Limiting Belief – Writing

I was making quite a bit of progress but I feel like I’m really hitting a wall with writing at the minute.
I’ve written most of a first draft of a play. I write quite instinctively without too much planning. I used to think this was a problem/not the ‘right’ way of doing things. Recently on finding other people I admire who work this way too I have embraced this way of working and I do believe that my subconscious knows what it’s doing.
The problem is there is a lot of stuff that I have alluded to/balls in the air that I know I need to address in the play which I haven’t so far.
The negative thought I keep having is ‘I’m not going to be able to pull this together’. I know this is not helpful it makes me feel defeated and is actively blocking me from finishing the play but it keeps coming up like a nagging fear.

 

Answer:

 

So, let’s look at a few of your thoughts.
  1. There is a lot of stuff that I have alluded to that I know I need to address.
  2. There are a lot of balls in the air that I know I need to address.
  3. I’m not going to be able to pull this together.
What’s happening with your writing makes so much sense. When you say, “there is a lot” that’s really subjective and nebulous – what is a lot, really? When thoughts like these arise, it tends to create overwhelm which is a paralyzing emotion – and then you are blocked, you don’t write, and the thoughts about everything be a lot to address gets fed more fuel. Can you see how this model makes a ton of sense? And, it’s okay. It is! Your brain is being human. Let’s turn on the prefrontal cortex and get concrete.
What, exactly, are the balls? What, exactly, is the stuff? Write out a list. Pick one thing to work on and decide how you’re going to do it (it doesn’t have to be the best one, or the right one – just a thing). Recently Mars said something about the way you eat an elephant – one bite at a time. What will your first bite be?