by Jenna | Feb 22, 2024 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question from a reader about self-doubt and feeling like an impostor or not a “real” writer.
Dear Jenna, I keep feeling like I’m not a “real” writer and that I’ll never be good enough. But I want to write! How do I keep my self-doubt and feeling like an impostor from affecting my writing and creativity?
Feeling like an impostor or not a “real” writer is tough. It can even feel like maybe you’re not allowed to pursue this career you want. But every writer starts out from not being a writer. Some start earlier, some later, but we all start somewhere.
Many writers think we can’t call ourselves writers until we are sold, optioned, hired, produced, or published, and stick words like “aspiring” in front of the word “writer” until reaching one of those states, almost as a way of atoning for the temerity in adopting the identity at all.
In my response, I discuss:
- Writing regularly as an antidote to feeling like a writing impostor.
- Claiming your identity as a writer with the words, “I am,” while also taking the actions to back it up.
- Seeing your access to the challenges of being human as a tool for helping you develop deeper characters.
- Working with a compassionate mentor.
- Framing what you’re telling yourself about writing and about who you are as a writer.
What are you telling yourself about writing and about who you are as a writer, and is that story serving you? If not, tell a better story.
Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
by Jenna | Feb 18, 2023 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about how to keep up confidence in writing:
“My biggest challenge is making regular time to write and work on a script. My question is about keeping my confidence up that I can do this.”
Here’s the high-level overview of my response:
- Being confident means feeling self-assured, believing in yourself and your abilities, and trusting that you can rely on yourself.
- Build confidence through experience and by taking action.
- Protect your confidence by making smart choices about who you interact with and with whom you share your work.
- How you talk to yourself really matters.
- Taking consistent, regular action to write builds confidence.
- Starting and finishing scripts makes a big difference.
- Facing and solving tough story challenges teaches you that your storytelling skills are improving.
- The evidence you take in matters.
- Choosing to believe in yourself ultimately comes first — it’s a choice.
When you take creative risks, however small, and build on your successes, you gradually learn where and how you can trust yourself.
by Jenna | Sep 18, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article I’m answering a reader question about how to build a consistent writing routine, even while managing work and family.
This is the high level view of the 7 tips I shared to help writers start to establish a consistent writing routine and rhythm. Each tip is described more fully in the article, but here’s the list to get you started:
- Begin with sustainability in mind.
- Study your own “resistance threshold.”
- Explore your optimal time of day for writing.
- Trim time from less fulfilling activities.
- Design a writing schedule.
- Build in writing associations or triggers.
- Implement and refine.
In order to be consistent, a useful strategy is selecting a sustainable level of effort for each of your writing sessions.
Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels
by Jenna | Feb 19, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a question about
being superstitious about writing:
“Do you ever feel superstitious about your writing time? Like you have to write in the same place, at the same time, after eating the same thing, to recapture the same success of a particular writing day that went well? Or do you find yourself giving up on a day’s writing because you weren’t able to do those things?”
This is an intriguing set of questions because whether or not a writer considers themselves superstitious about their writing practice, it speaks to underlying strategies and challenges around having a consistent writing practice, which is something I recommend for most writers. Let’s discuss. [more…]
Create a routine or container for your writing practice, but don’t be afraid to experiment and refine. Being a creature of habit is useful for writers, but we don’t have to be locked in.
Photo by Black ice from Pexels
by Jenna | Dec 18, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a reader’s question about how much (or whether) to plan writing time:
“How much should I be planning my writing time vs. just showing up to write each day?”
Much like the answer to most writing-related questions, it depends.
Here are some things to think about:
1. Showing up to write consistently is one of the most consequential actions you can take as a writer.
Whether you plan or don’t plan, showing up to write consistently and regularly throughout the year is the best way to see your body of work building over time.
Writing regularly has other benefits as well: According to a study by researcher Robert Boice, writers who write daily are twice as likely to have frequent creative thoughts as writers who write when they “feel like it.”
Writing consistently is also the best way to “find” or develop your voice, something writers often ask about too.
I typically advise most writers to aim to write 5 to 7 days each week, leaning to daily for newer writers or writers getting back on track after time away. Longer gaps between writing sessions make it harder to restart.
On the other hand, “just writing” without any kind of plan won’t necessarily help you see a script (or other writing projects) through to Done. Yes, ideas and voice development, as well as personal growth and insight are valuable. But planned writing leads to completion. At the same time, you can design it in such a way as to allow for flexibility. [more…]
While you certainly can be detailed in your day’s planning, I recommend working within the context of a well-structured goal and overall plan and setting up daily average targets in terms of time, page counts, and/or to-do’s.
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
