Reading time: About 1 minute
This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world for material to help other writers. Today I discuss the small adjustments writers can make to help their writing….
Writers sometimes panic when they don’t feel like writing.
What’s wrong with me, they think?
How can I give myself a burst of enthusiasm?
They tend to imagine the changes they need to make must be BIG and powerful and life-changing.
But what if all they needed to make were some small changes — almost miniscule ones?
I started thinking about this idea after reading a blog post by Hannah Tyreman.
Tyreman blogs about learning design, writing, walking and reading. In her July 25/24 post she writes about a sentence she collected from a group of people hiking in North Wales. One of the hikers said, “My balance isn’t good today, I might have to rearrange my bag.”
As Tyreman put it:
“She noticed something and identified a possible solution.
She didn’t tolerate the conditions for longer than she should.
She didn’t dwell In frustration.
She didn’t blame herself.”
Instead, the hiker just set about solving the problem by taking the small and simple step of rearranging her bag.
I think writers can often also make similar small adjustments:
- If your back is sore, stretch for five minutes or go for a walk.
- If you’re hungry, have some nuts or cheese on hand.
- If you’re frustrated, take a break and maybe listen to some music.
As Tyreman says, “Even when I don’t feel able to identify the cause of my state, I can contemplate a small shift that might make a difference. An adjustment to my day that might make all the difference. A response that might just tip the balance of life in a good direction.”
Not every writing problem is a big existential one. Sometimes you just need to make small adjustments to feel better.
Just rearrange your bag. Don’t rearrange your life.
