J. Prosperi.
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