The Unwriting Coach

I’m a writing coach, meaning I help my clients with the craft and business of writing and publishing, but mostly with the many emotional challenges that often keep us from doing this thing we actually love to do. I could also, however, offer another service as a An Unwriting Coach for those people who want to break themselves of the addiction of sitting down every day and getting lost in a story they’re telling. Here’s what I would tell them.

First, make sure to ask yourself as often as possible if what you’re writing is any good. You wouldn’t want to write something that isn’t good, would you? Of course not. That would be embarrassing. So, look at it from time to time, especially after you’ve finished a passage you quite liked, and ask yourself, “Yeah, but is it really good, or am I just fooling myself?” Ask that question often enough and you’ll want to quit.

Or, you could start asking that question before you begin writing. Let’s say you get an idea for a story (more on that in a bit). You can nip this problem in the bud by reminding yourself that you don’t want to write a bad story. What’s the point of that? Examine the idea to determine if it’s been done before, or try to picture what it will be once it’s finished. This is impossible, since it isn’t finished, but you can spend a long time trying, and maybe you’ll lose interest from the sheer joyless exhaustion of it.

Also make sure to ask yourself, “What’s the point of this?” This is a very effective question if you don’t want to write. What are you doing squirreled away in your room by yourself telling stories? There’s laundry to do. There are children to raise. There’s global warming and social unrest. What are you doing? You really think this is going somewhere? You have no idea, do you? Why do something if you have no clue as to whether it will bear fruit? How is this not a waste of time?

The thing you don’t want to do is, in some quiet moment, ask yourself, “What’s a cool story? What’s interesting to me just because it’s interesting?” Do this, and, I’m sorry to say, you’ll probably get an idea. Once you get one you really like, you’re done for. The most I can do for you is make writing your story seem unpleasant enough that you might avoid it for a while. You might also take drugs or drink to bury your desire to tell it, but that’s your choice. Just know it won’t go away. So, don’t ask yourself what you care about. Don’t think your voice matters as much as anyone else’s. That’ll keep you quiet, alone with the friends you invited into your heart, stories begging you daily to be told.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com