Writer’s Tool #6: The Word “NO”
NO!
It’s a poignant reply, one that is often unemployed by most writers. Very few people realize the power of having creative boundaries.
Simply tell people “no”.
Of course you could opt for a less abrasive approach to “no” like:
- “No thank you.”
- “Sorry, I can’t. I’m writing that day!”
- “I have to get some work done! Thanks though!
- “I can’t volunteer for your bake sale, I have an important writing deadline coming up. Yes I know you need 10,000 cookies by thursday. I’m sorry. Best of luck though! I’m rooting for you! I know you can do it!”
- “I can’t, I promised my creative coach I’d have something written for her this week!”
I realize these may not be applicable to every situation. Of course you could always lie by saying you have a “funeral” to attend or something, but I find that honesty is the best policy. Your true friends and family will understand that you need creative time to yourself.
Anyone who gives you a hard time about can go suck a lemon.
It’s a simple word. N and O, spells NO. You’ll find that practicing the art of “no” in your life, will result in extra time for yourself, and a schedule that isn’t quite as hectic as it used to be. Nobody likes having to remember a dozen things they’ve committed to in one week. It’s hard enough having to do things like working a day job, or raising children. LOL – bottom line is, if you have a choice to say “NO” to work on your craft, and you say “YES” … don’t complain that you don’t have enough time to yourself.
You can find other tools like this in the Writer’s Toolbox link, at the top of the page.
Writer’s Tool #5: The “Mommy, I’m Bored” Jar – For Writers
For me, hearing myself utter the words “I’m bored” is horrifying. If I’m bored, then why aren’t I using the time to write? How did I get so distracted from my craft that I have to utter the words “I’m bored” !?!
The fact of the matter is, there are times when I’m exactly like that. There are also times, when I don’t know the next step in my story, and I need to take some time to figure it out.
One of the greatest gifts my mother gave me as a kid was the “I’m bored” jar. It was an ordinary canning jar, but on the inside, there were dozens of little papers that had suggestions as to how I could eliminate my boredom. But sometimes, when the suggestions were something along the lines of “clean the bathroom”, I was less inclined to do them. Yet, I found myself doing them anyway. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps I was a mental kid, but there is something commanding about a piece of paper that has an answer to your boredom.
Writers, I give you the “I’m bored jar” … for your craft. Inside, you can write any number of possible suggestions you can come up with to nourish your creative boredom. Here is a list of examples of what you can write inside:
No matter what suggestion you pick out, there will always be something to feed your creativity. If you write them yourself, you usually start to have an idea of what you want to do the most – and by all means go ahead and do that very thing. The point of this jar, is to get you to exercise your creative muscles when you just don’t know what to do.
TASK: Set aside 20-30 minutes, and write down as many suggestions for your writing life as you can think of. Take a moment to find an old jar, label it however you see fit, and fill it to the top. At the end of this task, open the jar, take out one suggestion, and do what it tells you. I promise it won’t be in vain.
