Run, Hide, or Fight — A Writer's Choice

Run, hide, or fight through? These are simple choices for us to consider in life. Do we choose to run because we are afraid? Do we hide because we don’t know what is happening, or do we blindly fight without knowing why?

Am I only talking about writing routines or life? If writing is your life, I am hitting on the correct cord.

These options placed in front of us each have become a choice. Whichever option we choose should be based on our doing and no one else. Without remorse or regret, we decide to run away to fight another day. Do we hide to surprise our opponent? Or do we choose to fight regardless of the cause?

While there is a universal theme, I will tailor this writing discussion. Because, as you learn to know about me, writing, cycling, and triple espressos are my life:)

Running away from a problem when writing helps clear the air and break through the challenges you are having with creative constipation. Stepping away from your work and giving yourself time to vent and take your mind off internally is far better than sitting in front of the keyboard and getting more frustrated.

Hiding from the pain, you feel when you can’t move to pass a writing issue or the piles of rejection and negative feedback getting out of you. Writers show their emotions through their eyes and body gestures. Non-verbal expressions come out clear as day. People around us sense it and often choose to move on or stay. Hiding doesn’t lessen the pain we feel when we are stuck.

Fighting in any form, verbal, physical, or even internally, within ourselves is a disruption with no positive outcome. Fighting within ourselves destroyed more than just our psyche. Our pain would become other people’s pain, even if we choose not to share. People around us sense our pain and often will stay or “run and hide.”

Is one choice the only way to cope with writing problems? Truthfully, balancing between is a proper art form yet to be mastered by many.

How to balance the choices we have

Choosing to run from a problem solves nothing. However, choosing to step away and take your mind off it helps. A pleasant walk down the street for a triple espresso at our favorite coffee shop with today’s newspaper will help take your mind off your current dilemma.

Hiding is less production and more destruction. If you are stuck, find someone to talk to. Each goes to a fellow writer and asks how they cope with writing problems. Hiding hurts more and becomes more damaging. Many writers choose to hide and never come back.

Fighting through a problem will strengthen you. As Bruce Lee once said, “the art of fighting without fighting” is the correct path to combat writer’s block. If you are stuck in writing, how do you fight through it? Do you erase your work? Slam the door? Trust me; these solutions never work, so don’t bother.

Learn not to fight is the first step in the creative writing process. Successful writers learn to step away, and reaching out, talking to other writers, and seeking advice is far more productive. Writers help writers make good stories great. Someday, someone in a writing funk will reach out to you and ask for the same advice.

So, how do you put this formula of choice to work?

Run — by walking and taking a moment. Reach out and ask for advice from your fellow writers before you consider going into hiding. Always learn to fight without fighting by walking, talking, and remembering that the writing will be there tomorrow.

Please never forget the joy of writing. This is who we are. Creative people sometimes need to take a break and get some fresh espresso cup of coffee in their hands.

Love,

Patrick