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This week: Justification or Excuse? Edited by: Jeff  
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"Some writers enjoy writing, I am told. Not me. I enjoy having written.
-- George R.R. Martin
Trivia of the Week: Walter Isaacson has written biographies about some of the world's most influential people, including Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs. Isaacson was hand-picked by Jobs to write the book, and the biographer was provided with unprecedented access to Jobs and the people in his life. Steve Jobs (2011) was based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs over the course of two years, plus interviews with more than a hundred additional sources. Jobs, typically a very controlling and exacting personality, apparently respected Isaacson so much that he asked for no control over the content, encouraged people to be honest in their interviews with him, and waived his right to read a copy before it was published. Isaacson was previously employed as the Chairman and CEO of CNN, and the Managing Editor of Time. |
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JUSTIFICATION OR EXCUSE?
We all have reasons why we can't write, and most of us have used a variety of them over the years. Writer's block. Too exhausted from the day job. Have errands to run. Family obligations. Too stressed. Not inspired. Exhausted. Need to do more research. Need to outline more. Etc. Etc. Etc. So how do you know when that reason is a legitimate justification and when it's just an excuse?
As much as I'd like to say that I have lists and procedures and a whole host of surefire solutions to this problem, the truth is that I've struggled with this issue a lot over the years, and there are more times than I'd care to admit where I've found an excuse to not write and convinced myself that it's a justification. Now, whenever something comes up that could potentially get in the way of my writing, I ask myself these two questions:
1. Is this reason something that must be done in order for me to focus on my writing?
2. If so, is there any reason why I can't do that thing right now?
I know life is busy. And as someone who spends a combined 70+ hours a week working a day job and commuting, I'm all too familiar with things getting in the way of keeping a rigid writing schedule. I'm not one of those people who can commit to writing [x] number of words per day every day without fail. There will be days where I fail to write anything. And, to be honest, sometimes those days will be justified. If I'm literally too tired to think or write coherently, then yes, sleep needs to happen before I can focus on my writing. But if I tell myself that I can't write until my desk is cleaned off, then I'm faced with another question. Is there a reason why I can't clean my desk right now and then get to the writing?
What this two-question system really boils down to is identifying the thing that's preventing you from writing, and then motivating you to resolve the issue as quickly as possible so you can get behind the keyboard and start the actual writing.
Writer Chuck Wendig had a great blog post a couple years ago called 25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing , and #8 on the list was one I'll never forget. As Chuck so eloquently put it: "Stop deprioritizing your wordsmithy." I would repost the entire point with his elaboration, but it's not E-rated.  In other words, if you want to be a writer, stop making everything else in your life a priority over your writing. Writing should be one of the most important, highest priority things you do in your life if you want to be a professional writer. So, yeah, if you're physically too tired to put words on a page, or you have to take your kids to soccer practice, or you have a presentation at work that you really need to prepare for... that's totally fine. The problem is when you start prioritizing the stuff that doesn't really need to be done first.
So, in essence, you can tell when something is an excuse (rather than a justification) for not writing when (A) it must be done before you can write and (B) you prioritize something else above getting that thing done so you can write.
This dynamic will look different for each writer, depending on their life circumstances. For me, there's work, a commute, personal responsibilities, and a handful of other obligations to other people. I usually need a clear head to sit down and write, and I usually need a clean workspace to do it. My brain doesn't handle clutter well, so if there's a pile of unopened mail and stuff to file stacked up in my inbox, I feel like I can't concentrate on my writing. And in the past, I've used that as an excuse not to write. How do I know it was an excuse rather than justification? Because while #1 definitely applied (I did have to clean my desk in order to write), I was avoiding #2 (actually doing something about it). I would convince myself I was too tired, or that I needed to be in the right frame of mind to tackle my inbox, or that I wanted to relax and have fun for a while before sitting down at a desk and handling an inbox just like I do every day at work.
The thing about that, though, is that I was deprioritizing my wordsmithy. I knew that desk needed to be cleaned before I could sit down and write. But I kept coming up with reasons why I couldn't clean my desk, and therefore couldn't write. If writing were a priority, I would have jumped at the opportunity to clean the desk so that it wasn't an obstacle to the writing that I know I needed to do.
And this advice isn't just applicable to writing, either. It can apply to exercise, professional obligations, personal responsibilities, or anything else that requires concentrated effort and commitment to successfully accomplish. It's hard to commit to something long term, and during those times when you don't feel like saddling up and doing the work, it can be easy to find reasons to avoid it. The trick is in determining whether you're justified in your reasoning, or just making an excuse. If writing is really important to you, stop deprioritizing your wordsmithy. Make it a priority to spend as much time writing as you can. And when those other things pop up in your routine, ask yourself these two questions:
1. Is this reason something that must be done in order for me to focus on my writing?
2. If so, is there any reason why I can't do that thing right now?
If the answer to either question is 'no,' you're just making excuses. 
Until next time,
-- Jeff
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I encourage you to check out the following Writing.Com items. These were some of my favorite entries from January's "Dear Me: Official WDC Contest" :
Just taking life day-by-day, trying to keep it on an even keel, is not going to work anymore. Keeping it positive and putting my focus on the things I enjoy in life is the first step. By not writing regularly, my muses flew off to help someone else. Now that they don't consort with me, I am only forcing out disconnected words onto this screen. The more I write, I feel their wings take flight to lift me up again.
Listen to me: When you try to work or think in such large chunks, you end up choking on them—notwithstanding your ability to swallow burgers whole. Some people can do those big things, but you need to work up to them. If you’re ever going to learn how to move in big ways, you first need to learn to think small.
I stand before you today a humbled person, standing on the verge of something huge, something awe inspiring, something extravagant. Looking out on the new year and seeing all the possibilities before me, I feel that without a plan, without some sort of roadmap to show me the way, this year will, in fact, end up as every other year before it. So what can I focus on during this year that will enable me to look back on the year and say to myself that it was a successful year. But at the same time I need something that will be big enough and challenging enough and at the same time provide me with the ability to keep a constant monitoring focus on the goal. It also has to be a goal that will bring together all my other goals and in achieving them, I will be achieving my main goal at the same time.
Fourth, try to forgive Direct TV for not carrying The Weather Channel. If you can't forgive, get an antenna and try to do it free for a while. You and Mr. hooves have Netflix now and you watch that most of the time. Maybe it is the year to stop enriching Direct TV.
I'm telling you, store away some of that exhilaration, because you're going to need it when the going gets tough. By the end of this year you are going to be even prouder than you were at that moment when you wrote the last sentence on the last page of that novel and dropped it into the drawer of to-edits. You've got this ignorant, pig-headed belief that this novel is going much further than you will let yourself hope – so don't let yourself hope and get on with editing it.
Exercise is as important for us as it's for you. Do give us sufficient exercise. For me, try those maths and crossword questions, or play Sudoku. For Mrs. Muse, try to write daily. This gives her an opportunity to go out of the house (leaving me free to my own devices!). Oh, she has also asked me to tell you to practice different genres to cure her ennui.
How about end each day with a smile, show kindness to everyone I meet, win all the contests I enter? It's possible. Yes, but unrealistic. I think this category is more about reminding myself that in so much of life, it's not simply about achieving but it's about trying. Perhaps even more important, it's about imagining. We are all dreamers and therein lies the magic. As important as resolutions and goals are, it's just as important to dream.
Have you ever heard of a writer that had an easy life? That had everything they needed without having to work for it? That was able to sit and write, day after day, without any interference? That never had anything negative happen in their life that they had to deal with? What, exactly, do you think would inspire a writer who never did anything but write? That's right. Nothing.
And so, dear Me, those are my goals for 2014. I think they are attainable and measurable. Each of my goals is going to take work, but I've never been afraid of hard work. As far as determination is concerned, I've never run short of that, either.
The first thing you’ll need to do is write. Like, a lot. How can you call yourself a writer if you don’t write consistently? So, do that, and then work on becoming comfortable referring to yourself as a writer, because that’s important too.
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Feedback on my last newsletter about hyphenates:
ENB  writes, "I totally think that writers who are new or fresh out of college, etc. should take up an extra job while they write. You just never know how long it will be before you actually finish a novel. Look at Tolkien for example. He spent his whole life from young soldier in WWI to his death writing his books."
This is great advice, and it's always less of a stress on your writing and your creativity if you're able to support yourself while you do it. Having financial necessities depending on writing success can be a recipe for a lot of stress and pressure.
A*Monaing*Faith  writes, "Love this NL! "Some writers, for example, have day jobs while working on their writing in their spare time...(technical writing, copywriting, etc.) to pay the bills while they pursue a career in creative writing independently." It's like you wrote about me  I've considered work on video games before and one thing I love about creative writing is that there are so many venues to take advantage of. Really need to get started on that CW Masters...." (Submitted item: "Cinder Klause" )
I'm glad you connected with the newsletter and good luck with your Masters in Creative Writing!
Quick-Quill  writes, "I've been asked a number of times, "What type of books do you write?" When I say whatever inspires me, I'm told; "You need to stick to one genre as people who one novel will look for a similar one. They might not want to read novels you write in a different genre. I'm confused. I have been intrigued by different things. A dective novel about a missing family, a thriller about a man who tries to stop a bombing by his own cell, a man's search for his missing grandmother after 60years and now I'm writing a Christian romance (fluff). Each inspired me in a special way. Which genre do I choose?"
It can definitely be tough to find your path when people are trying to paint you into a corner and define what it is exactly that you do or don't write. I think the best thing you can do is be true to yourself and the kinds of things you want to write and trust that you'll find your audience. If it's a real problem and you write drastically different genres, you can always create pseudonyms for your different types of work.
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes, "Sometimes you have to write a bunch of different things." (Submitted item: "Miscellaneous Interactives" )
Absolutely!
Natechia dos Reis writes, "I enjoyed reading this weeks newsletter. I agree with this thinking. If men in the 1400's didn't dare to sail the globe what kind of world would we have now? It's not a simple task but it's not an impossible one. I believe if you venture into other fields it helps complete you as a person. If that person is a writer then you should try other areas of that field. It is daunting at first but everything in life is, so take that step and you'll be surprised."
Very true. One of my favorite quotes is T.S. Eliot's, "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." I think it's important to always push your boundaries and see how far they'll take you.
brom21 writes, "You pretty much summed up my plan for my witting future. I want to be a jack of all trades to some limit. I’ll be getting my creative writing AA by Christmas and I watched a nice video on YouTube that mentioned a few jobs you can do with such a degree; some include public relations and also some of the ones you mentioned. One job that you mentioned which was writing for games really whet my palate! I’m not a video game freak but it is something I enjoy. I do love poetry too so that would be possible venue. Thanks for all of the info and the list of things you can do in the writing realm!"
Thanks for writing in! Good luck with your AA in Creative Writing and I hope you enjoy the process of exploring all the options for a writing career that are out there!
Tornado Dodger  writes, "Great NL Jeff. I love that I can always learn something from your editorials. You never disappoint!  "
Thanks, Brooke! 
{suser: tailialaila} writes, "This was a very helpful read. Personally, the ability to branch out is a very useful tool (especially for younger folks who haven't quite found their calling yet). For me, as the years have gone by, I've found that poetry has come so much easier than story telling (though I have done my fair share of that). And greeting cards are such awesome things to create (just write a little ditty, change up an old tune, write a few words of wisdom, etc.). There's so much out there."
Thanks for taking the time to write in! I'm glad you've found your true calling as a writer over the years! While branching out and discovering other mediums can be exciting and fun, it's also nice to have the confidence that comes with knowing what your specialty is and focusing on activities that allow you to use it.
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For Authors: February 19, 2014 Issue [#6170]
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