May 23, 2006 by Lani Voivod, Chief Scribbler.

Here’s a horrifying fact for you:

You will never do anything worthwhile in this life.

Unless, of course, you DO something.

But…what? And even if we actually know what to do, we KNOW it’s not enough. We also know it’s not good enough, and we definitely know it’s not original enough.

We KNOW there are others who do it better. We KNOW that WE could do it better, if only we had more time or resources. And finally, we KNOW no matter how hard we try or how well we do in the final analysis, we still have no guarantees.

We know a lot of things, don’t we? (We’re such smarty-pants-es!)

Too bad we didn’t always know to just…shut…up.

Step One: SHUT UP(?)
I hear you. You’re saying, “Isn’t that a little harsh?”

Yes. It is. But it needs to be. We’re talking to that yammering nincompoop within who KNOWS-KNOWS-KNOWS everything there is to KNOW about possibility, probability, limitations, reservations, ramifications, and vicious straight-to-the-jugular deprecations. Some common refrains from this idiot:

• “You don’t have time to waste on silly hobbies and petty indulgences. You’ve got more important things to do!”

• “You know you never stick with anything. Why even start?”

• “C’mon, be honest, this is way over your head. Oh, and you’re wayyyy too old. You also don’t have the right look. Or personality. Or talent, for that matter. Did I mention no one even likes you, you have terrible body odor, and your mama dresses you funny?”

Lovely.

Now hear this: This voice is not you. It’s not someone looking out for you. It’s the voice of Finertia™ (that’s “Fear” and “Inertia”), a crotchety ol’ bag who hasn’t changed her daily routine since Caesar reigned o’er the land. Finertia needs to put a sock in it and let you live your life without the negative play-by-play.

Finertia is a PARTY POOPER. She doesn’t deserve your time and respect. She’s lost the privilege of your attention. Kick her to the curb and MOVE ON.

Step Two: SHOW UP!
Now that Finertia is out of your way, you’re left with only one thing to do:

SHOW UP.

What does this mean? It means…

• You schedule playdates or writing time or creative activities for yourself, and you DO NOT skip or reschedule them.

• You go to those classes and appointments you signed up for while you were feeling hopeful, encouraged, happy, and inspired…even if you’re not feeling that way when the time arrives for you to SHOW UP.

• You don’t indulge in that age old lie known as “writer’s block.” It’s a luxury, not a reality.

• You don’t blow off or postpone your craft based on what you presume your output should be, might be, or could be.

You’re not the judge. You’re not the jury. Your mood means nothing to your output, and it’s irrelevant to your creative destiny. Every time you sit down at your computer (or easel, or potter’s wheel, etc.), you’ve got one goal: Get SOMETHING out of you. Do it. Again. Again. And again. Do not stop. DO trust the process.

THAT’S SHOWING UP. And that’s what it’s all about.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? Please do! Just kindly include this blurb with it:

Writer and Creativity Aficionado Lani Voivod is a daily poster child for Adult ADD and all its trimmings. Whether she’s creating kids’ content on Barbie.com or writing pop culture diatribes for her popular American Midol column on DeadBrain.com, Lani believes her co-owned-with-spouse writing business, www.EpiphaniesInc.com, is destined to live up to its evocative name before we know it.

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May 12, 2006 by Lani Voivod, Chief Scribbler.

“The thing is to become a master and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.”

-Henry Miller

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May 1, 2006 by Lani Voivod, Chief Scribbler.

Course creator and writing dude Steve Manning says your mind needs only three words to create a complete story, a complete scene, a complete picture of imaginary events, or real-life information. Three words are all that’s needed.

In that vein, here’s an exercise he recommends. It’s called THREE MAGIC WORDS. Don’t run for the door. Don’t freak out. It’s speedwriting. It’ll be over in five minutes.

Yup. That’s right. Just five minutes. You must write as fast as you can for five minutes. Write as quickly as you possibly can. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, sentence structure, or story. Just write.

Next rule: No thinking! No second-guessing. No editing while you’re writing. Whatever comes into your brain, that’s what you put down on paper. Anytime someone has difficulty with this exercise, it’s because they were thinking too much. Don’t do it.

So here’s the deal: You’re going to write a story. A coherent, understandable story. Don’t simply list a string of random thoughts. This is a STORY. It’s not a biography. You’re not in it!! Don’t use the word “I.” And it’s not a speech, where you get to riff on what you think about something. It’s a story!! Yes, you may want to write non-fiction, but for the next five minutes, you’re a story writer. Not a biography, not a speech, not news, not weather… a made-up, fictional, story, please!

Now for the gift: I’ve got three words waiting for you at the bottom of this post.

THE DIRECTIONS:
You must start your writing with one of the three words. The other two must appear in the first paragraph. So you can’t start your writing with ‘It…’ ‘A…’ ‘The…’ ‘Once upon a time…’ nothing like that. You must start your writing with one of the three words below, and the other two must appear in the first paragraph.

As soon as you see the words, put pen to paper and start writing. Steve Manning insists that the faster you write, the better your writing will be.

Here are the THREE MAGIC WORDS: CLOCK – FIRE - CERTAINTY

Now…go!

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