Tag Archives: doubt

The Second Draft: The Stage of Doubt

Posted on September 18, 2014 by J. Sevick

So I finally got back on the revision track, with fits and starts as is my life. Why has revision been so much harder, mentally, than writing the first draft? I’d always thought that getting through the first draft was … Continue reading →

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Should We Ever Listen to Writer’s Block?

Posted on September 11, 2014 by J. Sevick

Some say writer’s block is a myth. Perhaps they’re right. But I believe that difficulty in creating is found in artists of all kinds, and it takes a multitude of forms. At its most basic core, a “block” as I … Continue reading →

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Lacking Focus

Posted on September 2, 2014 by J. Sevick

There are a lot of reasons why I’m struggling so much to get invested in revision. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks talking about these potential reasons, so I won’t list them here. But … Continue reading →

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Procrastination

Posted on August 26, 2014 by J. Sevick

Procrastination, for me, happens for two reasons: fear and laziness. Fear, or resistance or doubt, is all about subtle manipulations of thought that convince me not to work on what I know I need to work on. It’s mostly about … Continue reading →

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Rebounding from Resistance

Posted on August 19, 2014 by J. Sevick

Sometimes you just need a good pep talk. Both of my parents are excellent at telling it like it is and telling me to: “just do it already.” And sometimes I really need to hear that. Resistance takes a lot … Continue reading →

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Goals and Intimidation

Posted on August 7, 2014 by J. Sevick

There’s an unusual and contradictory feeling that comes over you when you set out to achieve your goals, no matter how desperately or joyfully you desire their completion—fatigue. You contemplate the task at hand (the larger or more complex, the … Continue reading →

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Fear of the Fluke

Posted on August 4, 2014 by J. Sevick

There’s an emotional place when you desperately want to be a writer but either don’t or can’t seem to write anything, where it feels like if you can just get a draft finished that it will all be over. It … Continue reading →

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Is It Ever Okay to Let Go?

Posted on July 23, 2014 by J. Sevick

Almost everything you hear from writing advice (my own included) is: just write. Don’t think. Don’t look back. Fight the doubt. Word vomit. Chained to the desk. Just stick with it. Don’t give up. And I would say, for the … Continue reading →

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The Three Types of Drafting Doubt–And How to Fight Them

Posted on July 20, 2014 by J. Sevick

It’s a little premature to say I’ve mastered my doubt. Unfortunately, one finished first draft does not a career make. But the mental transition I’ve made in the last month has at least given me the confidence that I can … Continue reading →

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Fear and the Writer

Posted on June 30, 2014 by J. Sevick

In finally finishing a draft, I achieved so much of what I’ve wanted for so long—just a finished draft, of anything. Sure, because of its length, I can’t really do anything with it (I suppose I could polish it for … Continue reading →

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