Writer's Paralysis: the Fear of Failure

I am a professional writer.  I get paid for writing articles and literature that persuade and inform.  But my profession (corporate communications) is a far cry from authors and novelists who either feast or starve based on whether people like what these writers create and buy their books.  Theirs is a brutal and ruthless world.  I admire deeply any writer who attains any modicum of success.  I am terrified of the world in which they live.  I admit it.  I am frightened of failure.  I am paralyzed by the fear that people won't like what I write.  My friend, and brilliant corporate communicator, Robert Holland wrote so eloquently in his recent blog, Missing the Passion, about how easy it is for us to lose the passion for the craft that sustains us.

So why am I back, writing my blog after a long hiatus?  Last month, I finally read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  She is such a brilliant writer (although some would call her egocentric).  After I had read her book I wanted to discover more about her.  I checked her website and came across this wonderful article--her thoughts on writing--where she talks in depth about her experiences and provides advice to other writers.  What struck a chord with me was not her tactics for becoming a better writer but her philosophy on being a writer.  Gilbert said, "One day, when I was agonizing over how utterly bad my writing felt, I realized: 'That's actually not my problem.' The point I realized was this--I never promised the universe that I would write brilliantly; I only promised the universe that I would write."  


So while I cannot always promise that I will write brilliantly, I can offer you my very best writing and hope that both of will benefit from the journey.

Unlocking Creativity

I have to admit that lately my get-up-and-go, got up and left. I've had a severe drought of creative ideas--so apologies for the lack of posts recently. I know it happens to the best writers.  Nevertheless, it is frustrating when writer's block strikes. However, I discovered something in my piles of old files and notes that got my enthusiasm back and got my creative juices flowing again. I discovered my old hand-drawn Mind Maps. So that got me thinking. Why not write about Mind Mapping? It's a subject I'm very passionate about and it is a technique that can unleash untapped creativity in everyone's brain.


So what is Mind Mapping?
Mind Mapping is a technique that uses a graphical layout to enable the brain to capture thoughts and ideas quickly and present them in a format compatible with how the brain thinks. The resultant Mind Maps use all of the brain's skills--words, images, colors, numbers, logic, creativity, and spatial awareness. Mind Maps are useful because they work in harmony with the brain--the brain likes to think in images. According to Gideon King, CEO of Novamind--a leading provider of mind mapping software, "they make it easy to understand, remember, and communicate complex information." Because Mind Maps use colors, pictures, and words, the power of both sides of the brain work together. The left side of the brain is usually associated with numbers, logic and reasoning--linear thinking.  The right side thinks in images, abstract, and the big picture.


How do you Mind Map?
The concept and creation of Mind Maps is very simple. Tony Buzan, who is considered the "father of modern mind maps," has developed a series of simple "rules" (although there are many variations on these rules):

1. Start in the CENTRE of a blank page turned sideways. Why? Because starting in the centre gives your Brain freedom to spread out in all directions and to express itself more freely and naturally. 
2. Use an IMAGE or PICTURE for your central idea. Why? Because an image is worth a thousand words and helps you use your Imagination. A central image is more interesting, keeps you focussed, helps you concentrate, and gives your Brain more of a buzz!
3. Use COLOURS throughout. Why? Because colours are as exciting to your Brain as are images. Colour adds extra vibrancy and life to your Mind Map, adds tremendous energy to your Creative Thinking, and is fun!
4. CONNECT your MAIN BRANCHES to the central image and connect your second- and third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc. Why? Because your Brain works by association. It likes to link two (or three, or four) things together. If you connect the branches, you will understand and remember a lot more easily.
5. Make your branches CURVED rather than straight-lined. Why? Because having nothing but straight lines is boring to your Brain.
6. Use ONE KEY WORD PER LINE. Why Because single key words give your Mind Map more power and flexibility. 
7. Use IMAGES throughout. Why Because each image, like the central image, is also worth a thousand words. So if you have only 10 images in your Mind Map, it's already the equal of 10,000 words of notes!

(Source: http://www.buzanworld.com/Mind_Maps.htm)


What are the benefits of Mind Maps? 

Unlike linear thinking using traditional note taking or writing, Mind Maps enable the brain to see associations more quickly. By using radial thinking the brain is able to free-associate and unlock ideas that would not be realized using traditional methods. Mind Maps provide clarity because they are drawn on one single sheet of paper--the reader can see the whole topic instantly and because it uses colors and pictures they can be quickly understood--a picture is worth a thousand words. Mind Maps can help us brainstorm, organize thoughts, help solve problems, and enable us to be more productive. Included here is a hand drawn Mind Map I created as an alternative to my resume.


Where can I find more information?
Tony Buzan has an excellent book called The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential. In this book Buzan walks the reader through the basics of Mind Mapping, empirical research on its effectiveness, and discusses how we can benefit from Mind Maps. Buzan also has a good website.


Another excellent resource is Gideon King's Novamind website. Novamind is one of the best Mind Mapping software packages on the market.  King has developed excellent software for both the Mac and PC. Plus his website is jammed with excellent information and resources about Mind Mapping.


If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

This Dog Won't Hunt

Bedlam Manor.  That's what a friend of ours calls our house.  Sometimes I think she's right.  We have two hunting dogs (English Setters) and a Dutch Rabbit.  Not so unusual, right? Dogs inside. Rabbit outside in a hutch. Not exactly. You see, my wife, Mary, is a pushover when it comes to animals.  We got the dogs first--not one but two (that's another story).  Then came the rabbit. It was abandoned at Maymont Park's petting zoo. An adult, black and white, female Dutch rabbit. Someone had obviously dropped off their unwanted bunny for some reason. We'd been thinking about getting our daughter a rabbit ever since the demise of her hamster. Of course, as soon as our daughter laid eyes on the small black and white bundle of fur, there was no turning back.


A few days later and few hundred dollars poorer our free rabbit was outside in a new hutch the size of Buckingham Palace. Then the weather turned cold as it does in January.  Mary couldn't stand the thought of our poor little Oreo out in the cold. So one evening I was compelled to help wrestle the hundred-fifty pound hutch onto the porch. Then within a few days Mary had decided that Buckingham Palace was too small for our little cotton tail princess.  Our whole screen porch became the rabbit's home--I had no idea that rabbits could be trained to a litter box just like cats. I also discovered that, with the right "encouragement" English Setters could be easily trained not to eat the pet rabbit.


The final slide into bedlam came one evening during dinner.  We were enjoying a nice meal when Mary looked out of the French doors that enter onto the porch.  There peering throught the glass was a forlorn face with a pink twitching nose and perky ears. "Oh, look at her," Mary cried. "Shall we let her in? She looks so cold and lonely." Before I had chance to reply, Oreo happily hopped into the house.  In time, she and I became the best of friends.  She would sit under my chair when I practiced cello and would always hop over to great me in the morning when I came downstairs. Sadly Oreo only lived about a year.


We now have a new rabbit, Rozie, who is even more fun than Oreo. We also have a new dog, Beau, after one of our two died of cancer. So now we have the peaceable kingdom with a house rabbit and two hunting dogs that won't hunt.  Well not the rabbit anyway.

Ignorance is Bliss

The Reality of American Football

Okay so I’ll admit it. Even after living in the States for 11 years, I still don’t understand American Football. It’s not that I can’t appreciate it’s appeal. In fact, I went to a Washington Redskins game once and got to sit in an executive skybox, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Of course, being up that high you needed breathing apparatus to survive and the Hubble telescope to see what was going on down on the field but what struck me about the game is how fragmented it is. The plays (see, I know some technical terms) lurched from one down (okay don't over do it) to the next like an adolescent learning to drive a stick shift. The ironic point of the day was, I seemed to be the only one interested in the game. My fellow skybox-dwellers, all Americans, were more interested in filling up on the free beer and hot dogs. Don't get me wrong.  It was a great spectacle and a great day out but the game was too slow with too many interruptions. What with plays lasting a few seconds and TV time outs. Can you believe that? They stop for commercial breaks.

Okay.  So you've figured out that I don't understand American Football. Having grown up on a diet of real football where the players actually use their feet (imagine that?), I prefer a game that flows and is played for the amount of time it should be played (90 minutes, in two halves).

Americans are being duped into thinking that when they watch football on television, they're actually watching football.  Not so.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, what viewers actually get is 11 minutes. Yup! That's not a typo. In a three hour broadcast all you get to see is 10 minutes 43 seconds of play.

The Wall Street Journal analyzed four National Football League (NFL) games and the results are quite surprising.  A staggeringly low 9.4% of the the broadcast is playing time--almost 60 percent more time is devoted to replays than actual coverage. For those who love to watch football for the scantily clad cheerleaders, I am sorry to disappoint. In a three hour broadcast you are only going to see those lovely legs for about seven seconds, if you watch CBS.  Fox and ESPN showed no cheerleaders at all.

What do these highly paid football stars do for their money? Basically, stand around.

Do I care?  Not really.  I enjoy it for the whole spectacle and the true American experience. So grab me a beer and a hot dog because the game's about to start. Ignorance is bliss.

Tales from the Teapot

I thought my first entry into the Blogosphere should be accompanied by a nice cup of tea. I make no excuses, and like most of my countrymen, I love tea...and some McVities chocolate biscuits wouldn’t go amiss either. The objective of my blog is twofold. First, it is an outlet for my own thoughts and creative writing, and I make no apologies for Tales from the Teapot being self serving. Second, I hope any followers will enjoy my unique, English-tinged view of the world.

Anyway, in the view of the British anything can be cured by a nice cup of tea: a mild cold, a hangover, wars, pestilence, famine; you name it. Sadly, Hitler didn’t care for Mr.Chamberlain’s tea. All Neville got in return was a rather worthless piece of paper and the rest is history.

While Americans may complain about our food, misguided criticism in my opinion (that will be the topic of a future blog), we (Brits) have every right to criticize their tea. It is a well-known fact that Americans are not big tea drinkers and the quality of tea reflects that fact. Their dislike for our sublime brew can be traced back to December 1773 when a group of rebels disguised as Indians dumped a consignment of British tea into Boston Harbor, which, according to the character George Banks (remember the father in Mary Poppins?), "made the tea undrinkable. Even for Americans."

So what's my favorite tea? For everyday, I love the English Breakfast tea from a supplier on the island of Jersey (just off the coast of France) called Coopers. Not only is their tea superlative, their customer service is excellent. We usually order the catering pack of 1100 tea bags. And they will ship to the States. When you call just ask for Kathy. In terms of specific variety, I love Darjeeling. It is often called the champagne of teas. It is a very mild tea, so I will often mix it with a stronger blend.

Thanks for "tuning in" to Tales from the Teapot. Check back regularly for updates and be sure to warm the pot.