FREE YOUR MIND AND YOUR WRITING WILL FOLLOW

BREAKING THROUGH THE BARRIERS THAT CAN STOP YOU WRITING

Elizabeth Ferretti

Many years ago, I was not a writer. I can’t picture that person now. How did she live in the world? How did she navigate without writing anything more than the odd diary entry? I was nearly forty when I finally got the nudge I needed to write. I’ll be forever grateful I found a way out! I cannot imagine my life without it. If you haven’t yet freed yourself from the burden of not writing, read on .

SOMETHING’S MISSING
First of all, how do we know something’s missing in our lives? It might seem an obvious question, but how can you know for sure that writing will add immeasurably to your existence? And, if you are aware that writing is a missing part of you, how do you find what’s stopping you from doing it?

In my experience, and from the testimonies of hundreds of people I’ve worked with, uncovering the obstacles to fully embracing writing, making it an integral part of your life, is a process. It’s a process that, paradoxically, it’s often the tool of writing itself that is the key to unlocking.

WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?
We keep many stories and beliefs in our hearts, bodies, minds about why we should or should not, could or could not start a new sport, a martial art, an artistic or creative practice. We definitely tell ourselves stories about writing or what kind of writer we are or might be, or aren’t.

I meet many people who express an interest in writing but who somehow didn’t get round to it, or who wrote years ago but never continued. In some cases it wasn’t something they wanted to continue, their lives moved in a different direction. But more often I meet people with regret in their eyes. They want to write, they often (but not always) have a subject, a format, a story they want to tell, but something has stopped them. A flash of recognition hits me. That person used to be me.

HANG ON IN THERE
There may be practical, real-life reasons why it’s hard to find time or the mental space to write. In that case, I recommend keeping a notebook and jotting down thoughts and ideas, impressions. When your life is less busy, you can return to them. You will still be keeping the flame of writing alight in your life. That’s the important bit. Don’t underestimate it.

FREE YOUR MIND AND YOUR WRITING WILL FOLLOW
If practical barriers are less of a problem for you, then here are four tips that have been a help to me. I hope they give you the push you need to get you writing.

1. JUST GET THE FIRST DRAFT DONE
This has been said in many ways by many authors. I can’t remember where I read it most recently, I will credit this quote when I find it. But oh my word, what a powerful punch that hits. If you have a first draft, you have something to work from.

2. TAKE IT A SINGLE STEP AT A TIME
Write a scene that comes to you. Write a dialogue. Write a memory. A description. Express your anger or your curiosity or anything in between. You do not have to have an overall structure to start off with. Just open up the flow. Worry about the big picture later. Writing is like anything, you get better at it with practice. Start off gently. Take your writing muscles out for a walk or an easy session at the gym. Build up from there.

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3. WRITE A WILD DRAFT
A ‘first draft’ hides a sneaky obstacle. The word ‘first’ has the heaviness of ‘second draft’, ‘third draft’ and so on in a long chain that ends in a final draft in a mythical future. All that weight of expectation and slog is enough to make me give up before I’ve begun! It’s a simple trick of the mind, but by making your starting position a ‘wild draft’ you open the doors to possibility. And that’s a powerful motivator in itself.

On top of that, calling it a ‘wild draft’ is a neat way of shoving to one side all that judgement (which is often a large part of what holds us back. I’ll be examining that in a future post). What you write in a wild draft will likely need some work, but that is for another day. For now, just enjoy the ride and see where it takes you. Terry Pratchett said: ‘Your first draft is you telling yourself the story.’ A wild draft is that and more. It is freedom. I can credit this great concept. It came from Writers HQ.

4. GET CLARITY
If you’re interested in understanding what might be blocking you, I recommend you follow that hunch. Getting to know your personal set of writing obstacles will not only help kickstart your writing practice, you’ll also be setting yourself up for longer-term success. By removing or reducing the hold of your personal obstacle-set, you reduce the chances of tripping you up again. You build the foundations to maintain your newly released writing practice into the future.

Want to explore this? Here is an exercise I often recommend.

a. Take a blank piece of paper and write the word ‘writing’ or ‘writer’ or other associated word of your choice in the centre. Draw a box around it to contain it.

b. In one or more sittings, and over as long a period as you want, write on this page any beliefs, concepts, memories, hopes, dreams, fears, echoes, indeed anything that comes to you (I would add names of other writers, for example) that you associate with your central word.

c. You can leave time between writing down these beliefs and this next part of the process or you can start straight away. Get coloured pens or pencils. Take a step back and ask yourself some questions.

Can you see connections between the words or concepts you’ve written around your central word? You might colour-code these. Are any of your collection of memories, stories or beliefs more supportive and helpful than others? Do themes emerge? Write them down. Explore them. Is there one belief that leaps out at you? Write around that, get to know it.

THE POWER OF AWARENESS
Awareness can be enough to release the hold a belief has over you and your writing, or at least to start that release. Remember, you are always in charge of this process. If you feel more uncomfortable in your investigations than you want to on a particular day, then go back to a place where you do feel comfortable and explore that. Be nice to yourself.

WRITER REVEALED
If you try any of the above techniques drop me a line and let me know how you got on: info@writerrevealed.co.uk

It is because I found it so hard to start writing that I set up Writer Revealed – offering support to writers wherever they are. Scan the QR code below to be added to my mailing list for upcoming events online and offline, and for materials and ideas to help you on your way.

See you next time!
Elizabeth

WHY I WRITE – PSSST, IT'S FOR THE ATTENTION

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Ferretti. I’m an award-winning fiction and non-fiction writer, with a special interest in writing’s impact on mental, as well as more general, wellbeing. In this substack post I look at writing and attention. This blog was originally posted on Substack.

For George Orwell, examining his motivation to write led to his brilliant essay ‘Why I Write’ (1949) It was a question that came up in a recent writing class I was hosting. Why turn up and write for an hour? What’s the point?

There are many reasons why I write, and no doubt as many reasons to write as there are people who write, but in this piece my focus is on one – attention, and more specifically where our attention is directed.

As social beings, part of complex societies, it’s natural for our attention to be focussed outwards. And with the arrival of social media, functioning at least in part as a marketplace, our attention is being fought over. This commodity of our attention is worth a tonne of money. To misquote President Clinton’s campaign manager, James Carville: “the attention economy, stupid”. However uncomfortable it is to admit, the attention economy’s effects on our behaviour, decisions and beliefs are powerful and we’re only just beginning to see and understand how deep they go. But what if we saw writing as a way to draw some of that attention away for ourselves? Could that offer another answer to the question of ‘why I write’?

I want to go off on a tangent before coming back to the link between writing and where we gift our attention. One of my most passionate beliefs is that we don’t have to justify why we write or that we write – although justification is a core theme in Orwell’s essay (among many other things). He was writing to be published, for an audience. I interpret some of his thinking as also concerning why a reader should lend their attention to his words.

These are both important considerations, but two points come to mind. First, why do we feel any need to justify why we write? (A sentiment expressed beautifully by Elif Shafak in her Substack today. She likened this to questioning why we breathe.) Second, we don’t have to have an audience for our writing to have intrinsic value. Beliefs about writing for an audience being the only valid reason to write, and feeling the need to justify the act of writing to ourselves and / or others, are a deeply ingrained part of my British culture. Loosening their grip on me has taken a long old time. These stories still lurk around in the shadows.

Yet, we may write simply to express ourselves. An obvious point, but not understanding that stopped me from writing anything at all until I was nearly 40. Since then I’ve loved how writing lets me explore inner dialogue outside normal social interactions. It has helped me know myself. It has given me space to examine, contemplate, think. And here’s the link I’ve been working towards – it’s offered me a space where nothing is clamouring for my attention.

When I write, I’m making a choice about where I place my attention. In using writing as a tool to claim back my attention I’m reminded that other ways of being in the world are open to me than the dominant one that surrounds me. And I don’t even have to be writing anything remotely intelligent or profound for this to be true. No one ever has to read what I write for this still to be true.

I began this piece with one of my writing heroes, whose clarity of language and thought are a lodestone for me, and I’ll end with him. One of the major justifications Orwell found for writing was political. He meant it in a way that I also hold dear in my own fiction, that it is a response to and an examination of events in the world. But I also see that to dedicate even a short time to writing, whatever form that writing takes, is an act of will. Will is one of the most powerful tools we have, and using that will to choose where to place our attention has profound consequences.

Happy writing wherever you are!

PS Want to make more space for writing in your life? On Mondays, I host Write Together – an online writing hour in three time slots across the day – to help people sit down and write, and to love writing!
To find out more: www.writerrevealed.co.uk

ANNOUNCING WRITE TOGETHER – A NEW ONILNE SUPPORT SPACE FOR WRITERS LAUNCHING 2 JUNE 25

Hello fellow writers,

Struggling to fit writing into your schedule? I’m excited to finally launch Write Together – my long-promised support sessions for writers.

Why Write Together?
Almost every writer I speak to struggles to find time or motivation to write. Common issues include:
• not knowing where to start
• overwhelm or lack of confidence
• the need for routine and accountability
• difficulty focusing
• demanding daily lives

What Is Write Together?
A weekly, hour-long session every Monday, designed to help you sit down and write.
Each session includes:

1. A settling exercise – a transition from ‘doing’ to ‘writing’ mode

2. 30 minutes of focused, self-guided writing (option to extend to 45 minutes)

3. A guided review and goal-setting process to reflect, track progress, and develop good writing habits

Optional monthly masterclasses to address writing skills and mindset, shaped by participant needs.

The Magic Key
After 15+ years working with hundreds of writers, I’ve learned that transitioning the brain from everyday activity into creative focus is crucial. That’s where the ‘airlock’ – our opening exercise – makes a big difference.

Who Is It For?
Any writer who finds it hard to carve out writing time – whether you’re working on a newsletter or website, feature, substack or blog, poem, novel, memoir, or nonfiction.

What Can One Hour Per Week Do?
• 1 hr/week x 6 months = 24 hrs (3 working days)
• 1 hr/week x 12 months = 48 hrs (6 working days)
• Add 3 more solo hours a week = 208 hrs/year (over 5 work weeks!)

Details
Sessions start Monday 2 June, with 3 time slots (NB all times are BST):

1. 07:00–08:00

2. 10:30–11:30

3. 20:00–21:00

To join: email me with COUNT ME IN! with your preferred time slot. I’ll add you to the Friday email list. Click the Monday session link at your chosen time – camera optional!

Pay What You Want: Suggested rates: £5.00, £7.50, or £10. Easy via PayPal link in the invite.

Questions? Just ask.

– Liz (Writer Revealed)

Writer Revealed now available on Bluesky

Hello and welcome to Writer Revealed.
If you are new to what I do, I’m about peeling back the layers of the onion (my logo, see?!) that are built up around your relationship with your writing.
It’s not about getting rid of those layers – those layers are what help to make us all unique – it’s more about getting to know them, finding out how they support or hold back your writing, getting inspiration from them...
I’ve started posting regularly on Bluesky – so if you want to explore the Writer Revealed approach, these prompts are a good place to start. It is a gentle process. Revelations may arrive slowly, like the slow changing of a habit, or all at once, in a flash of inspiration. Along the way, you may like to remember the mantra – be kind to yourself.
Let me know how you get on with the Bluesky prompts in the comments or message me – part of the joy of writing for me is building a writing community.
I wish you happy writing!
Elizabeth

Writer Revealed is back!

Hello and welcome back. Over the next few weeks I will be working on new materials for workshops and workbooks. I will be putting these up on the website and promoting them on social media so you don’t miss them.

I’ve been away for a while due to illness, which has meant very little public work. On the plus side, it has given me time to focus on my own writing and I am really pleased with progress on that. How are you getting on with your writing? If you have any writing queries, let me know in the comments or via email (info@writerrevealed.co.uk) and I will try to help.

In the meantime, I wish you all the best in your writing. Here’s to a happy, creative 2024.

Writer's Walks – Inspiration on the Suffolk Coast

This year I return to three favourite places on the Suffolk coast for a brand new set of writer’s walks – three locations that have provided inspiration for my own writing. The Suffolk Coast is a place of constant change – it can be edgy and unsettling, as well as beautiful – perfect material for gripping writing of all kinds.

With one Saturday workshop a month in June, July and August, we will be visiting three very different places, with their own tales, histories, and landscapes to explore.

Workshop 1. Arrivals and Departures – Felixstowe’s Wild Edge

The first Writer’s Walk, on Saturday June 11th 2022, is at Landguard Peninsula in Felixstowe, in the south of Suffolk – a place that is not as well-known as it should be. Jutting out into the sea, under famously wide Suffolk skies, this shingle peninsula has a well-preserved Napoleonic Fort and rusting WWII defences. Nearby is a modern port that hosts the world’s biggest container ships, while in the past famous ships sailed out from Harwich, just across the water. The peninsula is also a nature reserve, with rare plants and migrating birds. It is windswept, wild and very beautiful.

The aim of this workshop is to find inspiration in contrasting landscapes, as well as to begin to explore the benefits of mindful writing.

Workshop 2. Mermen, Bombs and Smugglers’ Trails – Strange Tales of Orford Town

My second destination, on July 2 2022, is another of my Suffolk haunts, Orford Town and River. This workshop is set along the Ore estuary, and in the well-preserved village of Orford. We will uncover its once important past, as well as legends and tales associated with this secretive part of Suffolk. We will also look at the natural landscape of tides, mud and saltings – the Suffolk word for salt marsh.

The aim of this workshop is to use the tales, legends and tidal landscape as tools for creating a strong sense of place in your writing – wherever you are setting your work.

Workshop 3. The Sea Spell – The Lost City of Dunwich

Workshop 3 is on 6th August 2022, at Dunwich Beach. Dunwich is another of Suffolk’s so-called lost towns. This once bustling medieval port is now reduced to a few houses – its harbour slowly silted up, and then much of the town was destroyed by a tidal surge. Here are evocative ruins, tales of underwater bells, the sweeping shingle beach and crumbling cliffs.

The aim of this workshop is to use landscape to create atmosphere in your writing. Like the previous two workshops in Felixstowe and Orford, you will come away with tools that you can apply to your own landscapes, as well as a workbook to develop your ideas.

Click here to find out more details and to book. Places are strictly limited.

I really look forward to seeing you out in the landscape for these writer’s walks. I hope they inspire you to explore writing through landscape, and landscape through your writing! I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Email Liz at info@writerrevealed.co.uk.

Overcoming Hurdles

How Spending Time With Blocks Will Move Your Writing Forward
Is something stopping you from starting, or finishing, a writing project? Do you find ‘stuff’ gets in the way? Does writing feel like an uphill struggle? Then you’re not alone – I suspect you may be in the majority. This is a whistle stop tour of a process of discovery that is worth spending time on. I hope you can use it to find a way to start unpicking what is holding you and your writing back.

Awareness is the First Step
If you’re like me, then you’ll spend decades being aware of “not doing”, but not why you’re “not doing”. In my case it took a crisis to push me into writing, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Taking a look at what’s holding you back will be worth every minute you invest in it.

So, What is Holding you Back?
Start with a list, divided into sub-headings. Here are a few that work for me: personal, psychological, historical, social ­– but you’ll come up with your own, and you’ll probably find they change over time.

The Power of the List
Under personal you might put: family and work commitments; grammar and spelling; lack of writing experience; health. The psychological focuses on personality. Examples: lack confidence; sensitive to criticism; not good with focussing on myself, and so on. My historical category might include something said or experienced in my past, particularly as a child, that has kept me from writing (though I have a note on this later).

Widening the Circle
My next category is social. I’d put expectations in here, covering family, friends, and your wider community; social/cultural barriers: for example, do you come from a group that is traditionally less ‘heard’? These barriers can be powerful hindrances; limiting beliefs about writing and writers; and so on.

Acknowledging the Problem
It’s hard to be creative when you have family commitments, or work or financial issues to deal with. It may be that you want to write about upsetting or emotionally challenging topics, but are worried about doing that. It may be that you simply don’t know where to start. It will help to take an objective look at the issues.

Divide and Rule
Next, divide your lists into things that are in your control and those currently outside your control (I like to use different coloured markers for this!). Then, choose one thing (and only one) that you think you might be able to find a way around. Try your idea out. Get some help or advice. Maybe even write about it. Experiment. When you are ready, work on another.

Be Kind
Don’t push it. If you’re busy, set aside five minutes a day to jot down ideas. If you don’t want to explore difficult topics, write about something else, or fictionalise. You don’t have to attack something head on – all writing can be therapeutic (more on this in a future blog).

Look Inside
This exercise will help, but it’s equally important to list what motivates you to write – push the boat out, be honest, be bold. Then use your motivations list. It’s there to help you take those steps into writing you’ve always wanted to.

 
Liz Ferretti is a writing mentor, and award-winning fiction, features, and educational writer. Part way through an MSc in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, Liz is interested in the links between creative writing and mental wellbeing. She posts regular writing tips on her Writer Revealed Instagram and Facebook. Find out more at: www.writerrevealed.co.uk

For more information on mentoring and support for your writing, email Liz at info@writerrevealed.co.uk

 This blog was originally published on the Writers’s Company website. The Writer's Company Blog

NEW FOR SPRING 2022 – THE WRITING SESSIONS ARE BACK!

If you are anything like almost every writer I meet, then you never seem to have enough time to write. If this is you, then read on…!

There are so many demands on our time that writing often gets squeezed out – but if you love writing, then that’s not what you want. I’ve developed The Writing Sessions specifically to help answer that problem. Each course includes inspiring writing exercises; focussed writing time; free workbooks; AND professional feedback on your writing – all designed to give your writing a real boost.

Each session (find out more here) kicks off with writing exercises to fire your ideas and get your creativity flowing. These are followed by shared writing time – this is where the magic happens – and we end with a short round-up exercises to deepen your writing practice.

The Writing Sessions help maintain focus, and support your writing throughout your week – each session is complemented with a workbook, and after weeks 1 and 4 you will get professional feedback on a submission up to 1000 words each.

If you are interested and want to find out more, drop me, Liz, an email: info@writerreaveled.co.uk. I will be happy to chat to you over phone/zoom before we begin so I can hear all about your project and any specific issues you want to discuss.

I really look forward to working with you – numbers are strictly limited to ensure everyone gets the support they need. Book here.

The nights are drawing in but don't let that slow your writing down!

It’s never easy to keep the momentum going on a writing project, that’s why I’ve come up with an experimental new format. Winter Warmer Mondays starts online 19.00-20.15 08 November for 4 weeks.

Winter Warmer Mondays is a mixture of
• inspiring writing exercises to get your creative energy flowing
• shared writing time – a powerful way to make progress on your writing
• a short writer’s surgery – a combination of activities and discussion to offer solutions to your writing queries. Just send me your questions in advance!

This course is designed to help you keep up the momentum whether you are starting a new project, are part way through, or are taking the NaNoWriMo challenge. I’m super excited to be back to online teaching after a very busy period of my own writing. It’s always a privilege to support writers.

I’ve priced this course very competitively as it’s an experimental format. Places are limited, so book now. If you have any queries at all, please email me at info@writerrevealed.co.uk.

The 4-week course starts on Monday 08 November at 19.00-20.15 (UK time).
To book, click here.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Liz Ferretti

Find Your Voice – Summer Writing Course

Make the most of the summer with this six-week, online and self-study writing course!

The course is designed to help you:
• explore your writer’s voice
• boost your natural creativity
• feel inspired to try out new approaches

For pricing and to book click here.

What will I get from this course?
You’ll come out the course with renewed confidence, feeling you can achieve your writing goals, and with plenty of practical tools and tricks of the trade to help you keep on track – how do I know? Because that’s what previous students have said!

You’ll be in a small class of like-minded people, with an approachable and supportive guide – Liz Ferretti – a multi-disciplinary and award-winning writer with over twenty years writing and teaching experience, and the founder of the Writer Revealed approach.

Why Writer Revealed?
Previous students have described my courses as “inspiring”, “a breath of fresh air” and “liberating”. The course is based on my experience as a writer, with its struggles, challenges and satisfactions, and on my work with hundreds of writers across the UK and internationally. It’s designed for all writers, whether you have been writing a while, or are starting out. I’ll be on hand throughout the course to answer queries.

When is the course?
The course runs over 6 Monday evenings from 5 July, 19.00-20.30 BST (UTC+1), via Google Meet – you don’t need any special software. Your welcome email will give you instructions on how to join.

Each one and a half hour session includes:
• insightful thinking and writing tasks
• guidance on starting and developing projects
• full programme of booster tasks for home practice
• free workbook to accompany each workshop

Book here.

If you have to miss a live class, don’t worry. You will be sent a full workbook and I will be happy for you to email me with queries. The material will be the same thoughtful session, and you can work through it in your own time.

Sessions take place on:

1. Monday 5 July 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)
2. Monday 12 July 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)
3. Monday 19 July 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)
4. Monday 26 July 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)
5. Monday 2 August 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)
6. Monday 9 August 19.00–20.30 BST (UTC +1)

If you have any queries email me, Liz Ferretti at info@writerrevealed.co.uk. I’ll be happy to help.
Click here to book.