I recently read two chapters out of a book called
How to Write A Lot by Paul Silvia (another psychologist invested in studying writing process, like Boice), and I'm finding that Silvia and Boice have many of the same things to say. In his book, Silvia discusses what he calls "specious barriers" to writing, meaning misleading or superficial blocks that prevent people from writing. Some of these barriers include beliefs like
I have no time to write, I need more research, I need the perfect environment, I need big blocks of time, and
I need inspiration. Like Boice, Silvia shows why these don't necessarily need to block us from writing.
In response to these barriers, we can do a few things to develop a regular practice and keep ourselves motivated. Here's what Silvia suggests:
- Set goals and break big tasks into small ones
- Set priorities from these goals and lists
- Monitor progress and keep on track
- Commit to a certain amount of writing on a regular schedule--the regular schedule is key
I notice Boice making similar suggestions when he talks about how writers like Updike and L'Amour work regularly in daily sessions, regardless of mood (15). There's also this idea that writing isn't magic but is a practice (16). While the wizard in me wishes there was magic to it, the realist understands that the lack of magic can be a good thing too--that means writing is something almost anyone can do with enough practice and dedication.
Jes, I really liked your comparison of Boice to Silvia! It seems that practice and moderation are key - just like with perfecting any activity.
ReplyDeleteI had to take a piano course this past semester, and every day, I practiced for 15-30 minutes. In the beginning, I didn't want to overwhelm myself, so I never went over 30 minutes. But by the end of the semester, I could practice for almost an hour, but that would be the maximum time!
Writing seems much the same way. As you noted with Silvia, "break big tasks into small ones." Big projects, writing or not, can be intimidating and stressful if we try to do them in one sitting - unfortunately, I think we all have done huge writing tasks in one sitting. My Mom always told me that big tasks were like eating an elephant - you take it one bite at a time.
Thanks for sharing the Sivlia source, Jes.
ReplyDeleteMy projects for this summer are massive, long, multi-faceted projects, and I have trouble envisioning the entire process through to completion. I think I'm going to focus on the advice to make large tasks into a series of smaller ones and see how that gets the ball rolling. Otherwise, I feel like I might get swept up into the gravitational pull of these projects and never reach the necessary velocity to explode back out of the inner-atmosphere (but more on that later...)