Writing Lab: You Can Fix Anything But...

"You can fix anything but a blank page" (Nora Roberts).

I hope the following quotes will help you in your writing. Is perfectionism blocking you in your writing process?

According to Erica Jong: "All writing problems are psychological problems. Blocks usually stem from the fear of being judged. If you imagine the world listening, you'll never write a line. That's why privacy is so important. You should write first drafts as if they will never be shown to anyone." 

I agree with Anne Lamott: “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.” (Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life)

This week you can try to write something new, without the need to show it to anyone. Follow Ralph Waldo Emerson's suggestion: 

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow."

Happy writing!

- Raum