Doing a lot but not making progress? Dara Girard begins her book chapters with poignant quotations. One chapter opens with the quote:
“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” – Alfred A. Montapert
Apparently writers can suffer from too much inspiration known as a creative flood. Unlike writer’s block, writers have no problems finding ideas or starting new projects when they’re experiencing a creative flood. However, too many ideas can make finishing any of these many projects seem impossible.
Just like fear of starting can paralyze you,
“Having too much to do can paralyze you. Too many story ideas may cause you never to finish one.”
My favorite tip in this chapter is to, “Always carry a notebook with you to jot down ideas.” This is helpful because creative floods can quickly turn to dry spells, so think of your notebook as an emergency fund for when times get hard. Also, listing potential ideas tends to motivate me to finish each project because I like checking off items on a list.
Remember that doing a lot of writing is important, but so is finishing what you write. If it’s not finished, you can’t publish it or get paid for it!
Learn more from Dara Girard by getting a copy of the book today.
Sarah L. Webb is a freelance blogger, writer, and instructor at the University of Phoenix in Baton Rouge, LA.
Ayeayeaye! I am definately a victim of this. I need to remember that: finish what you write, finish what you write. I have been working on short stories this year, which has helped boost my confidence with finishing projects. It’s kind of like running a 5k and then focusing on finishing a marathon. one foot in front of the other, one word after the next. thanks for sharing this.
Hi Marla. Glad we can relate. I’ve been forcing myself to finish a collection of poetry. Glad to know you’ve been making progress and have gained confidence. Keep it up! Be sure to let us know when we can read some of your stories.
-Sarah