The obstacle course

You say you want to write.  You start a project.  And then you stop.

Why?

It’s pretty fashionable these days to attribute all lack of forward motion to fear.  Fear of failure, fear of success, fear that your mother will be mad that you used her in your novel (she won’t—she won’t even recognize herself), fear that you won’t have anything to say (you will), fear that your writing will reveal something about you that you don’t want people to know (yes, but probably not the way you think).

Some of those fears can and will stand in the way.

But sometimes it’s other stuff.

You’re lazy.
You’re busy.
You’re tired.
You’re bored.
You’re on Facebook.

Set a timer for ten minutes if you’re lazy.  You only have to write for ten minutes.

Are you busy with what you really want to be doing?  Don’t let the urgent crowd out the important.

Resolve to get more sleep.  Write first thing in the morning.  Before you have time to get tired.

You’re bored?  Best cure for that…tell yourself a story.  And write it down.

You’re on Facebook?  There’s no getting around that one.  You’ve gotta get off Facebook.  Just for a while.  (You can always set up a blog and link it to Facebook.  Two birds.  One stone.  It could work.  When I’ve figured that part out, I’ll let you know.  Except I won’t have to announce it.  If you’ve already friended me on Facebook, you’ll see it happen.)

The point is there are always obstacles.  Are you going to let them stop you?  Or are you going to get past them?

Over, around, under, through.

Whatever it takes.