Stephen Lloyd Webber | author etc
books and consulting
Unless you are writing for pure exploration, it’s generally important to have in mind a main idea.
However, a common misconception is that your main idea needs to be fixed and rigid, like a box. Only the things that fit inside the box can be put there. Everything else gets … Read more
It’s not even “writer’s block.” You just don’t care. Writing no longer fuels you.
Stacks of boring papers.
Stacks of boring books.
Boring letters on the screen.
Unclear writing.
Annoying mistakes.
Blank, dead mind. Zero drive.
Someone please come distract me.
You’ve heard about the placebo effect, yeah? When people are given pills that do nothing yet they miraculously start to feel better?
The key part of the placebo effect is that the people taking them don’t know the pills do nothing. The placebo effect is about believing that they’re receiving … Read more
Freewriting is a technique many people have heard about but few writers are really taking advantage of. I know of no other way of writing that offers as much potential for productivity and creative growth as freewriting does.
It is also remarkably versatile. Freewriting is equally beneficial whether you want … Read more
Every action should be a step towards depth, integrity, and mastery.
That means doing one thing at a time. Nothing should get in the way of that single thing.
Don’t try to switch back and forth between different tasks.
I know it’s tempting! But don’t do that.
Switching back and … Read more
So much time gets wasted sitting and staring and trying to think of good ideas.
So much frowning.
Just think of all the poor chairs enduring their writer’s asses right now all across the world.
The stereotypical writer sits hunched forward, mulling over his story.
“What shall be the next … Read more
I’m a recovering project-aholic. I take on more tasks than I can finish.
There are a lot of factors to this. Here’s one of the big ones:
Being busy is an excuse for not finishing what I’m working on.
Maybe you can relate.
When the going gets tough, part of … Read more
“Ah, there’s too much garbage out there.”
“So much bad writing! Art these days just doesn’t make any sense.”
“That looks like something I could do.”
When I hear people say these sorts of things, I can feel that they believe what they’re saying. And I know that they are … Read more
We are all much more alike than we realize.
We have the same basic range of human experience, we have the same kinds of wants and fears. Yes, everyone has a different spectrum where they spend their energy and time, but we are all equally capable of the same feelings … Read more
It’s only natural to feel unenthusiastic sometimes. Feelings often have something to show us, so it is important to notice what you are experiencing and to allow yourself to hear the wisdom on the other side of the emotion.
When you don’t feel like writing, when you don’t think highly … Read more