Writing With Nibbles and Nudges

“Writing is like fishing.  A nibble will always come, but all too often we dismiss the little nudge as not worthy of the great works we vaingloriously imagine we will write.” William Stafford

 

Poet William Stafford claimed never to have experienced writer’s block. His antidote when he felt it coming on was to lower his standards. By accepting the small nibbles and nudges that came to him he was able to keep writing.

The idea in my head will never match the words that come out onto my pages!  Perfectionism is a great obstacle to writing.   I must be faithful to write just what comes today and not to scorn my feeble attempts at the keyboard. When I start to feel anxious about the results of my work, the acceptance of the work by others, or the worthiness of my words I must stop and remember Stafford’s words. I may have set the standards too high.

The same is true of my spiritual life. God accepts us as we are not as we vaingloriously imagine we will be. Listen for the small nudges and whispers. Most of my growth has come through faithfulness to small nudges. When I am stuck spiritually often I need to go back to basics – the small practices of daily prayer, gratitude, journaling and private worship.

In our writing lives and in our spiritual lives great works start with small efforts. Today let go of the pressure to write a great work and simply write from the nibbles and nudges that come.

Happy Writing,  The Writing Sisters

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.  Luke 16:10