Admin Galore! 2.0
Overcoming Writer's Block
This week’s newsletter is a follow up to a previous essay. In Admin Galore!, I characterized the growing list of administrative tasks necessary in order to function as a professional writer, as the New Writer’s Block.
And, I called out other writers hoping they’d also publish their opinions on the growing list of Admin.
What if I made this an open call for submissions, and offered to follow this newsletter up with a second one including some of your ideas on how to juggle this new monster? This New Age Writer’s Block.
Okay so here we go. First I’ll explain how I’m dealing with the writer’s block monster, Admin Galore. Then I’ll share some of the ways others are dealing with what they consider Writer’s Block.
#1, I’ve cut back.
That’s right. The first thing I did was cut back on my social media use, including our beloved Substack. I just can’t afford the amount of time that I was spending here. So I’ve had to be more strategic about what time I do spend on this platform, which has drastically reduced the amount of Notes I see. I just ain’t scrolling nearly as much y’all, not sorry.
I’ve began to take advantage of the new Substack scheduling feature, and scheduling my Notes for the week once my posts publish. That keeps me on the feed, and allows me to focus the time I do spend there on notification responses. Because interaction with my friends here remains a top priority.
Limiting my WiFi availability during the day helps me to stay on task.
This has been HUGE for me. I write on Google Docs, so everything I need to actually write is available offline. And turning off the WiFi prevents me from getting side tracked by Admin. Because pretty much all of that kind of stuff does require an internet connection.
Turning off the WiFi allows me three or four hours of uninterrupted writing time each day. It forces me into a corner.
“It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around.” -Stephen King, On Writing
I’ve moved back into my office.
Yeah I know, I know. If you’ve been around a while, you’ve probably heard that before. Well if I’m being completely honest, I’m sitting in my easy-chair in the living room typing this now. I’ve got my feet kicked up and a Corona Light right beside me(Cheers!🍻).
But I have been working in my office much more. I don’t really have a choice.
The Littles won’t let Peapaw work if they can see’em — so I give them a kiss and tell them bye, “Peapaw’s got to go to work.” Then go into my office and shut the door. And it actually works, believe it or not.
And I’ve given myself a little more grace.
I had a weekly writing goal of 10,000 words. Now that may or may not sound like a lot to you. For me, if I’m writing, it’s not a lot. It’s just 2k per day, 5 days a week. And I can write 2k words in a morning session alone. That’s what I meant when I said HUGE earlier — it’s nothing for me to put down a couple thousand words in that 3-4 hours of no WiFi.
But I don’t worry about word counts anymore. That’s become trivial now that I am at different points in so many different projects. So instead of a word count, I just ensure that I do have a writing session every single day.
Some days I put down a few thousand words. Some days, it’s fifty. Writer’s write.
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” -Stephen King
But still, that’s a lot of pressure. Especially when you add publication schedules and deadlines, book promotions, and collaborations. Which brings me back to, I’ve cut back.
Yes, I want to do my part to be a good Literary Citizen, as Jason Arehart calls it. That’s why I have the Jukebox and SWG publications. But it’s okay if I don’t read or participate in everything — I should just give what time I do have wholly, and respond and share authentically. Do that, and I am doing my part to be a good Literary Citizen.
Less rules for myself.
For some reason, I’d accumulated all these arbitrary laws for myself. Yeah, sounds silly doesn’t it.
Don’t mix publication posts.
I’m involved in three Substack publications. And I’d given myself this rule that the Jukebox submissions couldn’t serve as blog posts. Now I’ll admit, that rule was probably needed in the very beginning — just to provide some separation. But I’d took it as law, and even apologized to y’all for cross-posting. Well that’s over, if you haven’t already noticed.
Post at least three Notes per day.
Right, right, right, all the gurus say this is a must. Well I don’t care, it’s stressful. And I’d even begun worrying about the timing and spacing of the Notes. GTF outta here with that shit. That is sooo overthinking this whole thing, guys. Just share what you want, when you want — algorithm be damned. It ain’t worth it.
Plus as I mentioned before you can schedule Notes now. You can even schedule Restacks and Shares!
It all counts.
Writing is writing is writing. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction, or auto-fiction, memoir, a personal essay, a blog post, or an article for a client. I’ve stopped stressing over whats written, when. So what if I’m in a fiction mood for a week or a month? So what if I get all philosophical for a while, or fired up on a subject like Admin for a couple posts? 😉
And I’m not the only one.
Author and friend Gray has also written about what she considers a form of Writer’s Block.
About every three days or three weeks or so, I have this conversation with myself:
What am I doing?
Are all these little bits I’m writing just really distractions my ADHD brain is throwing up so I don’t have to work on the real things? The Big Thing™?
Where hyperfocus, novelty-chasing, and executive dysfunction collide with the messy beauty of making art in real time.
My favorite Radical Behaviorist, Dr. Jennifer Haddock, has also written about her struggles with Admin.
When does the writer put it all together?
Because, beyond writing, off Substack, outside this broader “writing” effort, I do things many of us do: work, care give for people with mental and physical health challenges, and attend to my complex human needs.
And, despite all this other doing, the muse is always there, drawing inspiration, wanting to write. With easy access through her fingertips, there she goes…
And finally, I’m doing a better job protecting my non-writing time. I am getting back to being done at 7pm. And closing the laptop by 8pm is a non-negotionable.
I’m placing my phone out of reach, too.
As I’ve mentioned in last week’s essay, Boredom vs Burnout, I wasn’t giving my brain a chance to rest. Yes, I was choosing carefully where my attention was placed. But I was still choosing constantly. So I am embracing boredom more and more. And it’s making a big difference.
Have you been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the Admin that goes into being an author these days? If so, I hope you’ll find some of these tips useful.
Happy Writing! -MJ
Note to my nonwriter-readers,
How does the idea of Writer’s Block translate into your life? What keeps you from spending as much time as you’d like on ‘your art or passion’? I would love to hear from you in the comments or via email!
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too! What keeps you from spending as much time as you’d like on ‘your art or passion’?
Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
I feel you, as you know and shared (thanks for that). Sounds like yo I came up with some good behavioral solutions: reduce response effort, put phone away, etc. For me, if writing was only writing, and I had someone else (or it was my job to) do the organizing, editing, marketing, etc., I would have so many books by now. But for me, I like writing new things. And I’ve accepted that I’m in no hurry to be a salesperson. So I just write. Letting go of the rules and pressure to do it a certain way way is also a strategy.
Greetings to you in the glorious and the blessed name of our lord Jesus Christ.peace and grace multiplied to you in Jesus name