Write Things: On Not Feeling Like It

Hello writers,

It’s been a busy couple of weeks!

There was a great turnout for my Your Writing Dream: Why It Matters More Than You Think webinar last Thursday, and I’m very excited to announce the launch of my Write Things Community on July 1st.

I’ve worked with so many talented writers who don’t yet have a book out there. Some struggle to write consistently. Others get stuck in the messy middle. And some just don’t know where to go after finishing their first draft. This community is my way of helping the amazing writers I’ve worked with get their work out there—and enjoy the daily process of doing so.

Today’s newsletter tackles one of the biggest obstacles writers face in finishing their work: their feelings.

I hope you enjoy it.

The Shift

We tend to tell ourselves one of two stories about our feelings: they’re either facts or feedback.

If you believe they’re facts, then you probably treat them as a sign of what you should or shouldn’t do.

Planned to write on Tuesday but didn’t feel like it when you woke up? Then you didn’t.

Your story started to get tough in the middle? You dropped it—or told yourself you’d get back to it “one day” when you feel like it—and moved on to a new story or gave up writing altogether.

But if you view your feelings as feedback, you’ll handle these moments differently.

If you wake up feeling like procrastinating or avoiding writing, you might recognize that feeling as resistance.

Why are you facing resistance? Because writing matters to you.

Want proof? Ask yourself this: Regardless of how I feel, if I had a magic wand, would I choose to write today?

The answer to that question comes from the truest part of you.

Those feelings of avoidance, procrastination, or anxiety around writing are only present because your inner critic has convinced you that something is at stake.

Maybe you believe your writing has to be a certain quality. Maybe you think you need to hit a word count.

Either way, a part of you believes that if you fall short, it means something about you.

Maybe you’ll feel like a failure. An imposter. Maybe it’ll seem like proof that you’re not a writer—and never will be.

Take a moment and reflect—you’ll find the truth behind it.

The truth is: your feelings are always feedback.

The sooner you catch the voice of the inner critic or those feelings of avoidance, the sooner you can recognize that resistance is proof that writing matters to you.

And if writing matters to you—what will you do?

What you feel like? Or what you truly want?

The choice is 100% yours.

Your Next Four Minutes

Prompt: “What is at stake?”

The next time you feel anything less than excitement, joy, or curiosity about your writing, stop and try this prompt.

You have every right to enjoy writing. Finding out what’s in your way is a step toward enjoying the process every single day.

New to quick-writing?
It’s simple:
Find a space where you can focus. Turn off your phone, close the door, and grab something to write with—pen and paper or a keyboard.

Set a timer for four minutes and write continuously on the prompt above. If you get stuck, write the prompt again until something shifts. You might free-write your thoughts, explore your self-talk, or even start a scene.

You can turn it into a story, use it to clarify your next step, or keep going for another four minutes. It’s up to you.

Either way, you’ll have written for four minutes—and that’s what writers do.
They write.

Thank you to everyone who’s shared this newsletter with a fellow writer or friend. It means the world to me.

Wishing you and your stories all the best,
Trevor Martens
Founder, I Help You Write Things

P.S. The Write Things Community registration closes June 30th and won’t reopen until October. If you’re curious and want the best price for your membership, consider joining this month at the Founder’s Rate. As a bonus, you’ll lock in that rate—even when the price increases this fall.
Find out more here, or reply to this email with any questions.

If you’re ready to start living your writing dream—and want to do it with an exclusive community of fellow dream-chasers—I’d love to have you join us.