Writing Isn't Ghostbusting; Right?

Writing is not ghostbusting until you sit down and write the truest sentence you know. Then that sentence turns into a memoir. So much has changed for me since I decided to write about myself that I sometimes wonder if I still want to write about myself; do I still want to confront and engage with these ghosts?

The answer is yes because words hold power and meaning, and I have been given a gift that I should not waste because of fear. I have learned that when you sit down to write the truest sentence you know, it can spiral into the emotions you have forgotten, ignored, or buried because you could not process them in real time. I have also learned to accept that emotions are like the weather; they fluctuate.

This acceptance has led to some actionable steps writers who are ghostbusting can take to keep going, even when they are uncertain of the destination.

• Block out time in your calendar for writing every day. If you can't commit to an hour, then commit to ten or fifteen minutes a day and build up to an hour.

• Study your craft. If you are writing a memoir, then you should fill your bookshelves with different types of memoirs. (And make sure you read other things too.)

• Perfection is not the goal; good storytelling is the goal.

• Keep a journal.

• Join a writing community.

• Set your goals around the life you have, not the life you wish you had.

  
  

Starting with these steps can help you begin or continue on your writing journey. These steps can help alleviate fear and uncertainty. Blocking out time to work on your manuscript or journal is good for your mental health and can help you avoid or work through writer's block because you are creating a database of ideas. Studying your craft teaches you how to cut the fat and keep your words concise. Joining a writing community can help make the writing process less lonely and can give you ways to work through problem areas. Setting your goals around the life you have can decrease the start/stop cycle and ensure you finish your manuscript.

The ghostbusting stage is necessary because we writers often meet ourselves in the stories we choose to tell. The important thing is knowing that this stage will pass if you choose to write through it.