How to Make New Year’s Writing Resolutions Stick
Writing, Motivation, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Motivation, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

How to Make New Year’s Writing Resolutions Stick

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on Threads, Instagram, and other sites with lots of writers celebrating their accomplishments from last year, and setting out their goals for 2024. This is awesome – we should all celebrate any milestones we achieve! And setting concrete goals for our writing makes it much more likely that we’ll hit them.

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Progress, Practice, Process, and Purpose
Writing, Motivation, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Motivation, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

Progress, Practice, Process, and Purpose

I recently reviewed Eric Maisel’s new book, The Coach’s Way. Last week I mentioned one concept from the book, think thoughts that serve you. Simple, but how many of us fill our days (and minds) with doubts, fears, complaints? If you’re going to create consistently, it’s important to keep the negativity in check. According to Maisel, it’s also vital to focus on 4 other attributes of creative work: Progress, Practice, Process, and Purpose

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Tolerance for Uncertainty is the Prerequisite to Succeeding
Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

Tolerance for Uncertainty is the Prerequisite to Succeeding

I’ve been re-reading Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking – by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It’s a short book, but every page is full of gems of advice for anyone in any artistic field. It’s definitely one to return to over and over, to remind yourself of what you face, and what is at stake, when you sit down to write.

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Fear is Part of the Process
Writing, Psychology, NaNoWriMo Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology, NaNoWriMo Jana Van der Veer

Fear is Part of the Process

One of the advantages of doing a writing sprint like NaNoWriMo is that, if you stick with the plan of writing 50K words in 30 days, it forces you to blow past any fears or doubts. You don’t have time to worry. You just have to hit your word goal, day after day.

Whether you’re currently doing NaNo or not, though, fear will eventually creep up on you. Why? Because you’re doing work that matters to you.

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In a Writing Rut? The Power of Mixing It Up
Motivation, Psychology, Writing Jana Van der Veer Motivation, Psychology, Writing Jana Van der Veer

In a Writing Rut? The Power of Mixing It Up

Today, I’m throwing my established schedule into the air like a lot of pixie sticks, and letting all the Stuff I Gotta Do fall where it may.

Well, within reason. I’m still showing up for my 8:00-9:00 am writing time, since other people are depending on me to be there to turn on the Zoom call. I also still have other work I’m scheduled for at specific times.

But, external obligations aside, I’m mixing things up a little.

Why?

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New Year Planning Part I – What Are Your Writing Goals?
Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

New Year Planning Part I – What Are Your Writing Goals?

I know, right about now, you’re probably like, can I just finish this year and then worry about next year? And you can – of course you can. You can (and should) do your planning throughout the year, in fact, recalibrating your goals as needed. What you think will work next year right now, may need some tweaks as you go.

But now is the perfect time to take stock, assess what you did this year, and plan for next.

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Breaking Through Writer’s Block, Part II: Starting (and Finishing!) Your First Draft
Writing, Productivity, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Productivity, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

Breaking Through Writer’s Block, Part II: Starting (and Finishing!) Your First Draft

Last week I discussed the fact that so-called “blocks” can take many forms, and come at any stage of writing. They have different root causes, many based in fear and uncertainty. Since our minds shy away from discomfort, we find it easier, in some ways, to simply not write – until the pain of not writing becomes great enough to propel us into action for a little while, at least.

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Breaking Through Writer’s Block Part I: Strategies for Any Stage
Writing, Productivity, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Productivity, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

Breaking Through Writer’s Block Part I: Strategies for Any Stage

Writers can feel blocked at any stage of a writing project:

Before you even start, you can feel paralyzed about where to begin, or even what to write.

In the middle, you can feel blocked over how it’s going, or what to write next.

At the end of the first draft (or the tenth) when revision looms, you may feel overwhelmed with the daunting task ahead to make your book something people will actually want to read.

For the rest of November, I’m going to focus on block-busting.

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Want to Write More? Walk More!
Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology Jana Van der Veer

Want to Write More? Walk More!

Today I took a long walk in one of my favorite local places, Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. It has two small lakes, and miles of trails - paved loops that are easy for fast walks, and lots of wooded trails along the river and over the ridge, and around the lakes. I still haven’t explored them all.

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Three Paradoxes of the Writer’s Life
Writing, Psychology, Motivation Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology, Motivation Jana Van der Veer

Three Paradoxes of the Writer’s Life

Lately it’s hit me that the writing life is all about paradoxes. For every truth, there is an opposite. Keeping it all in balance is something we don’t always consciously strive for. Instead, like a see-saw, we swing one way and then the other. Except usually it isn’t fun, it’s exhausting. There are three in particular that I and many writers I know struggle with:

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10 Failures of Mindset That Will Keep You from Writing
Writing, Psychology, Mindset, Motivation Jana Van der Veer Writing, Psychology, Mindset, Motivation Jana Van der Veer

10 Failures of Mindset That Will Keep You from Writing

This month, I’m going to be focusing on various aspects of what I call Mindset Coaching for Writers. There are many aspects to a writer’s mindset, such as developing persistence, dealing with blocks, plus the paradoxes of both staying in “beginner’s mind” while also developing mastery of your craft, among others.

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