Lauren Sapala

Search results for: “infj writer”

  • INFP Writers and the Constant Struggle to Focus

    INFP Writers and the Constant Struggle to Focus

    The INFP writers I work with report one big problem to me: they can’t stick with one creative project. INFP writers will frequently get a really great idea, start the story, and then a week or two later they find that they’ve lost interest. Then they try to double down on their efforts to stick with it and force themselves through it. But it doesn’t work. They not only end up feeling like they killed off what little interest in the story they still had, but they also feel guilty and ashamed because they “failed” again.

    They couldn’t stick with a project to the very end.

    However, what most INFP writers don’t know is that it’s not a lack of willpower that’s the problem. The real problem is resulting from the fact that they’re trying to get themselves to work in a way that isn’t natural or right for them. They’re trying to force themselves to follow the mainstream methods for learning and creating that they’ve always been taught to follow. But what no one ever told them is that those mainstream methods absolutely do not work for INFP personality types. (more…)

  • Are You a Writer Who Can’t Finish Anything? The 3 Surprising Reasons You Abandon Projects.

    Are You a Writer Who Can’t Finish Anything? The 3 Surprising Reasons You Abandon Projects.

    As a writing coach who has worked with hundreds of writers over the past decade, I’ve found that most of the writers who come to me have the same types of problems, and one of the biggest struggles they deal with is finishing anything.

    This type of writer always tells me the same thing:

    “I get really excited in the beginning of the project, and then the excitement dies.”

    “I was off to a strong start and wrote a lot, but now I have no idea where the story is going and it feels like a chore to figure it out.”

    I feel a deep sense of shame about the fact that I haven’t finished anything. This must mean I’m not a real writer, or not a very good writer.”

    This type of writer also tends to feel isolated and alone in their struggle. They constantly compare themselves to other writers who seem to be thriving, creating, and most importantly, producing.

    I love it when I get a new client like this, because I immediately know where to start. And once I reveal what’s really going on, the writer experiences this immense feeling of relief. They finally understand that they are NOT wrong as a writer. They are just using the wrong type of writing method for them. (more…)

  • Procrastinating on Your Writing? Why Writers Need Accountability to Keep Going.

    Procrastinating on Your Writing? Why Writers Need Accountability to Keep Going.

    Most writers know they need accountability in one form or another. Otherwise, it’s too easy to procrastinate forever and never start (or finish) the book we want so badly to write. But the problem is that too many writers get it wrong with accountability.

    The worst kind of accountability comes from writing methods that are too rigid. I’ve worked with so many writers who have tried to write every single day, no matter what, or vowed to meet a certain word count during every writing session, no matter what, and these attempts ALWAYS end in failure. Why? Because there’s not enough flexibility and open space for the writer’s creativity to flourish, or the inevitable demands of everyday life.

    I’ve coached and taught writers of all stripes for almost 10 years now, and I can tell you that the absolute BEST way to bring accountability into your writing practice is to choose a strategy that is flexible, actually fun, and doesn’t leave you all on your own. The power of group support is truly life changing for writers! (more…)

  • Too Scared to Call Yourself a Writer? This Is How You Get Over It.

    Too Scared to Call Yourself a Writer? This Is How You Get Over It.

    If you’re a writer who struggles with writing, then you know that one of the biggest challenges you face is calling yourself a writer. Writers who suffer from severe procrastination, fear and self-doubt, or who are just in a place in life where the writing is not really happening, run into this obstacle all the time.

    You know you’re a writer deep within your soul. You know that writing does something for you that nothing else can, and when you do actually sit down and write, or finish something, you feel fantastic. But it’s the sitting down and doing it that is such a problem for you.

    If this is you, then you know that feeling of imposter syndrome. That fear that you’re nothing but a fraud, because you want to say you’re a writer—you know that you ARE a writer—but it feels like you can’t back that up with anything if you’re not actually writing.

    This was me, many years ago. There was nothing I wanted more in the world than to write, but I just couldn’t do it. And then I found the key that changed everything for me, AND that got me through writing my very first book, start to finish. (more…)

  • The Single Worst Thing Any Writer Could Do (If You’re Serious About Success)

    The Single Worst Thing Any Writer Could Do (If You’re Serious About Success)

    In my last article, The 3 Biggest Self-Sabotage Traps for Writers, I talked about some of the most damaging mindsets for writers, and how when we adopt these mindsets and use them as “writing goals” we always end up defeated in the end. However, there is another, much worse, approach that writers can take in the attempt to become a successful writer.

    And sadly, I see writers do it all the time.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginning writer, or have been writing for many years, if you do this one thing, your writing life is sure to fail. You will feel blocked, empty, stuck, and hopeless about your writing. The one thing—that’s the worst thing you could do—is this: (more…)

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