Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen

We've arrived at that late-January time when people start throwing in the towel on their New Year's goals. This third week of the year is when everyone starts to feel a bit crunchy about "that goals business." Why?

I wanted to know, so I looked up the reasons people fail New Year's resolutions, and here are the Top 3, according to Google.

• Setting unrealistic or vague goals
• Lacking a specific action plan (relying on motivation instead of structure)
• Having an all-or-nothing mindset that leads to quitting after one slip-up, often combined with a lack of accountability.

They further stated: "These factors prevent sustainable change, as people get discouraged by big goals, forget why they started, and don't plan for inevitable obstacles. "

Just reading all that superior-sounding stuff makes ME feel crunchy.

Gentle Goal Setting

Here at WITS, we limit ourselves to a single word of intention for the year. Last year, my word was "Implement," and this year, my word was "Receive." For some reason, this concept works extremely well for me and my ADHD brain. I only have to remember One Word.

Note: I'm one of those who also colors my word, to really cement the goal. If nothing else, it keeps me thinking about goals while I'm waiting on hold.

I've also started to do the One Word for each month. This month (January) is "Focus." I've been coloring it in throughout the month when my brain gets tired, or when I'm having trouble focusing. :-)

I'll be interested to see what the other eleven months inspire in terms of words.

My Favorite Goal-Setting Class

[Note: Yes, I've taken several. Don't judge.]

Many years ago, I took Margie Lawson's Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors (DSDB) class. She used to teach it live, but now she just sells the lecture packet (for only $22, which is pretty amazing).

What I liked about the class:

• Margie focused on taking the shame out of the whole goal process.
• Plus, she slowed things down to just 2-3 goals per day max. Anything extra went on what Margie called the "Super Star" list, signaling to your brain that you were a Supreme Rockstar if you got one or more of those done.

It was a great class, but. . .

Sometimes goals are HARD.

Sometimes, for some brains, goals elicit a response more like "Aaagh!" And this is where I have a confession to make.

I struggle to meet my own goals.

Constantly.

Notice I said "my own goals." I am aces with outward-facing goals. Work projects, family projects, Volunteer projects. I nail those suckers. But my own goals sometimes fall far behind the rest of my life's commitments. Perhaps this happens to you too.

Then, a few years ago, I began the year with a workshop about goals that actually made a lasting difference. Something about the way they presented two particular topics gave me "a-ha moments" of epic proportions.

Let me explain...

Two Phrases That Sparked Change

The class began with the instructor saying: "Joy. Progress. Power. Fulfillment. Learning. Impact. These are the important qualities about goals."

(And then he got to the parts I really needed to hear. The magic is in easy-to-find blue font below.)

"Your brain is meant to solve problems, not just store a bunch of to-do's. You can’t get clarity while you’re mired in a to-do list."

If you’re inside the jar, you can’t read the label.

And that was my first "a-ha moment."

Before Margie, I used to make grand lists that I would misplace or get overwhelmed by. Those lists often felt like running through molasses.

No joy.
Slow progress.
No fulfillment.

I think this is the true reason so many writers (especially ADHD writers like me) get procrastination paralysis on their projects.

It's those huge to-do lists with no clear action plan.

There is an art to writing to-do's, especially big to-do's, that must be respected.

Organizing is its own project, and it takes time. For someone with ADHD, big problems are overwhelming. I've learned to talk over the organizing with better qualified people and then use their plan if I can.

Because sometimes it helps to decide in advance what "done" looks like, so you don't get lost inside that jar.

Perhaps we cannot really manage time. Perhaps we can only manage priorities.

Example #1:

[Jenny Note: I lifted this example from a more organized friend.]

She recommends you break every goal into the smallest possible pieces.

[Another Jenny Note: I've learned from experience that when *I* try to go after a goal that takes up more than a page, it doesn't go well. In fact, it usually equals frustration and the need for a project manager. They tell me what to do and everything gets done.]

But for the more organized types:

Think about a website.

Perhaps the name of the goal is "Finish Website." But breaking down the actual goal might look more like this:

1. Brainstorm a list of steps (this lets your brain solve problems):

• Make list of 6 Hex Colors
• Find complementary graphics - at least two, must be landscape, min size: 1200x800
• Build wireframe
• Research plugins
• Choose Wordpress theme
• Choose fonts

The list is much larger than this, but there's no need to bore you with it. Organize those steps into sequential tasks. Schedule some time on your calendar, because "what gets scheduled, gets done." Work on different areas of your goals several times a week.

2. Give the Goal a Realistic Deadline.

Then add at least another few weeks to it! Understanding that goals often take twice as long as we think they will takes some of the stress away.

Example #2:

Here's a goal we can ALL relate to: "Finish Book" (or even "Finish Chapter [fill in the blank]")

Y'all know that's a terrible goal as it's written, right?

Not only does it fail the SMART goal test, it's the kind of goal that's sure to send any insecure writer screaming from the page. At the very least, there will be questions like:

• Where do I start?
• How will I know when it is done?
• When will I ever finish Act II? (Maybe that's just me and Laura Drake.)

If you have any hope of finishing something as big as a book, your list of goals has to be broken down into much smaller steps that might look something more like this:

If you're a plotter...

Chapter 1 To-Do's

• List out chapter goals
• List out characters needed onscreen to accomplish these goals
• List the problems that must be solved in this chapter
• Divide all this into 3-4 scenes
• Write them one at a time
• Repeat over multiple chapters

If you're a pantser...

• Schedule writing time
• Set out kitchen timer
• List at least two chapter goals
• Start writing (Note: timed sprints often work best for pantsers)
• Repeat over multiple writing sessions

Our friend Laura Drake is a pantser of the highest order, but she has an Excel spreadsheet of what happens in every chapter. She updates it as she goes along. She might not know everything about where she's going when she sits down to write, but she knows where she's been and it helps her move forward until she can fully see the story.

Plus, she knows the big secret of goal achievement that I mentioned above:

What gets scheduled gets done.

If you set a habit of achievement in place, you will make progress on those goals. Remember, when it comes to goals, PROGRESS = HAPPINESS.

My second lightbulb (a-ha!) moment

Not breaking down my goals into manageable pieces hurts more than my work in progress. And here it is in a bright color for y'all:

When you don’t keep an agreement with yourself, it erodes your self-confidence and the ability to trust yourself and your own word.

In other words, it's highly expensive to your confidence (including your writing confidence) to break your word to yourself.

If you are scared or shamed about meeting your goals, you will get stuck.

If you're scared or shamed about your writing goals, your writing will stall.

It's human nature. Shame equals "I don't wanna" (aka "Aaagh!"). Plus, you don't get the lovely dopamine hit a finished goal provides.

That statement above gave me a visceral response.

I had a moment when the goals seminar instructor dropped that bomb about keeping agreements with yourself. Like, roaring in the ears, need-to-take-a-break, stare into space kind of moment.

Because often, I've done this, without realizing how expensive it is in the long run.

I'm so busy meeting the demands of others in my life that my dreams get shuffled to the back of the line. Instead of those dreams getting a luxury lakefront view, they're being relegated to the seat in the back next to the trash can for days or weeks at a time.

My dreams (and yours) deserve better treatment than that.

The Good News

If this breaking your word to yourself thing is a pattern, you can make the choice to put it behind you and move forward differently. The same as it does with our characters, a misbelief can create anxiety and procrastination. It can erode our confidence in ourselves.

When you keep your word to yourself, you are better able to keep it to others. In other words, prioritizing your goals helps the others in your life too.

Some great mantras for all you Goal Chasers:

• Where focus goes, energy flows.
• What gets scheduled gets done.
• FEAR = False evidence (that) appears real.
• COURAGE = action despite FEAR.

It is not the stars that create light but rather light that creates the stars.

don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

Go forth and embrace your light, y'all. We have the power to illuminate the world through our writing.

What "a-ha moments" have boosted your goal-setting and/or writing confidence? Do you break your word to yourself or do you keep it no matter what? Please share your story with us down in the comments!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny Hansen provides brand storytelling, LinkedIn coaching, and copywriting for accountants and financial services firms. By night, she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 20+ years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

Find Jenny here at Writers In the Storm, or online on Facebook or Instagram.

Top photo purchased from Depositphotos.

By Susan Watts

Most writers work within rules they never consciously choose.

Some limits are obvious. Time. Energy. Life. Others slip in quietly and stay because they sound reasonable. After a while, they stop feeling like choices and start feeling like facts.

I think of these as assumed constraints. They’re limits we accept without checking whether they still apply.

There’s a familiar story about elephants that explains this better than any writing advice I’ve heard. When an elephant is young, it’s tied with a heavy chain it can’t break. After enough failed attempts, it stops trying. Years later, the chain is replaced with a thin rope. By then, the elephant doesn’t test it. It doesn’t need to. The belief does the work.

Writers do this all the time.

Something happens early on. A rejection. A comment. A rough experience. That moment turns into a rule. We get stronger, and the rule stays.

I’ve done this myself.

I’ve trained and taught martial arts for over forty years, and this shows up constantly. A student decides they’re not flexible or fast enough. Not because they’ve really tested that limit, but because something early convinced them it wasn’t worth trying. My job at that point is to help them push through that limiting belief. Training can be uncomfortable because it proves something earlier than you’re ready to accept. You’re often capable well before you feel confident about it.

For example, one of my students was small for his age and thought he couldn’t defeat the bigger kids.  But he was incredibly fast.  I worked with him on using that speed to his advantage, mainly improving his footwork.  At first, he felt awkward and often became frustrated. But eventually, the bigger kids couldn’t keep up with him, and he beat them.

Writing tends to follow the same pattern of assumed constraints.

One of the most common rules writers carry involves conditions. “I can’t write unless I have uninterrupted time.” Time helps. I won’t argue with that. But when it becomes a requirement, writing only happens when everything lines up. Which means it rarely happens at all.

This is where small tests matter. Not big, dramatic pushes. Just low-pressure ways to gather information. Writing for ten minutes and stopping. Writing one paragraph while distracted. Jotting down notes instead of waiting for the “real” session. These tests don’t ask you to perform. They just ask you to show up briefly and see what happens.

Another rule forms around voice or genre. We decide we’re not funny. Or we can’t write darker material. Or this is just how we sound. Most of the time, that decision traces back to one moment that landed harder than it should have.

Small tests here might look like rewriting a single scene with a slightly different tone. Pushing a paragraph quieter, sharper, or more playful than usual. Writing a page you never plan to keep. The point isn’t to prove you’ve suddenly changed. It’s seeing whether the rule really holds once you give yourself permission to try.

Productivity rules can be just as limiting. Some writers think speed proves they’re doing it right. Others believe moving slowly means they’re failing. I’ve believed both at different times. Writing doesn’t move at one pace. Drafting, revising, and thinking all ask for different speeds.

A small test might mean tracking time instead of word count for a week. Or working on a single beat and stopping before momentum turns into pressure. Or deliberately writing less and noticing whether the work actually suffers. Often, the fear of slowing down is louder than the consequences.

What makes small tests effective is that they don’t threaten your identity. You’re not declaring yourself a different kind of writer. You’re not committing to a new system. You’re just collecting evidence.

Not all constraints are bad. Some are useful.

Deadlines can help. Structure can help. A clear framework can keep a project from drifting. These limits guide the work without shutting it down.

The problem is the rules that stop you from starting. The ones that sound final. “I can’t.” “I’m not.” “That’s just how I work.” Those don’t shape the work. They fence it in. In my martial arts school (dojo), students are not allowed to use the word can’t. I teach them to say, “I may not be able to do (fill in the blank) right now, but I will if I keep training.”

When you challenge an assumed constraint, writing often gets uncomfortable. It might feel slower. Less certain. That doesn’t mean something’s wrong. In training, that’s usually a sign something is adapting. The body adjusts before the mind catches up. Writing does the same thing.

You don’t need to tear down every limit you have. Some of them exist for good reasons. But it’s worth checking which ones you’ve outgrown. Most change doesn’t come from breakthroughs. It comes from small tests that don’t carry pressure or expectation.

Over time, those tests do something important. They replace assumptions with experience. And once experience enters the picture, the rules start to loosen on their own.

A Short Exercise: Test One Rule

If you want to try this, keep it simple.

Write down one rule you believe about your writing.
Ask where it came from.
Choose a test so small it feels almost pointless.

That test might be:

• Writing for ten minutes and stopping
• Drafting one paragraph in a different tone
• Working without fixing anything
• Writing somewhere imperfect

Then, notice what actually happens. Not whether the work is good. Just whether the rule still holds.

You’re not proving anything. You’re just checking the result.

Because most of the time, the thing holding you in place isn’t lack of ability. It’s a rule you learned early and never thought to revisit.

What assumed constraint is holding you back?

About Susan

Under the pen name Michelle Allums, Susan Watts has authored a young adult urban fantasy titled, The Jade Amulet and is currently writing the sequel. Her short stories are also included in the anthologies Christmas Roses and Forever and Always.

Susan has dedicated over four decades to training in multiple martial arts styles and holds the impressive title of a five-time US Karate Alliance world black belt fighting grand champion. Through her karate school, she is able to impart martial arts and life skills. Susan also incorporates her martial arts knowledge into her writing.

An avid triathlete, she keeps in shape by running, biking, and swimming. She lives in the country with her husband, where they raise animals and enjoy being outdoors. Susan also has three grown children and numerous grandchildren. In addition, she is a CPA and VP of finance for a company in her hometown. 

You can connect with Susan on social media or her website.

Header image from Deposit Photo

By Angela Ackerman

Character tropes—familiar character ‘types’ used often in stories—are sometimes condemned as being cliché and something to avoid. And it’s true that in the wrong hands, tropes can lead to flat characters and stereotypes. But used skillfully, tropes accomplish a ton of things at once, including:

1. Giving writers a valuable starting point for character-building. Just as a blank page may intimidate, so can a lump of character clay. Kickstarting the process by choosing a special skeleton for someone is a great strategy to get things moving.
2. Being able to orient readers quickly. Tropes provide a snapshot of who someone is and their role, giving readers the context they need to feel anchored in the story.
3. Speeding up connection. Knowing fundamental details about a character makes it easier to empathize and relate to their struggles, needs, fears, and unspoken desires.
4. Satisfying a reader’s expectations. It’s rare to choose a book blindly—people usually go looking for a specific experience. The genre guides readers to the type of story and often features certain characters: Rebels, cowboys, monster hunters, bad boys, etc. Character tropes help us deliver a story cast readers want to engage with.
5. Subverting expectations! The best part of making readers happy by giving them the characters they crave is the ability to go off script just enough to provide a character who is fresh and new. This is the key to making tropes work, so let’s dive into that a bit more.

Breaking Away from Predictability

Characters feel hollow when they are reduced to something – a trope, stereotype, mental health condition, set of circumstances, etc. Rather than having  depth and complexity, they get labelled – the washed-up detective with a drinking problem or the aloof teen with dead parents. When it comes to important characters, these labels let readers down. They want depth, not cliff notes.  Unless a character has a walk-on part, we still have much work to do.

Breakout characters and showstopping stories rely on trading generic characters for those who fascinate. Here’s how to write a character who will transcend their trope.

1.    Know Their Why

To develop a character further, understand what shaped them in the first place: What past events led here and what pain do they carry? How did they succeed and fail in life? What experiences, caregivers (or detractors), and challenges nudged them to align with this trope?

The past influences the present, so dive into their backstory. Not only will you feel closer to them, but you’ll also be able to write their actions and choices with greater authority.

2. Go Deeper

After thinking about their past circumstances and experiences, turn to other pieces of their identity. Questions like these will help you:

1. What are their best qualities (traits, strengths, values, beliefs) and how do they display these to the world through their actions, relationships, and motivations?
2. What do they fear most, and why?
3. What do they need most but believe they are unworthy or incapable of having?
4. What flawed ideas, beliefs, and misconceptions are holding them back?
5. What dreams and goals do they keep to themselves, and why are they important to them?
6. What emotions are hard for them to experience, and why?

By answering these, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to elevate a trope into an individual, a character who feels human, true, and easy for readers to and relate to.

3. Steer Clear of Trope Danger Zones Like Cliches & Stereotypes

As you’re building out who your character is, take care to not repeat overdone aspects of a trope. For example, if your jock is the star quarterback, has great hair, a cheerleader girlfriend, and is a total jerk…yikes. A carbon copy is boring and flat, and readers deserve better.

4. Give Readers Something Different than They Expect

Readers love to be surprised, and tropes are a great opportunity to make this happen. When someone recognizes a type of character, they make assumptions: The protagonist is a starving artist! I bet he’s talented, misunderstood, and trying to break through a glass ceiling in his field. Look how excited he is over this latest piece! Someone needs to take a chance on him because he probably works a dead-end job to pay the bills, and his family harps on him for being a hopeless dreamer.

Readers love to feel like participants in a story, and tropes make them feel like story masterminds. With the first piece—a basic understanding of a character’s layer—they start forecasting what the problems will be, where the story will go, and what will need to happen for a protagonist to reach their goal.

When using a trope, readers should let some predictions land but subvert others in meaningful ways. Maybe the artist’s family is supportive, but the character doesn’t believe in themselves. Or the excitement over their latest work isn’t a sign that it will be their breakout piece, it’s the euphoria of knowing the cottage they’re painting belongs to someone they’ve decided to kill. Thinking outside the trope offers big rewards. Here are more ideas for twisting a trope.

5. Use an Arc to Elevate the Trope

Tropes work well on minor characters, helping readers see how their role or function fits within the bigger story. When a main character fits a trope, though, these characterizing details shouldn’t be window dressing, they should tie to their internal arc. For example, an Adrenaline Junkie heroine shouldn’t chase thrills ‘just because.’ Maybe for her it’s an escape mechanism, a way to avoid life’s painful moments. And, in her story, a difficult blow--her twin’s terminal diagnosis—shows her how she needs to step up in the moment rather than try to skydive away from it.

Tropes are excellent tools, but like anything else, should be used strategically and masterfully. If you’d like to browse a wide range of archetypes and tropes and learn how to write them into your story, check out One Stop for Writers’ Character Type and Trope Database.

Is there a character trope or archetype you love to see in stories?
 Let me know in the comments!

About Angela

Angela Ackerman is a story coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and its many sequels. Available in ten languages, her guides are sourced by US universities, recommended by agents and editors, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world. To date, this book collection has sold over 1.3 million copies.

Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers®, as well as One Stop for Writers®, a portal to game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Header Image from Deposit photo