Plans E & F in The Writers’ Alphabet

This week, you’re getting two plans for the price of one!

Let’s start with Plan E, which is short, sweet, and for some, the absolute best. It’s called The Eureka Plan. The idea is to set yourself up for those magical "aha!" moments when the solution suddenly clicks. It usually happens when you’ve been banging your head against a problem for hours, then... Out of nowhere—while you’re taking a walk, having a shower, or just chilling under a tree—bam! The answer just appears in your mind, like Newton’s apple falling from the sky.

That’s the essence of the eureka moment: it’s spontaneous, it’s sudden, and it only seems to happen once you’ve stepped away. That’s why engaging in some kind of physical activity not directly tied to your writing or problem-solving actually helps. We’ve been problem-solvers since the dawn of time, so it makes sense to let your brain do its thing. Want to make Plan E work for you? Step away. Do something different. Take a walk, ride a bike, or even do the dishes. Let your subconscious process things in the background, and you’ll be surprised by the insights that pop up when you least expect them.

That’s Plan E in a nutshell.

Now, on to Plan F, which takes things in a whole different direction. If Plan E is about letting go, Plan F is about not caring at all. It’s basically the “Fuck It” plan.

Here’s the deal: you’ve been stressing, worrying, and trying to push through a problem, but now you just say, “You know what? Fuck it.” And you mean it. Whether you give up or keep going doesn’t really matter because you’ve decided to stop worrying about it altogether.

Practitioners of Plan F adopt a carefree, “win or lose, who cares?” attitude. They’re not quitters, they’re just done with stressing out. Problems? "Fuck it." Criticism? "Fuck it." Someone tells you you’re a terrible writer? “Fuck you, I don’t care what you think.”

When you’re in Writers’ Hell and feel like there’s no way out, Plan F gives you the freedom to stop caring. Just tell the Writers’ Devil to “fuck off” and move on. It’s freeing. And before you know it, you’ll start rising out of that pit of despair, ready to embrace Plan G (which we covered earlier) or whichever plan comes next.

That’s Plan F.