Can Acting As If You’re a Writer Make You a Writer?
Carleen Brice on Jan 22 2013 | Filed under: Inspirations
My barista gave me a smile. Photo by Carleen Brice
I got an e-reader from Santa. The first book I read on it was Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott. At one point she talks about giving advice to someone to act as if they had a belief in a higher power. That phrase “act as if” is big in 12 Step circles. Not feeling like being sober right now? Act like you are–go to a meeting, call your sponsor, etc.
Studies back up the idea that if you want a quality, you should act as if you already have it. Smiling before you feel happy can make you feel happy. Acting like you’re in love with someone could very well make you fall in love him or her (explaining countless on-set romances).
Laura Schenck, M.A. writes on her “Mindfulness Muse” blog:
“If you are having trouble with getting started on a project, be it cleaning out the closet or finishing a major presentation for work, act as if you are truly interested in the task at hand. Make the behavioral choice to force yourself to spend ‘just a few minutes’ on the project that you have been avoiding. It is likely that simply getting going in this way will give you the push that you need to spend more time getting things done.”
Which helps explain why Barbara O’Neal’s 20-minute win is so effective. Besides combating procrastination, how might writers benefit from acting as if? In “2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love” Rachel Aaron says she has more productive, more enjoyable writing days when she takes five minutes to jot down notes about what she plans to write about that day. Not only to give her a brain an outline to follow but to get her enthusiasm going. To make her feel excited about writing. “Every day…I would play the scene through in my mind and try to get excited about it,” she writes.
That’s not quite acting as if. But could smiling while you write help you feel more enthused about that day’s work? Could acting like you love your work help you get in touch with what you do really love about it?
I used Aaron’s suggestions (which I first learned about here on Writer Unboxed thanks to Ann Aguirre) and they helped me increase my output and got me back feeling like I knew what the hell I was doing. Taking a few minutes to stop fretting about what I don’t like in my story and focusing on what I do like helps me fix what’s wrong with it faster.
When I decided to blog about this topic, I Googled images for “as if” and wouldn’t you know it—there’s a brand spanking new book called The As If Principle by Richard Wiseman. As this article in The Guardian illustrates, Wiseman is big on actions rather than thinking. So, as Schenck pointed out, starting the project you were procrastinating on is actually better than “thinking positive” about it. The action of smiling leads to the happier emotion.I wonder if this is part of why some writers like to set up in a coffee shop–it makes them feel more like a real writer. You might not fool this author, but maybe you can fool yourself into thinking you’re a real writer with your laptop in a coffee house? I’m fascinated by the idea, and plan to read Wiseman’s book. I also plan to do some more “acting as if” in other areas of my life.
I wonder what actions could help writers feel more confident and enthusiastic about our craft and/or the business? Do you have any “acting as if” tricks that help you write better or more? If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments.
Carleen's website
- Nailing It
- Writing Myself Into the Story
- Rebuilding My Optimism Muscle
- Sparkle, From Movie to Book
- Q&A With Novelist J.D. Mason
Tags: acting as if, advice for writers
31 Comments »
31 Responses to “Can Acting As If You’re a Writer Make You a Writer?”
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Laura Drake says: January 22, 2013 at 8:16 am
Great post, Carleen. As a young soul who has to make every mistake once before she believes she knows how to do anything,
I’d be nowhere if not for ‘behave as if.’It works in any pressure situation (of course, it helps to be prepared as well) public speaking, signings, pitching — and that’s just in my writing life!
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Carleen Brice says: January 22, 2013 at 10:44 am
You’re right Laura. I do this at readings too!
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Therese Walsh says: January 22, 2013 at 9:13 am
I’m grateful for this, Carleen. I’ve felt a lot of stress lately, but today I am going to smile my way through the work.
How about this one? Act like you care enough about yourself to make the tough choices you know in your gut are right, even if they’re difficult choices to make. Too heavy?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Malena Lott says: January 22, 2013 at 10:37 am
Therese, wow. You nailed it. I had a similar a-ha at the end of last year, when it hit me I was putting a lot of things in last place I wanted to be first – or higher – on the list and that can be tough to rearrange.
Malena Lott´s last blog post ..Hope Floats StorygramsLike?
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Carleen Brice says: January 22, 2013 at 10:45 am
No!!! Not to heavy at all. That’s a great one! Hope the smiling helps with your stress.
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Devon Ellington says: January 22, 2013 at 9:49 am
As someone who makes my living writing, there’s always that frisson of what “has” to get done and what “wants” to get done.
I have to have outlines — juggling multiple projects, I couldn’t keep them all straight otherwise. It’s a bit like having the list for the day — it allows me to drop into that world without hesitation.
That took me awhile to enjoy, because I started out as a blank-pager.
The most important thing is to show up every day and do the work, whether you “feel like it” or not. You can’t wait for the Muse to visit – you have to be there in order for her to find you.
Starting every day thinking how lucky you are to be able to go to your desk and work helps. Also, I find that writing my first 1K of the day very first thing takes a lot of pressure off me — no matter what else happens during the day, you’ve still got that 1K.
Devon Ellington´s last blog post ..Tues. Jan. 22, 2013: Shoveling Out from the White Stuff!Like?
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Carleen Brice says: January 22, 2013 at 10:46 am
Ah, Devon, you bring up gratitude. You’re absolutely right that remembering that we’re lucky to have this “job” goes a long way.
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Sarah Callender says: January 22, 2013 at 10:20 am
I love this post! I started using this philosophy when I was fresh out of college, and 22-year-old me was teaching high school English. I was so green and young and my students were tough an street-wise. Each day and each period my survival required the “fake it ’til you make it” approach. I had to feign self-assuredness, confidence and authority.
The same is true for writing. Heck, the same is true for everything! That unlovable person in my life whom I can’t avoid? Act as if I love her. When I am feeling impatient and crabby with my kids? Act as if I am Mother Teresa.
And yes, act as if I am a writer? Yes, I will get off of WU’s site and WRITE. Because that’s just what writers do.
Great post!
Sarah Callender´s last blog post ..ScaryLike?
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Carleen Brice says: January 22, 2013 at 10:47 am
I loved this Sarah. I bet every new parent (and maybe even not so new) has had to act as if, too. Hope you had a great writing day…because I know you’re not checking back here until much later. :)
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Malena Lott says: January 22, 2013 at 10:38 am
Carleen,
I needed to hear this today as I just wrote my to-dos for the day and felt a pit in my stomach at a few of them. So, smiling and gulping down coffee. THANK YOU!
Malena Lott´s last blog post ..Hope Floats StorygramsLike?
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Carleen Brice says: January 22, 2013 at 10:49 am
Good luck Malena!
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