Even if you’ve been dreaming of writing your memoir for years, it’s very common to sit down to actually start doing it and feel immediately paralyzed and not able to move forward. This is a very specific, very strong form of writer’s block that often hits writers right when they’ve decided to finally take the plunge and begin writing their memoir. It also tends to happen to writers who have already started their memoir, and then they get into the middle of the first draft and don’t know how to keep going.
Symptoms of this kind of resistance show up as feeling paralyzed or frozen. It also shows up as feeling completely confused about how you’re ever going to pull all the pieces together, finish the book, or make it into anything worthwhile.
When this feeling of paralysis comes over you, it’s a sure sign that your system is overwhelmed. And when we go into overwhelm, we shut down and our creative energy goes into hiding. Continue Reading
It’s very common for writers to begin writing their memoir and then tell me, “Oh wow, I wish I’d started this years ago. I can’t believe I put off writing my book for this long.” This is because, once the writer starts actually writing, they realize that they’ve been getting clear signs all along that writing their memoir was an important life task they are supposed to complete.
So, why do we ignore clear signs and still keep procrastinating on writing our memoir? Well, it’s pretty simple really. It’s fear. Every writer who has ever considered writing a memoir has felt this fear—and it’s no easy thing to conquer.
However, there are handful of BIG signs (5 in particular) that only happen when it’s truly time for a person to get serious about writing their memoir.
I outline these 5 signs in the video below:
I’m teaching a new class this June called Memoir Writing for Everyone and we’re going to be diving deep into the memoir writing process. We’ll be learning:
How to start your first draft
How to edit and structure your memoir
How to deal with fear of judgment
And more.
The class will also include Directed Writing Sessions, in which I’ll be giving memoir-specific prompts to get you going on writing some of the actual pieces of your memoir, so you’ll have something substantial to work with once the class ends.
To get all the updates on the class as I announce them, be sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE, and if you have any questions about the class, you can them to me here.
I’ll be releasing the third and final video in this series in just a couple of days. See you then!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. You can get a free copy of her book on creative marketing for writers by signing up for her newsletter HERE.
In every one of my classes for writers, there are always a few writers who are doing deep healing work and, along the way, discover that they feel called to write a memoir. However, immediately after this, self-doubt kicks in and the writer questions if they really should be spending their time trying to write a memoir, or if their time would be better spent on some other writing project.
I’ve also worked with many people who have tried to write their memoir, but never finished it, or could never quite get the motivation to start it. This is extremely common for writers who are embarking on writing a first memoir. The problem is that every writer who goes through it tends to feel very isolated and has no idea their struggle is not just about them, but is actually a relatively natural part of the process for first-time memoir writers.
Usually, first-time memoir writers are dealing with a lot of fear around the process. They’re afraid that: Continue Reading
Are you a writer who struggles with procrastination? Well, you’re not alone. I’ve worked with hundreds of struggling writers and procrastination is one of the most commonly reported problems and sources of dissatisfaction among writers that I see in my coaching practice.
Most writers know that procrastination is the problem, but many of us don’t know exactly WHY. I’ve outlined my list of the top 5 causes of procrastination in writers that I see all the time in my clients and students. Continue Reading
That article triggered a flurry of questions from my readers about how to know when you can trust your intuition at all. Many people said that they’ve gotten “intuitive hits” in the past that turned out to be true later on, but they didn’t know how to listen to that intuition in the moment, when it was trying to steer them in the right direction.
The key is to know that each person has a unique set of inner cues that will come through the body, in a very specific and reliable way, every time their intuition is trying to get their attention. It’s just that we usually either brush off these signals from our body, or we don’t realize that’s what they are and so we don’t slow down to see what’s really happening.
Once we learn our unique set of body cues, we have a solid starting point with our intuition, and once we can get comfortable with intuitive tools like these, we can begin to use them in our everyday life and in our writing practice.
I talk more about this in the video below:
Learning how to use your intuition and building self-trust can transform your writing practice at a deep level that you’ve never seen before. Instead of feeling like you’re always trying to push your writing forward, it feels more like a path is opening up right in front of you and all you have to do is be open to following it.
I’m teaching these concepts and so much more in my upcoming online class starting May 2 (next week!) called Finding Your Writing Magic. We’re going to be learning about getting comfortable with the unconscious, working with story as a co-creative process, and writing as an act of power. If this sounds like something you would really like, be sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE to get the announcement when I open registration on April 27.
(Please note: This class will contain completely different material than my Intuitive Writing video course. We will touch on Intuitive Writing briefly as a tool, but only briefly. This is a new class with entirely new material.)
I won’t be teaching this class again, or making a video course from it, either. So, this is your only chance to take this class. Replays will be made available for those who can’t make the class live, and class members will get lifetime access to those replays, which is a great option for those who want to do it as a self-paced class in the weeks or months ahead.
If you want in, make sure you get in during the five-day registration window. And if you have any questions, you can contact me here.
I’ll see everyone in just a couple days when doors open for registration!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. You can get a free copy of her book on creative marketing for writers by signing up for her newsletter HERE.
