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: 

Paradox #1: Needing to do deep work vs. needing to snatch whatever time you have to get the work done

This is one of the paradoxes most writers I know struggle with the most. Sometimes, fifteen minutes or half an hour is truly all you have that day, and I’m a big proponent of staying connected to the work in whatever way you can until you can approach it in a deep way again. But too much squeezing it in around other things becomes wearying in itself; writing becomes just one more thing on the to-do list. Also, you do need those long uninterrupted hours to really dig in and get into the flow. I was recently watching some of Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube videos (which are fantastic for writers, whether or not you write SFF) and he mentioned that he writes in four hour blocks each day, and that usually the first one is slow, the second he’s getting going, the third he’s really in flow, and the fourth he’s winding down. Then he takes a long break and does it all again. Now of course, he’s a professional (and prolific) writer who makes his living from writing, but this schedule points out even such writers need some longer writing stretches to produce great work. And this is someone who keeps this schedule daily; how much longer might it take the rest of us if we don’t write every day? Stay away, or just dip a toe in now and then for too long, and it becomes harder and harder to reach that flow state quickly. 

Solution: take what time you have, but also schedule in longer blocks whenever possible. If you can only do a half hour each weekday, can you do two hours on weekend days? Start to treat your writing like a priority, and make sure you are getting those longer, deeper writing sessions in.

Paradox #2: Nurturing the creative spirit vs. getting the work done

While being disciplined and keeping to a writing schedule is important in order to actually produce work on a regular basis, we also need to make time for creative play. This might be an actual Artist Date, whether it’s exploring a different creative medium at home or going out to visit a new art exhibit, neighborhood, or to take a walk in the woods or on the shore. Or it might be experimenting with writing in some way: writing a poem, interviewing your main character, doing a mind map to generate plot ideas, and so on.

Solution: When the schedule starts to feel like a prison, or the word count goal like a whip at your feet, take your writing time and use it to play. Do whatever will fill your well at that moment, without guilt. Remember to make writing fun again. Then, when the time comes, you will feel like getting back to work. 

Paradox #3: The need for “beginner’s mind” vs. the need for deep knowledge of craft

Writers, once they’ve gotten beyond the actual beginner stage, are always trying to balance these. I think of the Shunryu Suzuki quote, from his classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: 

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.”  

In a sense, writers often feel like beginners because every project is a little different. What worked before might not work now. If you think that because you wrote one book, the next will be easier because you can just impose the form of the first book onto your new one, you will be in a world of trouble (unless, I suppose, you write one of the more formulaic genres – in which case your beginner’s mind challenge will be to think up plots and characters that are both original enough to be interesting but recognizable enough to fulfill the reader’s expectations). 

So, we need to have the humility to be open to new possibilities. However, part of moving from beginner to experienced writer is learning to narrow down choices, to make the best ones for a particular story. For that, we need a deep knowledge of craft. In other words, we need to be able to execute on the page whatever our mind conceives. In the beginning, there is a huge gulf between what you dream of and what you can actually do. As you gain skill in the craft of writing, you will automatically start to make good choices, and begin to close the gap between potential and product, desire and reality. But if we don’t keep that open, beginner’s mind, we lose the element of surprise and discovery, for ourselves and the reader. The writing becomes stale, boring, trite. 

Solution: Study the craft of writing, and apply that knowledge to your work. Read books on craft, and excellent examples in your genre. But also, be aware that sometimes the first decision isn’t the best decision. Keep your mind open to new directions and don’t close off avenues of exploration prematurely. Make mind maps, storyboards, or other creative visualizations of your story. Freewrite on a character or a situation or a stuck plot point for fifteen minutes. Read books outside your usual genre to gain inspiration.   

In each of these, the trick is finding the right balance between the elements. This comes with time and practice, and will be always in progress. But by being aware of them, you can actively work with them, understand when you are out of balance, and take steps to correct it. 

Which of these paradoxes do you struggle with the most? Are there others you can think of? Let us know in the comments!