October 1, 2025 • 43 mins
Every writer knows the paralyzing feeling of staring at a blank page, unable to move forward. But what if writer's block isn't actually about your skills or talent? In this candid conversation, we unpack the surprising truth: most writing blocks stem from anxiety, self-doubt, and the notorious imposter syndrome rather than any lack of ability.
Our panel of writers shares their personal battles with creative blockages—from the early-career paralysis of thinking "I'm not good enough" to the mid-project stall when a story breaks down. We explore how different writers experience blocks uniquely, whether triggered by external pressures like editorial deadlines or simply the daily chaos of life interfering with creative flow. The conversation reveals how even experienced writers sometimes struggle to transition between projects they're passionate about and work they're contractually obligated to complete.
Practical strategies emerge throughout our discussion, offering listeners actionable techniques to overcome creative barriers. From the power of meditation before writing sessions to the unexpected benefits of "bad TV" as background noise, we cover environmental adjustments that facilitate creativity. We examine how setting modest daily writing goals (just two pages!) can accumulate into impressive monthly progress, and why acknowledging your natural creative rhythm—whether you're a morning person or night owl—might transform your productivity. Perhaps most importantly, we emphasize the liberating concept of the "shitty first draft," giving writers permission to create imperfectly while remembering that editing comes later. After all, as one guest reminds us, "You can't improve nothing." Connect with our writing community at jdmyall.com for more resources, workshops, and support on your creative journey.
Link: A Writer's Journey with Scrivener!
#1 Novel & Book Writing Software For Writers
🎙️ Craft Chat Chronicles with J.D. Myall
Candid conversations on writing, publishing, and creative life — featuring bestselling authors, MFA students, and writers at every stage of the journey.
About J.D. Myall
J.D. Myall is the co-chair of Drexel University’s MFA Alumni Association and a publishing and library professional. She is the creator and host of Craft Chat Chronicles, where she interviews authors, agents, and industry insiders about the art and business of writing.
Her work has appeared in Ms. Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and HuffPost. Her debut novel, Heart’s Gambit, releases with Wednesday Books/Macmillan in February 2026.
When she’s not conjuring magic, murder, and mayhem on the page, J.D. mentors emerging writers through workshops and alumni programs, fostering community among aspiring and published authors alike.
💜 Connect with J.D. Myall
📸 Instagram
🌐 Website & Media Kit
💌 Newsletter
🔗 Linktree
Watch episodes on YouTube as well.
💜 Level up your writing process with Scrivener ...
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Craft Chat Chronicles, the go-to podcast
for tips on craftingbest-selling fiction.
Here at Craft Chat Chronicles,we bring you expert interviews,
insights and tips on writing,publishing and marketing.
Join the conversation andembark on a new chapter in your
writing journey.
(00:26):
For workshops, show notes andmore information, visit
jdmyallcom.
That's jdmyallcom.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
In today's episode of Craft Chat Chronicles, we'll be
going on another writer'sjourney with some dear friends.
Enjoy Chronicles will be goingon another writer's journey with
some dear friends.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Enjoy.
Hey everybody, welcome back toanother episode of A Writer's
Journey.
Today we are going to betalking about writer's block and
some tips to help you bustthrough that.
So just to give you a littleidea of what writer's block is,
maybe you've been experiencingit and not realizing it.
So writer's block is basicallyfeeling stuck while you're
(01:10):
writing and not knowing how tomove forward, and it's not
necessarily based on your skillset or even the limited time
that you might have to write.
A lot of times it has to dowith people who have self-doubt
or anxiety.
They feel they're not goodenough Hello, imposter syndrome,
those sorts of things.
But there are some ways to workaround it.
(01:34):
And so today myself, jaymarieand my co-host will talk about
our experiences with Spider'sBlock and then later on, we'll
give you some tips that work forus and might work for you.
So, um, let's start with you,jd.
What are your experiences inyour early writing career with
(01:54):
writer's block?
And now?
So sometime later?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I don't really experience writer's block as
much now.
Early in my career Iexperienced it a lot more.
A lot of times for me ithappened when a story wasn't
working and like I'd be likewriting and then I get to this
point where I just can't get thestory to come out.
And then a lot of times like ifI took time from it, if I went
(02:24):
for a walk or did something andjust thought about it, processed
it mentally a lot of times Icould figure out okay, I'm stuck
because the story's broken.
You know what I mean.
I'm stuck because I made awrong turn somewhere.
When I first started working onthe book Heart's Gambit that's
going to be coming out, I had adifferent type of writer's block
(02:46):
.
I had anxiety and impostersyndrome based writer's block,
because it was like writing issomething I love, it's something
I've been doing for years andit's a goal that I've had
forever.
But when I was writing with theknowledge that a real editor
was going to see it, all of asudden it was like, oh shit, the
panic set in.
Is it going to see it?
All of a sudden it was like, ohshit, the panic set in.
(03:06):
Is it going to be good enough,am I good enough?
And then all that self-doubtkind of like stalled me for a
little bit and I just had towrite through it.
And today I don't run intowriter's block as much as I run
into having trouble tearingmyself away from something.
(03:26):
Because when you have somethingyou're working on because it's
just a passion project andyou're just feeling it and
loving it, and then you havesomething else that you
contractually are obligated todo, sometimes you want to chase
the shiny ball and it's hard toforce your focus back over here
because you're loving this and Iknow me.
Once I do the thing I'msupposed to be doing, I'll lock
(03:48):
in and I'll start to like thatstory and those characters, and
then that'll get fun for me.
But in the moment where I'menjoying something else, it's
just so hard to make that shift.
So I don't know if that's moreof a block or just my ADD and my
distraction, but that's how itworks for me.
(04:08):
Now, how about?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
you, j Marie?
Where are you at with writer'sblock?
So for me early on, when Idecided, you know, let's try
this writer's thing, yeah, Ijust thought I just wasn't a
good writer because you know, tobe in the middle of something
you have you think is a goodidea, and then I just didn't
know how to move forward with it, and in retrospect I understand
(04:29):
that I just didn't have thetools, like I didn't know craft
and all that stuff at the time.
Now, if it shows up for me it'sless about my skill set and
more about my brain just beinglike my skill set and more about
my brain just being like.
It's been a while.
I need a break.
(04:50):
So I might need to have a snack, have a meal, go take a walk,
maybe just watch something forhalf an hour, do something else
and then, even coming back to it, whether it's that same day or
the next day or whatever I'mrefreshed and like ready to move
forward.
And usually once I take thatbreak, ideas start coming.
(05:11):
And so if I'm, you know, doingsomething in my life, I'll write
those down so that when I getback to my seat, I, you know,
I'm staring at my wall playingthe movie in my head and like I
run through all those scenariosor things that I came up with in
the meantime, and if it doesn'twork, or a lot of times, what
happens is questions come up.
So I'm like, okay, let me writedown that question, cause
(05:33):
that's probably a pothole, apothole, a plot hole or
something you know characterwise, that I hadn't thought
about previously, that maybe Ineed to work on.
So now, like I understand thatanxiety and stuff that I had
before that kept me from writing, thinking, oh, I'm not good at
(05:54):
this, let me just procrastinateand do other things and I'm not
a good writer is more.
Just, I need to lean back intomy training, lean back into the
craft, and then so those things.
I don't really consider itwriter's block anymore either.
It's just for me.
It shows up as, like I wassaying I need a break.
(06:14):
My brain is like I'm tired.
Take a break, and then I canmove forward when I come back.
How about you, mo?
How has writer's blockmanifested for you?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
So to piggyback off of what you were saying a lot of
times, like writer's block isthis really generic, general
term?
And then it's up to you to kindof figure out, like what
exactly is the blockage right?
So for me it would show up whenI was rushed, like I am a very
(06:48):
structured person so it's likeall right, it's time to write.
So you know, if I'm gettingclose to my writing time, but
I'm, you know, I'm working onthe task before and it's not
getting out, you know, I'm likeI have to finish this and not
get into this mode of startingto rush through the room.
(07:09):
Or if I get off schedule, thenthat used to kind of throw me
off some, but then by the timethat I would get sit down the
right, I'm exhausted, I'm tired.
You know, now I have toreprogram and reset my brain to,
you know, get into the task.
That now at hand, though I justfinished the task before, you
(07:29):
know, five minutes ago, and solike just not, um, not not being
prepared to write, um, that'show Writers Block will show up
for me, like not being in asettled space, being in a, in a
subtle, you know, mind or spirit, you know still kind of being
frazzled, and then, like, justthe calm down period, and once I
(07:52):
calmed down my years, 10-15minutes later, and I did some
breathing exercises, and thennow I, you know, my mind
definitely is totally clear andI'm like, so what was I going to
write?
Well, where do I start?
Like you know, now I was tryingto, you know, regroup those
ideas.
You know, um, you know, andthen even looking at my notes, I
(08:17):
find that I can, you know, likeall as we get inspired by
something, we jot it down whenI'm not prepared, I don't recall
very well, right, so it wasjust like okay, so like, why did
that inspire me?
What was that like at the time?
Like it's hard for me to getback in that space.
(08:38):
So for me, I literally have to15 minutes before, take some
time to meditate, take some timeto, you know, just relax, take
some time, a few minutes, tolook over what I'm going to work
on, so that I can, you know, Ican go back to what's going on
from a calm space.
(08:58):
So Writers Block for me came upjust rushing.
You know when I was rushing,when I was trying to get
everything done, when I, youknow when I was you know, just
you know, frazzled.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, that's an interesting point, how just life
is lifing and that can kind ofget in the way of the writing
process, especially, um, ifyou're someone like me.
Like, I work full-time, so Ihave to have those set times
where I'm writing and a lot oftimes, especially during the
week, it's not really my besttime of day to write.
Um, I'm usually at work duringthat time, which is really
(09:40):
annoying.
But one of these days, one ofthese days, um, so, but one of
these days, one of these days.
So I'm actually going to stealthat from you.
The meditation thing isactually good to like take some
time at the beginning of that ofmy writing time and just like
relax, chill, get in, get intothe, maybe turn on some music,
(10:00):
get into the mood a little bitmore, instead of just trying to
like OK, it's time now, like,what are my notes?
Yeah, that's, that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think, like setting achievable goals could help too
, cause you can't whether or notyou feel blocked.
You don't want to let theimposter syndrome, the anxiety
or just whatever it is that'scausing your block, to stop you.
So, after you take the breakthat you need and you do your
meditating, you listen to musicor whatever you got to do to get
(12:03):
your head back in the game, Ithink if you set a goal, like,
let's say, I'll stop at 500words or 200 words or whatever
your goal is for that day, andjust write something, because
even if it's not your best, ifyou're a good writer, whatever
you have you can edit and youcan improve later.
You know what I'm saying.
So it doesn't have to beflawless on the first draft.
(12:25):
It's okay to embrace mediocrityand accept that this today's
work is not my best work, buttomorrow, when I'm feeling
better and I'm past whateverthis mental block is, I can go
back and I can fix it and I canmake it better and I can improve
it.
But I can't improve nothing.
So you can't like let it stopyou from moving forward improve
(12:46):
nothing.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
So you can't like, let it stop you from moving
forward.
And like you, jeanette, I workfull time and I'm a teacher and
I always say, oh well, I'mthrowing my lunch break, you
know I'll get some writing in,but you know, no, during my
lunch break I want to meditate,right.
So you know it realisticallyagain, like it's really kind of
(13:07):
difficult when you're workingfor a time.
You don't want to let that timethat you set aside go, Right.
So for me, what I've learned todo is, you know, I prioritize
what's important, like what do Iactually have to get done today
?
And I try to keep that to nomore than three things.
(13:30):
So then it gives me a greatdeal of space in between, so
that instead of trying to geteverything done, and even if
I've accomplished everything onmy list, I'm not going to be
like, okay, well, because what Ido is I'm like Monday, I'll do
these three things, tuesday,I'll do this thing here.
Like you know, I kind becausewhat I do is I'm like Monday,
I'll do these three things,tuesday, I'll do this thing here
.
Like you know, I kind of knowwhat I have to do for the week
(13:50):
If I finish for Monday and Istill got a lot of time
remaining, you know, between thetime.
You know I have a lot forwriting.
I'm not going to start onTuesday's work, you know, and
that was hard for me becauseit's like, well, I want to get
this done, knock it out and thenI have more time on the
tailwind.
Nope, I'd rather like stillkeep the schedule, still be able
(14:10):
to go into it with a space, butI don't overschedule and I
don't do more than what Ischedule out to do.
If it's only three things and Ido those, I'm done my to-do for
that day.
I'm done my to-do for that day.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, that's something I had to learn too is
setting some type of goal forthat writing session, because I
used to just like sit down andwrite and be at you know an hour
, four hours later, I'm justwriting, writing, writing,
because the goal is to do thisproject, finish this project.
But then I would like tiremyself out and maybe a couple of
(14:50):
days ago, by a week would go bythat I didn't write because I'm
tired of whatever, and so itwould keep me from moving
forward.
And you know, in addition tothe anxiety and all that, that
learning to just set the smallergoals take little pieces at a
time, you're still movingforward and I'm not over like
(15:15):
making you know myself, doubtand anxiety increase because I'm
trying to do too much.
So, yes, so setting achievablegoals is a great tip as well.
So I'm seeing, so let me runthis down for our listeners.
So, right now we've got settingachievable goals, self-care, so
(15:37):
meditation make sure you'reeating, taking care of yourself.
Taking care of yourself, it'sreally important because as the
conduit of the story, you needto kind of be in a great place
to be able to write.
Structure is really important.
That's a good one.
(16:04):
Notes, making notes foryourself.
That's something I do a lot,especially if I like life is
happening and, okay, I set thistime for myself.
But oh, I gotta go run and dothis right now, making I know.
Okay, here's where I am, thisis what I'm working on.
This is what I want to looktowards in the next session, so
that, when I come back to it, Iknow exactly where I'm at and
(16:24):
what I'm working on, as opposedto I've had those same moments
where I'm just like what was I?
Why did I write this?
Like what was going on, youknow, so you want to keep
yourself on track as well.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
And speaking of goals , I was doing the Artist's Way
with a few people and there'stwo versions.
Well, there's two, there's aneight-week one and then there's
a six-week one.
I think it's called Write forLife.
So it's all the same concept.
(16:59):
And Julia Cameron and she saidthat if you write two pages a
day and if you start there with,like this, the goal is this to
write two pages a day, you couldachieve so much, which is so
true, and it also helps preventthat burnout, like even if
(17:20):
you're willing to go ready to gomore and you got more.
But if you just do those twopages and you know, build up the
writing stamina, and so youknow and you think two pages a
month, you know two pages a dayand 30, 30, 31, you know days.
In a month, you got 66, youknow pages 30 or 60 to 62 pages
(17:47):
a month.
That's a lot, you know when youthink about it and all you have
to do is two pages every singleday.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Yeah, that's actually good.
I like that thought too.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
It's very doable.
It's less pressure, because alot of times writers, black also
comes from the pressure we puton ourselves.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Exactly, yeah, I love you mentioned the writers, the
artist's way.
I did that years ago.
Well, one thing that reallystuck with me that I actually
started doing again was morningpages where you're just kind of
like just writing, just kind oflike, yeah, just writing.
And that type of journaling hasreally helped me, too to get
(18:32):
all the junk out of my head, tothen be creative, because
otherwise, when I'm sitting inmy creative mind and then like
other stuff is popping up, likestuff that happened at work and
I'm over here and I'm just likewhoa, whoa, whoa, we're focused
on the characters.
So that's actually helped metoo.
I started doing that again thiswell, the last month, um, and
yeah, that's great.
Just it helps you get all thatmess out of your head and you
(18:53):
can focus more on being creativeand so I do it.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
You know, of course, um, she should, she's just to do
it in the morning, which isgood.
But I also found that it's goodeven if you just do a page
before you start actuallywriting, because I like doing it
in the morning because itactually clears your mind for
the day.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
But when you're sitting down,by the time you sit down to
write, you know you done got aday's worth of other stuff, you
(19:20):
know, rambling through your mind.
So I like to do a page, justone, prior to writing, as part
of my meditation ritual, kind ofthing going on.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Especially after work , it's like, oh, this person's
getting on my nerves, oh, that'sout, put it out.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Put it out.
I like that.
I like what Mo was saying aboutgetting in the routine of
writing pages every day.
I like what you were sayingabout how we need to do
self-care and I think part ofthat self-care is, like I said,
for me.
I like to walk because I canthink while I'm walking and the
physical activity feels like itstimulates my brain.
(20:04):
Maybe it doesn't, maybe it's inmy head, but to me I can
daydream while I'm walking and Ican process the characters in
my mind and then I can sit downfresh and so that works for me.
The physical activity, sometimeschanging the dialogue in your
head.
If my head is like, oh, I'moverwhelmed, oh, people are
(20:24):
going to see this, oh, I'm notgoing to be good enough to
change that, to change, changethat tape, change it to.
I'm about to wow them, you know, kind of put my foot in this.
They're going to look at thisand they're going to be so
impressed, and you know what Imean.
Just try to change the dialogue.
You say to yourself, giveyourself a little pep talk and
then, like I don't know,sometimes when I'm in a really
(20:50):
bad place with my writing, I'lllike, do free writing, like I'll
.
I know because I'm an outliner.
I'm a little bit of a plotterpainter, so I know what I want
to do, even though a lot oftimes the characters will
deviate.
But I know basically what Iwant to do.
So if I'm really really stucksometimes I'll just start
(21:11):
writing and I won't stop tofocus on the grammar or the
spelling or this, that and third, and I'll just try to get it
out and then I can go back andfix it.
But I feel like if I don't getit out then it's hard to get
past.
Whatever's stopping me.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
You know I don't yeah , um, because, like you're
judging whatever it is thatyou're thinking of and like as a
creative person in general, youkind of you have to shut that
away and just do the thing andthen, especially as writers, you
come back as the editor laterand then you can look at it and
be like, okay, so let's um, tunethis up a bit and you know,
(21:43):
yeah, I had a writing teacherwas always like, especially when
you're doing a first draft, solet's tune this up a bit, yeah.
Yeah, I had a writing teacherwho was always like, especially
when you're doing a first draft,he'd be like lock the editor in
the closet and just write, andthat's something I also heard of
.
Just how to get through awriter's block is just write.
(22:05):
You know it's not good, it'snot good whatever, just keep
going.
And, just like you were saying,you can always go back to fix
it If you're a newer writer anddon't know how to fix it.
This is why we have your betareaders or your teacher or
whoever in your community, otherwriters to give you some notes
and tips and how you couldpotentially move forward, even
(22:27):
just in yourself.
If you feel like somethingisn't good, you're not liking it
, come up with a list of someideas that could work.
That's something I learned todo, which is come up with
another list of ideas and gothrough them, see what works,
what doesn't, for the story, forthe characters, and that way
(22:48):
you're still writing.
That's still part of theprocess and not allowing that
judgment to keep you stuck inthat place.
You're still moving forward,trying different things, and
something will stick.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So one of my favorite books it's not a technically a
craft book, but I guess it couldbe but one of my favorite books
.
It's not technically a craftbook, but I guess it could be
but one of my favorite books onwriting is Anne Lamott.
I want to say Bird by Bird.
I don't know why I think that,but I think that is it, bird by
Bird.
And she talks about the shittyfirst draft and I think you know
(23:21):
, when you're sitting down towrite, you know the expectation
should be we should go with theexpectation that this is going
to not be the greatest it'sgoing to.
It's going to be bad, right.
And so I think, again, it comesabout taking that kind of
pressure off and not worryingabout it, because, first of all,
(23:42):
that is bad.
It's not bad in the sense like,oh my god, this is like we
don't know the craft.
It's just like, yo, you'regoing to find holes and they're
going to be gaps and they'regoing to be you know plots that
you know.
Once, when we finish, you knowwe're like, wow, that's not
really working.
You know there's going to be somuch that we see.
But the expectation is I'm justgetting this out of my head out
(24:06):
of my spirit and onto this,onto the paper.
So I found that just kind oflike the it's going to be what
it is, it's my shitty firstdraft and keep it moving.
So I think you know, just don'thave high, don't set the
(24:27):
expectations so high that itstops you from actually writing,
because I think that's part ofthe problem is that our
expectations be too high on thefirst draft.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, your first draft is not going to be a New
York Times bestseller.
Not at all, it's true.
Nobody it's not even.
New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
It's pretty bad for a New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
This is true Nobody.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It's not even New York Times bestseller Exactly.
But yeah, talk and talking topeople, communicate with your
friends, let them reassure youand help refocus you.
I like focus music, sometimestoo, when I'm in a bad place,
because it seems like limitingdistraction and having the music
(25:08):
in the background can help meclaw my way out of it.
Usually I'm the type of writerthat can write with TV on.
I can write with all kind ofnoise because I have children,
so I'm used to writing in noisysituations.
But when I'm stuck I need tofocus.
I just need the soft sounds ofthe focus music you find on
YouTube.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Lo-fi is what it's called, and Lo-Fi is really
great because it comes to, ifyou like and I use it for the
kids so whatever the beats, themost current beats of the music
that's out now, they'll havethat like, say, in a much more
(25:49):
softer.
You know way Um, you find thejazz, you can find Afro beats,
you can find this, you know thelo-fi, you know music purely
instrumental, like in any genreof music you like and is
absolutely great.
I was.
I'm the opposite of you.
I grew up the only child.
I have only child sensibilities.
(26:10):
A whole bunch of noise and allthat like I can't watch the tv,
and you know, and and listen tomusic, like it's one thing at a
time, or because my I'm nosy,right, I'm, I'm curious, so let
me, I can the TV's on and I'mwriting and let them be like,
well, what happened, how did it?
Like it could be nothing.
But all of a sudden it's like,oh my God, what happened?
(26:32):
I'm over there, I can't, Ican't tune anything out.
All of it's coming in.
But I did, you know for when?
Because my students need that,that noise.
You know, it was so hard for meand I do English, so I'm like oh
my God, how do you write?
So I had to learn to write.
I'm like, oh, it's really notthat bad because it's
(26:54):
instrumental and it's.
You know, it's definitely madeto help you to focus and
concentrate.
And so next thing, I know I'mflowing and I hear it, but it
doesn't bother me and I actuallyfound that I do pretty good
with it.
I do really really good withthe lo-fi focus music going in
(27:15):
the background and I like that.
Again, any genre of music youlike, there's music for it.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
JD.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I was going to say I'm very impressed that you can
write with the tv that's what Iwas actually about to talk about
because, like, when I'm notblocked and I'm writing with the
tv on.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I have a a list of bad shows.
I have to watch bad televisionbecause if it's something good
I'll get distracted and I'll belike, oh, what's the reek doing?
Speaker 4 (27:43):
but if it's something bad, it's the noise.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
That's how do you?
I have ADD.
So the focus.
You know I need thatstimulation in the background
most of the time, unless I'mblocked, and then I can't have
it.
But, like I said, it's bad TV.
Good TV will suck me in andI'll get no writing done.
But if it's something that'sboring I'll keep it on.
And then my kids will be likebecause I like they'll come
downstairs and I was like, oh,this shit was terrible.
(28:08):
They'll be like, well, why areyou on season 12?
And then I'll be like because Ican write to it.
It's terrible, but you canwrite to this oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, I would be like oh, this is so terrible, this
is terrible writing.
Why are they they?
Why?
Are they like, oh, still in it,like hate watching.
But the one thing about themusic I wanted to say another
good thing to do is listening tomusic that fits your genre.
So, like I've been writingsomething, fantasy and fantasy
(28:39):
music, like are things that Iwould think of that way, like it
would be a soundtrack towhatever I'm writing helps a lot
too.
That's true, yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Or things that fit your characters.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
If your character is like a punky girl, then that
type of music.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
Right, yeah, right.
It sort of kind of puts you ina.
It makes you kind of imaginehow they would respond, how they
act, how they, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
It helps put you in that like frame.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
You become a character yeah.
And celebrate your victorieswhen you get your two pages done
, when you reach your goal.
Find a way to reward yourselfto help you get into the good
routine of constantly doing itand pushing through it, even if
it's just something little.
I don't want to recommend junkfood to people because I eat
entirely too much of it, but youknow I like that rewarding
(29:32):
yourself.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Have the cookie, or just a gold star, you get a gold
star.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
You know, reward yourself and that helps your
mind want to stay in thatroutine I put it on your board
so you could see it In thatroutine.
I would do that for myself, andthat helps you stay committed
to the routine because you getthe little reward at the end.
I did my thing and now I got myprize and then that helps you.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I like the sticker thing yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Yep, yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So one last thing.
I hear this a lot from all theprofessional writers you cannot
edit a blank page, basically.
So with writer's block, thebest thing to do is show up.
So the next thing I wanted totalk about is how.
What is I don't like the wordperfect, but like what's the
(30:22):
best schedule for you all?
What have you found works bestfor you throughout the week in
terms of getting that writingtime in?
Speaker 2 (30:35):
For me.
I find that I write best when Ifirst wake up, when I'm fresh,
in the morning.
I find that I write best when Ifirst wake up, when I'm fresh,
in the morning.
I tend to create in the morningand edit in the evening,
because in the evening, when I'mtired, the creative part of my
mind I don't need it as much.
You know what I mean.
Well, I won't say I don't needit as much.
It seems like I'm much betterat generating ideas when I first
(30:58):
wake up and when I'm fresh, butin the evening, that's when
I'll do more of the editing, oreven editing videos or something
.
You know what I mean.
Find some other skill thatdoesn't require me to just come
up with stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Where were you Mo?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
I don't think I found it yet, because the reason is
because, even with the schedule,I'm getting better.
I, like I said, I had the first, never my to-do down to three
things, because there's alwayssomething that needs to be done,
some kind of responsibility.
All of a sudden someone's like,oh, I need you to do this, or
(31:38):
we need to do this, or um, so Inever looked down to three
things, but I actually thought,I always thought that I was a
morning person because I got upearly.
But I got up early because thatwas just the way I was raised,
right.
So I had, I was on a schedule,you know, to go to bed at a
certain time.
(31:59):
When I was young, I actuallydidn't like to hang out a lot,
you know, as a young adult.
So I was, you know, I never wasthe type like, oh, every Friday
we're at the party, friday,saturday at the club, um.
So I pretty much always had aroutine that I would sleep
between 10 and 11 o'clock, likeall of my life, and so because I
(32:19):
go to sleep 10, 11, I'm up, youknow five, because I got a
thing for, you know, you knownot having a rush and and being
on time.
But then when I went the, youknow, when I was in the program
at Drexel and I had to writemore, you know, and I had to
write more, you know, and I hadto write after work and at that
(32:43):
time I was a paralegal and so Ialways was bringing work home
with me I found myself plenty oftimes having to start to write
at, you know, 11, 12.
The crazy part about it likeabout 11-ish, 10 or 11,
especially if I was up to, youknow, like, this paper is due,
my pay and exchange is due.
(33:04):
But I was energized, Like onceI started and got into it, like
I'm like, oh my God, this works.
And it's three, four, fiveo'clock and I'm like, oh my God,
I've been up all night and I'mnot even tired.
But then I got to get up anhour and I take a little, you
know, sleep and I actually foundthat that's the space I like to
(33:25):
write in.
But I can't, my life doesn'tallow that.
So my ideal space of writing,my life, doesn't allow and I try
to do this seven to nine thing,but that that's actually not.
(33:46):
By that time I'm winding downfrom the footer from the day and
it's it's a little tiresome forme.
So I'm doing it because that'sthe time, but it's not my best
time.
So I'm figuring out how to, youknow, maybe recalibrate my
clock some so that I can maybedo 10 to one and still be able
(34:10):
to function good during the day,because I also need like I
literally need at least sevenhours of sleep.
So my schedule is not the best,it's not the ideal one, and
because I know how I'mfunctioning when it's ideal for
me, I kind of feel like, well,it's not the best, but I'm
(34:34):
getting something done, if thatmakes sense.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
I'm similar.
So my best natural time towrite would be between like 8
and noon, and I can do that onthe weekends for the most part,
but because of work.
Similarly, and especially likewhen I was in the Drexel's MFA
program too, I had to forcemyself to write after work.
(35:00):
So I got into this like seven,seven to 10.
And if I was on a roll sometimeI'd even go to midnight, Um and
I, I.
After a while I was likeenergized and I could do it and
like everything was functioning.
But I had to kind of forcemyself and learn to work during
that frame because that's thetime I had during the week.
(35:21):
I don't like it.
I definitely can't go tomidnight anymore, but I'm trying
to do the 7 to 9, maybe 10thing again.
But I've been on this.
I've been trying to behealthier and all that and
working out.
I have a trainer and all thatand trying to do all of that and
(35:45):
fit in time with writing andlife.
I'm like there's not enoughtime in the day and then they're
like you got to get betweenseven and nine hours of sleep.
I'm like, how am I doing allthis?
So I'm figuring it out too.
But yeah, those are my times,like on the within, like an hour
, hour and a half of waking up,and then, during the week, I've
(36:06):
learned to just try and have todo it in the evenings.
Yeah, so it's not bad, it's notmy favorite thing.
One day, one day, it'll be myfull-time job and I can write
when I want to, right I alsorecognize too, like during the
day, because I tried to do it inthe morning.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I would get up early, I could do this, but I realized
I'm actually not up until about10.
I'm physically up at five butlike when I feel like I'm ready
and I my brain is alert andworking, moving at its peak,
it's best it's about 10 o'clock,but of course I'm third period
(36:49):
at that time.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
So yeah, I've done that before.
I used to get up like five inthe morning to write for work.
I don't get up quite that earlynow, I do try to do some
writing before work.
Work I don't get up quite thatearly now, I do try to do some
writing before work.
When I was at Drexel, though, Iwas an assistant manager at a
hotel and I was writing at work,I would take my laptop with me
and especially like if I had todo the evenings or the
overnights the guests are allasleep, so when they were asleep
(37:19):
and the work was done, I wouldbe on my laptop going and
getting all kind of stuff done.
It was night, all kind of weirdhours of the night and stuff
like that.
I got a whole manuscript atthat shop.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
Nice.
If you can do it.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
hey, that's nice, yep yep, yep, maybe I need to go
look for a night shift driver inthe hotel.
You said middle of the nightthat used to be yeah, yeah hey,
that's my and then at one point.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
After like two years of that, they did finally say
something to me about it, likewhy are you always on the laptop
at night?
And they didn't tell me to stop, but they questioned it.
So then I was like, okay, well,maybe this is becoming a
problem.
So then I would go into anempty room that hadn't been
rented and put my laptop inthere, and then I would grab
like a sponge, sponge and aspray bottle and I'd walk and
(38:08):
sit there tight.
I'd have the phone with me andthe little sign up saying call
for service because the guestsare asleep.
We're talking three, four inthe morning, nobody's there.
You know what I meaneverybody's asleep and then I
put the little sign up sayingcall for service, and then I
like periodically walk back andforth and check the desk and I'd
be chilling in the room withthe TV on doing my writing and
just back and forth back andforth.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
Look if you ever get in a position like that again.
Legal pads work there you goyour hand writing it out.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I love that I mean the work was done, so they
shouldn't have had complaints.
The work was done.
The work was done, so theyshouldn't have had complaints.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
The work was done.
People are asleep.
There's nothing going on.
You know it's not.
You could have been asleep.
You could have been up and down.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, and a lot of employees did that, a lot of the
overnight staff would beknocked out.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Half the time the stuff don't even be all the way
done, and you know this isinteresting, that you know that
I thought, just occurred to mewhile we were talking Sometimes.
You know some writers are youngand single and you know their
life is theirs and you know thatmay be.
You may be able to find a job.
If you learn, you know yournatural flows and your natural
times, you may be able to find ajob that can accommodate that.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Yeah, absolutely Now.
You've got me rethinking mywhole life right now.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Me too, jermaine.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Look I'm like oh man, man, I can't tell you how many
of them Drexel Zoom classes wehad, where I would log on and
I'm in the hotel uniform Listen.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
People in my class who graduated with me would be
like, oh, you're at work again,hey we give children, um, you
know assessments and you knowcareer assessments and they're
pretty much similar to thosepersonality tests to try to
naturally gear, to give them achance to start thinking about
you know what they want to dopost-secondary um, but it's,
(40:03):
it's interesting how, um, wedon't think about what's our
natural, anything right, we justkind of get, as it does, get
forced into a space like what isyour natural, you know, um,
what is it called?
It's a I forget the term, butthe natural rhythm.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Circadian rhythm.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Exactly Like.
What is that?
What is?
Because that's important.
It would help you decide todetermine better career choices,
right, you know you might wantto love IT.
You may want to be, you know.
You know, create the games, youknow.
However, your body may functionbetter at nighttime and you may
(40:43):
need a career that you knowlets you work at night versus
being forced into a space.
You know that you're not thatmost productive, but if you can,
you know, be nice if you couldplay your life around what you
really want to do.
You know how your body works.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Well, maybe one day society will get better.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
One way or another.
Listen, right now, that's howpeople, at this moment, this is
the best time to put your headdown and write, and write, and
write, and write, and write, andwrite, and write, so that you
know when the dust settles, wefigure it all out.
At least we have forgotten themanuscript.
But, like, what were you doingduring, you know, the 2020,
(41:33):
after the 2024 election, whenthe world was all in shambles
and everything was going to hell, and and uh, and you know, the
world's going to hell withgasoline drawers on?
Like I was right, I wrote thisbook.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
that's right I mean a lot of people did that during
covid like, yeah same, I workedall through covid.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
I was at the hotel masked up.
In writing I.
Speaker 4 (41:59):
I found the space, I found what you, you know.
I felt my cause, I be, you knowwhatever it is, but you can say
, yeah, I wrote this book too.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
We had a guy die in the hotel.
Oh my God, it was crazy duringCOVID.
I came into work and it waspolice cars all over the outside
of the building and I gowalking in and my boss is all
upset and his family was allthere.
They were in the normal roomwhere people eat breakfast so we
had to close that room for likemonths and he had come.
(42:29):
I believe he came to quarantine.
They claim he came to be awayfrom somebody else that had
COVID, but I believe he camethere to quarantine because of
COVID because he was only therefor like three days when his
niece was calling us panicbecause he was supposed to check
in every day and didn't.
And he was only there for likethree days when his niece was
calling us panic because he wassupposed to check in every day
and didn't.
And he was gone.
And I'm sitting there,asthmatic, as I am working every
day, terrified.
(42:49):
But you know you got kids withyou.
Double mask, my lysol bottle inone hand, my laptop under my
arm.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Wow, crazy time, crazy time well, what another
note, but I feel like we had areally great discussion about
writer's block, about, you know,trying to figure out schedules
(43:20):
in terms of when to write, and Ifeel like, hopefully, this
gives our listeners some greattips and ideas on how to work
things out for themselves.
Do you have any?
Any of you have any lastcomments before we wrap this up?
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Keep writing right, Yep.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Exactly Keep writing everybody.
Thank you for joining us andwe'll see you again on our next
episode of A Writer's Journey.
Take care, bye, bye.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
That wraps up today's Craft Chat Chronicles with JD
Mayer.
Thanks for joining us.
If you liked the episode,please comment, subscribe and
share.
For show notes, writingworkshops and tips head to
JDMayorcom.
That's JDMayorcom.
Welcome to Craft Chat Chronicles, the go-to podcast
for tips on craftingbest-selling fiction.
Here at Craft Chat Chronicles,we bring you expert interviews,
insights and tips on writing,publishing and marketing.
Join the conversation andembark on a new chapter in your
writing journey.
(00:26):
For workshops, show notes andmore information, visit
jdmyallcom.
That's jdmyallcom.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
In today's episode of Craft Chat Chronicles, we'll be
going on another writer'sjourney with some dear friends.
Enjoy Chronicles will be goingon another writer's journey with
some dear friends.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Enjoy.
Hey everybody, welcome back toanother episode of A Writer's
Journey.
Today we are going to betalking about writer's block and
some tips to help you bustthrough that.
So just to give you a littleidea of what writer's block is,
maybe you've been experiencingit and not realizing it.
So writer's block is basicallyfeeling stuck while you're
(01:10):
writing and not knowing how tomove forward, and it's not
necessarily based on your skillset or even the limited time
that you might have to write.
A lot of times it has to dowith people who have self-doubt
or anxiety.
They feel they're not goodenough Hello, imposter syndrome,
those sorts of things.
But there are some ways to workaround it.
(01:34):
And so today myself, jaymarieand my co-host will talk about
our experiences with Spider'sBlock and then later on, we'll
give you some tips that work forus and might work for you.
So, um, let's start with you,jd.
What are your experiences inyour early writing career with
(01:54):
writer's block?
And now?
So sometime later?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I don't really experience writer's block as
much now.
Early in my career Iexperienced it a lot more.
A lot of times for me ithappened when a story wasn't
working and like I'd be likewriting and then I get to this
point where I just can't get thestory to come out.
And then a lot of times like ifI took time from it, if I went
(02:24):
for a walk or did something andjust thought about it, processed
it mentally a lot of times Icould figure out okay, I'm stuck
because the story's broken.
You know what I mean.
I'm stuck because I made awrong turn somewhere.
When I first started working onthe book Heart's Gambit that's
going to be coming out, I had adifferent type of writer's block
(02:46):
.
I had anxiety and impostersyndrome based writer's block,
because it was like writing issomething I love, it's something
I've been doing for years andit's a goal that I've had
forever.
But when I was writing with theknowledge that a real editor
was going to see it, all of asudden it was like, oh shit, the
panic set in.
Is it going to see it?
All of a sudden it was like, ohshit, the panic set in.
(03:06):
Is it going to be good enough,am I good enough?
And then all that self-doubtkind of like stalled me for a
little bit and I just had towrite through it.
And today I don't run intowriter's block as much as I run
into having trouble tearingmyself away from something.
(03:26):
Because when you have somethingyou're working on because it's
just a passion project andyou're just feeling it and
loving it, and then you havesomething else that you
contractually are obligated todo, sometimes you want to chase
the shiny ball and it's hard toforce your focus back over here
because you're loving this and Iknow me.
Once I do the thing I'msupposed to be doing, I'll lock
(03:48):
in and I'll start to like thatstory and those characters, and
then that'll get fun for me.
But in the moment where I'menjoying something else, it's
just so hard to make that shift.
So I don't know if that's moreof a block or just my ADD and my
distraction, but that's how itworks for me.
(04:08):
Now, how about?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
you, j Marie?
Where are you at with writer'sblock?
So for me early on, when Idecided, you know, let's try
this writer's thing, yeah, Ijust thought I just wasn't a
good writer because you know, tobe in the middle of something
you have you think is a goodidea, and then I just didn't
know how to move forward with it, and in retrospect I understand
(04:29):
that I just didn't have thetools, like I didn't know craft
and all that stuff at the time.
Now, if it shows up for me it'sless about my skill set and
more about my brain just beinglike my skill set and more about
my brain just being like.
It's been a while.
I need a break.
(04:50):
So I might need to have a snack, have a meal, go take a walk,
maybe just watch something forhalf an hour, do something else
and then, even coming back to it, whether it's that same day or
the next day or whatever I'mrefreshed and like ready to move
forward.
And usually once I take thatbreak, ideas start coming.
(05:11):
And so if I'm, you know, doingsomething in my life, I'll write
those down so that when I getback to my seat, I, you know,
I'm staring at my wall playingthe movie in my head and like I
run through all those scenariosor things that I came up with in
the meantime, and if it doesn'twork, or a lot of times, what
happens is questions come up.
So I'm like, okay, let me writedown that question, cause
(05:33):
that's probably a pothole, apothole, a plot hole or
something you know characterwise, that I hadn't thought
about previously, that maybe Ineed to work on.
So now, like I understand thatanxiety and stuff that I had
before that kept me from writing, thinking, oh, I'm not good at
(05:54):
this, let me just procrastinateand do other things and I'm not
a good writer is more.
Just, I need to lean back intomy training, lean back into the
craft, and then so those things.
I don't really consider itwriter's block anymore either.
It's just for me.
It shows up as, like I wassaying I need a break.
(06:14):
My brain is like I'm tired.
Take a break, and then I canmove forward when I come back.
How about you, mo?
How has writer's blockmanifested for you?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
So to piggyback off of what you were saying a lot of
times, like writer's block isthis really generic, general
term?
And then it's up to you to kindof figure out, like what
exactly is the blockage right?
So for me it would show up whenI was rushed, like I am a very
(06:48):
structured person so it's likeall right, it's time to write.
So you know, if I'm gettingclose to my writing time, but
I'm, you know, I'm working onthe task before and it's not
getting out, you know, I'm likeI have to finish this and not
get into this mode of startingto rush through the room.
(07:09):
Or if I get off schedule, thenthat used to kind of throw me
off some, but then by the timethat I would get sit down the
right, I'm exhausted, I'm tired.
You know, now I have toreprogram and reset my brain to,
you know, get into the task.
That now at hand, though I justfinished the task before, you
(07:29):
know, five minutes ago, and solike just not, um, not not being
prepared to write, um, that'show Writers Block will show up
for me, like not being in asettled space, being in a, in a
subtle, you know, mind or spirit, you know still kind of being
frazzled, and then, like, justthe calm down period, and once I
(07:52):
calmed down my years, 10-15minutes later, and I did some
breathing exercises, and thennow I, you know, my mind
definitely is totally clear andI'm like, so what was I going to
write?
Well, where do I start?
Like you know, now I was tryingto, you know, regroup those
ideas.
You know, um, you know, andthen even looking at my notes, I
(08:17):
find that I can, you know, likeall as we get inspired by
something, we jot it down whenI'm not prepared, I don't recall
very well, right, so it wasjust like okay, so like, why did
that inspire me?
What was that like at the time?
Like it's hard for me to getback in that space.
(08:38):
So for me, I literally have to15 minutes before, take some
time to meditate, take some timeto, you know, just relax, take
some time, a few minutes, tolook over what I'm going to work
on, so that I can, you know, Ican go back to what's going on
from a calm space.
(08:58):
So Writers Block for me came upjust rushing.
You know when I was rushing,when I was trying to get
everything done, when I, youknow when I was you know, just
you know, frazzled.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, that's an interesting point, how just life
is lifing and that can kind ofget in the way of the writing
process, especially, um, ifyou're someone like me.
Like, I work full-time, so Ihave to have those set times
where I'm writing and a lot oftimes, especially during the
week, it's not really my besttime of day to write.
Um, I'm usually at work duringthat time, which is really
(09:40):
annoying.
But one of these days, one ofthese days, um, so, but one of
these days, one of these days.
So I'm actually going to stealthat from you.
The meditation thing isactually good to like take some
time at the beginning of that ofmy writing time and just like
relax, chill, get in, get intothe, maybe turn on some music,
(10:00):
get into the mood a little bitmore, instead of just trying to
like OK, it's time now, like,what are my notes?
Yeah, that's, that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think, like setting achievable goals could help too
, cause you can't whether or notyou feel blocked.
You don't want to let theimposter syndrome, the anxiety
or just whatever it is that'scausing your block, to stop you.
So, after you take the breakthat you need and you do your
meditating, you listen to musicor whatever you got to do to get
(12:03):
your head back in the game, Ithink if you set a goal, like,
let's say, I'll stop at 500words or 200 words or whatever
your goal is for that day, andjust write something, because
even if it's not your best, ifyou're a good writer, whatever
you have you can edit and youcan improve later.
You know what I'm saying.
So it doesn't have to beflawless on the first draft.
(12:25):
It's okay to embrace mediocrityand accept that this today's
work is not my best work, buttomorrow, when I'm feeling
better and I'm past whateverthis mental block is, I can go
back and I can fix it and I canmake it better and I can improve
it.
But I can't improve nothing.
So you can't like let it stopyou from moving forward improve
(12:46):
nothing.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
So you can't like, let it stop you from moving
forward.
And like you, jeanette, I workfull time and I'm a teacher and
I always say, oh well, I'mthrowing my lunch break, you
know I'll get some writing in,but you know, no, during my
lunch break I want to meditate,right.
So you know it realisticallyagain, like it's really kind of
(13:07):
difficult when you're workingfor a time.
You don't want to let that timethat you set aside go, Right.
So for me, what I've learned todo is, you know, I prioritize
what's important, like what do Iactually have to get done today
?
And I try to keep that to nomore than three things.
(13:30):
So then it gives me a greatdeal of space in between, so
that instead of trying to geteverything done, and even if
I've accomplished everything onmy list, I'm not going to be
like, okay, well, because what Ido is I'm like Monday, I'll do
these three things, tuesday,I'll do this thing here.
Like you know, I kind becausewhat I do is I'm like Monday,
I'll do these three things,tuesday, I'll do this thing here
.
Like you know, I kind of knowwhat I have to do for the week
(13:50):
If I finish for Monday and Istill got a lot of time
remaining, you know, between thetime.
You know I have a lot forwriting.
I'm not going to start onTuesday's work, you know, and
that was hard for me becauseit's like, well, I want to get
this done, knock it out and thenI have more time on the
tailwind.
Nope, I'd rather like stillkeep the schedule, still be able
(14:10):
to go into it with a space, butI don't overschedule and I
don't do more than what Ischedule out to do.
If it's only three things and Ido those, I'm done my to-do for
that day.
I'm done my to-do for that day.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, that's something I had to learn too is
setting some type of goal forthat writing session, because I
used to just like sit down andwrite and be at you know an hour
, four hours later, I'm justwriting, writing, writing,
because the goal is to do thisproject, finish this project.
But then I would like tiremyself out and maybe a couple of
(14:50):
days ago, by a week would go bythat I didn't write because I'm
tired of whatever, and so itwould keep me from moving
forward.
And you know, in addition tothe anxiety and all that, that
learning to just set the smallergoals take little pieces at a
time, you're still movingforward and I'm not over like
(15:15):
making you know myself, doubtand anxiety increase because I'm
trying to do too much.
So, yes, so setting achievablegoals is a great tip as well.
So I'm seeing, so let me runthis down for our listeners.
So, right now we've got settingachievable goals, self-care, so
(15:37):
meditation make sure you'reeating, taking care of yourself.
Taking care of yourself, it'sreally important because as the
conduit of the story, you needto kind of be in a great place
to be able to write.
Structure is really important.
That's a good one.
(16:04):
Notes, making notes foryourself.
That's something I do a lot,especially if I like life is
happening and, okay, I set thistime for myself.
But oh, I gotta go run and dothis right now, making I know.
Okay, here's where I am, thisis what I'm working on.
This is what I want to looktowards in the next session, so
that, when I come back to it, Iknow exactly where I'm at and
(16:24):
what I'm working on, as opposedto I've had those same moments
where I'm just like what was I?
Why did I write this?
Like what was going on, youknow, so you want to keep
yourself on track as well.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
And speaking of goals , I was doing the Artist's Way
with a few people and there'stwo versions.
Well, there's two, there's aneight-week one and then there's
a six-week one.
I think it's called Write forLife.
So it's all the same concept.
(16:59):
And Julia Cameron and she saidthat if you write two pages a
day and if you start there with,like this, the goal is this to
write two pages a day, you couldachieve so much, which is so
true, and it also helps preventthat burnout, like even if
(17:20):
you're willing to go ready to gomore and you got more.
But if you just do those twopages and you know, build up the
writing stamina, and so youknow and you think two pages a
month, you know two pages a dayand 30, 30, 31, you know days.
In a month, you got 66, youknow pages 30 or 60 to 62 pages
(17:47):
a month.
That's a lot, you know when youthink about it and all you have
to do is two pages every singleday.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Yeah, that's actually good.
I like that thought too.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
It's very doable.
It's less pressure, because alot of times writers, black also
comes from the pressure we puton ourselves.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Exactly, yeah, I love you mentioned the writers, the
artist's way.
I did that years ago.
Well, one thing that reallystuck with me that I actually
started doing again was morningpages where you're just kind of
like just writing, just kind oflike, yeah, just writing.
And that type of journaling hasreally helped me, too to get
(18:32):
all the junk out of my head, tothen be creative, because
otherwise, when I'm sitting inmy creative mind and then like
other stuff is popping up, likestuff that happened at work and
I'm over here and I'm just likewhoa, whoa, whoa, we're focused
on the characters.
So that's actually helped metoo.
I started doing that again thiswell, the last month, um, and
yeah, that's great.
Just it helps you get all thatmess out of your head and you
(18:53):
can focus more on being creativeand so I do it.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
You know, of course, um, she should, she's just to do
it in the morning, which isgood.
But I also found that it's goodeven if you just do a page
before you start actuallywriting, because I like doing it
in the morning because itactually clears your mind for
the day.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
But when you're sitting down,by the time you sit down to
write, you know you done got aday's worth of other stuff, you
(19:20):
know, rambling through your mind.
So I like to do a page, justone, prior to writing, as part
of my meditation ritual, kind ofthing going on.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Especially after work , it's like, oh, this person's
getting on my nerves, oh, that'sout, put it out.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Put it out.
I like that.
I like what Mo was saying aboutgetting in the routine of
writing pages every day.
I like what you were sayingabout how we need to do
self-care and I think part ofthat self-care is, like I said,
for me.
I like to walk because I canthink while I'm walking and the
physical activity feels like itstimulates my brain.
(20:04):
Maybe it doesn't, maybe it's inmy head, but to me I can
daydream while I'm walking and Ican process the characters in
my mind and then I can sit downfresh and so that works for me.
The physical activity, sometimeschanging the dialogue in your
head.
If my head is like, oh, I'moverwhelmed, oh, people are
(20:24):
going to see this, oh, I'm notgoing to be good enough to
change that, to change, changethat tape, change it to.
I'm about to wow them, you know, kind of put my foot in this.
They're going to look at thisand they're going to be so
impressed, and you know what Imean.
Just try to change the dialogue.
You say to yourself, giveyourself a little pep talk and
then, like I don't know,sometimes when I'm in a really
(20:50):
bad place with my writing, I'lllike, do free writing, like I'll
.
I know because I'm an outliner.
I'm a little bit of a plotterpainter, so I know what I want
to do, even though a lot oftimes the characters will
deviate.
But I know basically what Iwant to do.
So if I'm really really stucksometimes I'll just start
(21:11):
writing and I won't stop tofocus on the grammar or the
spelling or this, that and third, and I'll just try to get it
out and then I can go back andfix it.
But I feel like if I don't getit out then it's hard to get
past.
Whatever's stopping me.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
You know I don't yeah , um, because, like you're
judging whatever it is thatyou're thinking of and like as a
creative person in general, youkind of you have to shut that
away and just do the thing andthen, especially as writers, you
come back as the editor laterand then you can look at it and
be like, okay, so let's um, tunethis up a bit and you know,
(21:43):
yeah, I had a writing teacherwas always like, especially when
you're doing a first draft, solet's tune this up a bit, yeah.
Yeah, I had a writing teacherwho was always like, especially
when you're doing a first draft,he'd be like lock the editor in
the closet and just write, andthat's something I also heard of
.
Just how to get through awriter's block is just write.
(22:05):
You know it's not good, it'snot good whatever, just keep
going.
And, just like you were saying,you can always go back to fix
it If you're a newer writer anddon't know how to fix it.
This is why we have your betareaders or your teacher or
whoever in your community, otherwriters to give you some notes
and tips and how you couldpotentially move forward, even
(22:27):
just in yourself.
If you feel like somethingisn't good, you're not liking it
, come up with a list of someideas that could work.
That's something I learned todo, which is come up with
another list of ideas and gothrough them, see what works,
what doesn't, for the story, forthe characters, and that way
(22:48):
you're still writing.
That's still part of theprocess and not allowing that
judgment to keep you stuck inthat place.
You're still moving forward,trying different things, and
something will stick.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So one of my favorite books it's not a technically a
craft book, but I guess it couldbe but one of my favorite books
.
It's not technically a craftbook, but I guess it could be
but one of my favorite books onwriting is Anne Lamott.
I want to say Bird by Bird.
I don't know why I think that,but I think that is it, bird by
Bird.
And she talks about the shittyfirst draft and I think you know
(23:21):
, when you're sitting down towrite, you know the expectation
should be we should go with theexpectation that this is going
to not be the greatest it'sgoing to.
It's going to be bad, right.
And so I think, again, it comesabout taking that kind of
pressure off and not worryingabout it, because, first of all,
(23:42):
that is bad.
It's not bad in the sense like,oh my god, this is like we
don't know the craft.
It's just like, yo, you'regoing to find holes and they're
going to be gaps and they'regoing to be you know plots that
you know.
Once, when we finish, you knowwe're like, wow, that's not
really working.
You know there's going to be somuch that we see.
But the expectation is I'm justgetting this out of my head out
(24:06):
of my spirit and onto this,onto the paper.
So I found that just kind oflike the it's going to be what
it is, it's my shitty firstdraft and keep it moving.
So I think you know, just don'thave high, don't set the
(24:27):
expectations so high that itstops you from actually writing,
because I think that's part ofthe problem is that our
expectations be too high on thefirst draft.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, your first draft is not going to be a New
York Times bestseller.
Not at all, it's true.
Nobody it's not even.
New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
It's pretty bad for a New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
This is true Nobody.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It's not even New York Times bestseller Exactly.
But yeah, talk and talking topeople, communicate with your
friends, let them reassure youand help refocus you.
I like focus music, sometimestoo, when I'm in a bad place,
because it seems like limitingdistraction and having the music
(25:08):
in the background can help meclaw my way out of it.
Usually I'm the type of writerthat can write with TV on.
I can write with all kind ofnoise because I have children,
so I'm used to writing in noisysituations.
But when I'm stuck I need tofocus.
I just need the soft sounds ofthe focus music you find on
YouTube.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Lo-fi is what it's called, and Lo-Fi is really
great because it comes to, ifyou like and I use it for the
kids so whatever the beats, themost current beats of the music
that's out now, they'll havethat like, say, in a much more
(25:49):
softer.
You know way Um, you find thejazz, you can find Afro beats,
you can find this, you know thelo-fi, you know music purely
instrumental, like in any genreof music you like and is
absolutely great.
I was.
I'm the opposite of you.
I grew up the only child.
I have only child sensibilities.
(26:10):
A whole bunch of noise and allthat like I can't watch the tv,
and you know, and and listen tomusic, like it's one thing at a
time, or because my I'm nosy,right, I'm, I'm curious, so let
me, I can the TV's on and I'mwriting and let them be like,
well, what happened, how did it?
Like it could be nothing.
But all of a sudden it's like,oh my God, what happened?
(26:32):
I'm over there, I can't, Ican't tune anything out.
All of it's coming in.
But I did, you know for when?
Because my students need that,that noise.
You know, it was so hard for meand I do English, so I'm like oh
my God, how do you write?
So I had to learn to write.
I'm like, oh, it's really notthat bad because it's
(26:54):
instrumental and it's.
You know, it's definitely madeto help you to focus and
concentrate.
And so next thing, I know I'mflowing and I hear it, but it
doesn't bother me and I actuallyfound that I do pretty good
with it.
I do really really good withthe lo-fi focus music going in
(27:15):
the background and I like that.
Again, any genre of music youlike, there's music for it.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
JD.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I was going to say I'm very impressed that you can
write with the tv that's what Iwas actually about to talk about
because, like, when I'm notblocked and I'm writing with the
tv on.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
I have a a list of bad shows.
I have to watch bad televisionbecause if it's something good
I'll get distracted and I'll belike, oh, what's the reek doing?
Speaker 4 (27:43):
but if it's something bad, it's the noise.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
That's how do you?
I have ADD.
So the focus.
You know I need thatstimulation in the background
most of the time, unless I'mblocked, and then I can't have
it.
But, like I said, it's bad TV.
Good TV will suck me in andI'll get no writing done.
But if it's something that'sboring I'll keep it on.
And then my kids will be likebecause I like they'll come
downstairs and I was like, oh,this shit was terrible.
(28:08):
They'll be like, well, why areyou on season 12?
And then I'll be like because Ican write to it.
It's terrible, but you canwrite to this oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, I would be like oh, this is so terrible, this
is terrible writing.
Why are they they?
Why?
Are they like, oh, still in it,like hate watching.
But the one thing about themusic I wanted to say another
good thing to do is listening tomusic that fits your genre.
So, like I've been writingsomething, fantasy and fantasy
(28:39):
music, like are things that Iwould think of that way, like it
would be a soundtrack towhatever I'm writing helps a lot
too.
That's true, yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Or things that fit your characters.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
If your character is like a punky girl, then that
type of music.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
Right, yeah, right.
It sort of kind of puts you ina.
It makes you kind of imaginehow they would respond, how they
act, how they, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
It helps put you in that like frame.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
You become a character yeah.
And celebrate your victorieswhen you get your two pages done
, when you reach your goal.
Find a way to reward yourselfto help you get into the good
routine of constantly doing itand pushing through it, even if
it's just something little.
I don't want to recommend junkfood to people because I eat
entirely too much of it, but youknow I like that rewarding
(29:32):
yourself.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Have the cookie, or just a gold star, you get a gold
star.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
You know, reward yourself and that helps your
mind want to stay in thatroutine I put it on your board
so you could see it In thatroutine.
I would do that for myself, andthat helps you stay committed
to the routine because you getthe little reward at the end.
I did my thing and now I got myprize and then that helps you.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I like the sticker thing yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Yep, yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So one last thing.
I hear this a lot from all theprofessional writers you cannot
edit a blank page, basically.
So with writer's block, thebest thing to do is show up.
So the next thing I wanted totalk about is how.
What is I don't like the wordperfect, but like what's the
(30:22):
best schedule for you all?
What have you found works bestfor you throughout the week in
terms of getting that writingtime in?
Speaker 2 (30:35):
For me.
I find that I write best when Ifirst wake up, when I'm fresh,
in the morning.
I find that I write best when Ifirst wake up, when I'm fresh,
in the morning.
I tend to create in the morningand edit in the evening,
because in the evening, when I'mtired, the creative part of my
mind I don't need it as much.
You know what I mean.
Well, I won't say I don't needit as much.
It seems like I'm much betterat generating ideas when I first
(30:58):
wake up and when I'm fresh, butin the evening, that's when
I'll do more of the editing, oreven editing videos or something
.
You know what I mean.
Find some other skill thatdoesn't require me to just come
up with stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Where were you Mo?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
I don't think I found it yet, because the reason is
because, even with the schedule,I'm getting better.
I, like I said, I had the first, never my to-do down to three
things, because there's alwayssomething that needs to be done,
some kind of responsibility.
All of a sudden someone's like,oh, I need you to do this, or
(31:38):
we need to do this, or um, so Inever looked down to three
things, but I actually thought,I always thought that I was a
morning person because I got upearly.
But I got up early because thatwas just the way I was raised,
right.
So I had, I was on a schedule,you know, to go to bed at a
certain time.
(31:59):
When I was young, I actuallydidn't like to hang out a lot,
you know, as a young adult.
So I was, you know, I never wasthe type like, oh, every Friday
we're at the party, friday,saturday at the club, um.
So I pretty much always had aroutine that I would sleep
between 10 and 11 o'clock, likeall of my life, and so because I
(32:19):
go to sleep 10, 11, I'm up, youknow five, because I got a
thing for, you know, you knownot having a rush and and being
on time.
But then when I went the, youknow, when I was in the program
at Drexel and I had to writemore, you know, and I had to
write more, you know, and I hadto write after work and at that
(32:43):
time I was a paralegal and so Ialways was bringing work home
with me I found myself plenty oftimes having to start to write
at, you know, 11, 12.
The crazy part about it likeabout 11-ish, 10 or 11,
especially if I was up to, youknow, like, this paper is due,
my pay and exchange is due.
(33:04):
But I was energized, Like onceI started and got into it, like
I'm like, oh my God, this works.
And it's three, four, fiveo'clock and I'm like, oh my God,
I've been up all night and I'mnot even tired.
But then I got to get up anhour and I take a little, you
know, sleep and I actually foundthat that's the space I like to
(33:25):
write in.
But I can't, my life doesn'tallow that.
So my ideal space of writing,my life, doesn't allow and I try
to do this seven to nine thing,but that that's actually not.
(33:46):
By that time I'm winding downfrom the footer from the day and
it's it's a little tiresome forme.
So I'm doing it because that'sthe time, but it's not my best
time.
So I'm figuring out how to, youknow, maybe recalibrate my
clock some so that I can maybedo 10 to one and still be able
(34:10):
to function good during the day,because I also need like I
literally need at least sevenhours of sleep.
So my schedule is not the best,it's not the ideal one, and
because I know how I'mfunctioning when it's ideal for
me, I kind of feel like, well,it's not the best, but I'm
(34:34):
getting something done, if thatmakes sense.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
I'm similar.
So my best natural time towrite would be between like 8
and noon, and I can do that onthe weekends for the most part,
but because of work.
Similarly, and especially likewhen I was in the Drexel's MFA
program too, I had to forcemyself to write after work.
(35:00):
So I got into this like seven,seven to 10.
And if I was on a roll sometimeI'd even go to midnight, Um and
I, I.
After a while I was likeenergized and I could do it and
like everything was functioning.
But I had to kind of forcemyself and learn to work during
that frame because that's thetime I had during the week.
(35:21):
I don't like it.
I definitely can't go tomidnight anymore, but I'm trying
to do the 7 to 9, maybe 10thing again.
But I've been on this.
I've been trying to behealthier and all that and
working out.
I have a trainer and all thatand trying to do all of that and
(35:45):
fit in time with writing andlife.
I'm like there's not enoughtime in the day and then they're
like you got to get betweenseven and nine hours of sleep.
I'm like, how am I doing allthis?
So I'm figuring it out too.
But yeah, those are my times,like on the within, like an hour
, hour and a half of waking up,and then, during the week, I've
(36:06):
learned to just try and have todo it in the evenings.
Yeah, so it's not bad, it's notmy favorite thing.
One day, one day, it'll be myfull-time job and I can write
when I want to, right I alsorecognize too, like during the
day, because I tried to do it inthe morning.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I would get up early, I could do this, but I realized
I'm actually not up until about10.
I'm physically up at five butlike when I feel like I'm ready
and I my brain is alert andworking, moving at its peak,
it's best it's about 10 o'clock,but of course I'm third period
(36:49):
at that time.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
So yeah, I've done that before.
I used to get up like five inthe morning to write for work.
I don't get up quite that earlynow, I do try to do some
writing before work.
Work I don't get up quite thatearly now, I do try to do some
writing before work.
When I was at Drexel, though, Iwas an assistant manager at a
hotel and I was writing at work,I would take my laptop with me
and especially like if I had todo the evenings or the
overnights the guests are allasleep, so when they were asleep
(37:19):
and the work was done, I wouldbe on my laptop going and
getting all kind of stuff done.
It was night, all kind of weirdhours of the night and stuff
like that.
I got a whole manuscript atthat shop.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
Nice.
If you can do it.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
hey, that's nice, yep yep, yep, maybe I need to go
look for a night shift driver inthe hotel.
You said middle of the nightthat used to be yeah, yeah hey,
that's my and then at one point.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
After like two years of that, they did finally say
something to me about it, likewhy are you always on the laptop
at night?
And they didn't tell me to stop, but they questioned it.
So then I was like, okay, well,maybe this is becoming a
problem.
So then I would go into anempty room that hadn't been
rented and put my laptop inthere, and then I would grab
like a sponge, sponge and aspray bottle and I'd walk and
(38:08):
sit there tight.
I'd have the phone with me andthe little sign up saying call
for service because the guestsare asleep.
We're talking three, four inthe morning, nobody's there.
You know what I meaneverybody's asleep and then I
put the little sign up sayingcall for service, and then I
like periodically walk back andforth and check the desk and I'd
be chilling in the room withthe TV on doing my writing and
just back and forth back andforth.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
Look if you ever get in a position like that again.
Legal pads work there you goyour hand writing it out.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I love that I mean the work was done, so they
shouldn't have had complaints.
The work was done.
The work was done, so theyshouldn't have had complaints.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
The work was done.
People are asleep.
There's nothing going on.
You know it's not.
You could have been asleep.
You could have been up and down.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, and a lot of employees did that, a lot of the
overnight staff would beknocked out.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Half the time the stuff don't even be all the way
done, and you know this isinteresting, that you know that
I thought, just occurred to mewhile we were talking Sometimes.
You know some writers are youngand single and you know their
life is theirs and you know thatmay be.
You may be able to find a job.
If you learn, you know yournatural flows and your natural
times, you may be able to find ajob that can accommodate that.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Yeah, absolutely Now.
You've got me rethinking mywhole life right now.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Me too, jermaine.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Look I'm like oh man, man, I can't tell you how many
of them Drexel Zoom classes wehad, where I would log on and
I'm in the hotel uniform Listen.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
People in my class who graduated with me would be
like, oh, you're at work again,hey we give children, um, you
know assessments and you knowcareer assessments and they're
pretty much similar to thosepersonality tests to try to
naturally gear, to give them achance to start thinking about
you know what they want to dopost-secondary um, but it's,
(40:03):
it's interesting how, um, wedon't think about what's our
natural, anything right, we justkind of get, as it does, get
forced into a space like what isyour natural, you know, um,
what is it called?
It's a I forget the term, butthe natural rhythm.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Circadian rhythm.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Exactly Like.
What is that?
What is?
Because that's important.
It would help you decide todetermine better career choices,
right, you know you might wantto love IT.
You may want to be, you know.
You know, create the games, youknow.
However, your body may functionbetter at nighttime and you may
(40:43):
need a career that you knowlets you work at night versus
being forced into a space.
You know that you're not thatmost productive, but if you can,
you know, be nice if you couldplay your life around what you
really want to do.
You know how your body works.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Well, maybe one day society will get better.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
One way or another.
Listen, right now, that's howpeople, at this moment, this is
the best time to put your headdown and write, and write, and
write, and write, and write, andwrite, and write, so that you
know when the dust settles, wefigure it all out.
At least we have forgotten themanuscript.
But, like, what were you doingduring, you know, the 2020,
(41:33):
after the 2024 election, whenthe world was all in shambles
and everything was going to hell, and and uh, and you know, the
world's going to hell withgasoline drawers on?
Like I was right, I wrote thisbook.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
that's right I mean a lot of people did that during
covid like, yeah same, I workedall through covid.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
I was at the hotel masked up.
In writing I.
Speaker 4 (41:59):
I found the space, I found what you, you know.
I felt my cause, I be, you knowwhatever it is, but you can say
, yeah, I wrote this book too.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
We had a guy die in the hotel.
Oh my God, it was crazy duringCOVID.
I came into work and it waspolice cars all over the outside
of the building and I gowalking in and my boss is all
upset and his family was allthere.
They were in the normal roomwhere people eat breakfast so we
had to close that room for likemonths and he had come.
(42:29):
I believe he came to quarantine.
They claim he came to be awayfrom somebody else that had
COVID, but I believe he camethere to quarantine because of
COVID because he was only therefor like three days when his
niece was calling us panicbecause he was supposed to check
in every day and didn't.
And he was only there for likethree days when his niece was
calling us panic because he wassupposed to check in every day
and didn't.
And he was gone.
And I'm sitting there,asthmatic, as I am working every
day, terrified.
(42:49):
But you know you got kids withyou.
Double mask, my lysol bottle inone hand, my laptop under my
arm.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Wow, crazy time, crazy time well, what another
note, but I feel like we had areally great discussion about
writer's block, about, you know,trying to figure out schedules
(43:20):
in terms of when to write, and Ifeel like, hopefully, this
gives our listeners some greattips and ideas on how to work
things out for themselves.
Do you have any?
Any of you have any lastcomments before we wrap this up?
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Keep writing right, Yep.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Exactly Keep writing everybody.
Thank you for joining us andwe'll see you again on our next
episode of A Writer's Journey.
Take care, bye, bye.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
That wraps up today's Craft Chat Chronicles with JD
Mayer.
Thanks for joining us.
If you liked the episode,please comment, subscribe and
share.
For show notes, writingworkshops and tips head to
JDMayorcom.
That's JDMayorcom.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.