Southern California Writers Association

As creative people we often hear (and say) that it’s essential for us to trust our guts, rely on our instincts, “just let things flow.” And that’s true...sometimes. But not all the time. Not when you’re doing your taxes, for example. 

And, sorry to say, not nearly as much as you’d like when you’re writing.

Most writers stop pushing themselves far too soon. Done, they think. That’s my best work. Now I can start the sequel/submit the manuscript/buy myself a Lamborghini.

Wrong.

Why? Because guts are just guts and brains are big fat liars.

Seriously. Your brain will trick you if you let it. Blame evolution. Like any organ, the brain defaults to a minimum level of activity when it’s not actively involved in finding food, a mate, or an open Starbucks. And let’s face it: in the distant past, killing mammoths for food was a lot more important than finding a fresh metaphor for “big pointy tusks.” 

But this causes a problem for us modern writerly types. Unlike a spleen or Isles of Langerhans, a brain is...well, smart. Creative. Given the chance it will use every excuse, story, impulse and hormone at its disposal to lull us into accepting the simplest solution to a problem, the clearest path to a destination, the minimum excuse to stop entirely...all while making us believe our choices are profoundly justified.

The result? For writers: the formulaic plot, the uninteresting character, the drab description, the unsold book. Not to mention the baffled expression on our faces when the rejections roll in.

The solution? For writers: well, that’s what I’ll be talking about. 

That, and the two-headed dog.