{"id":2260,"date":"2013-06-25T08:54:47","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T12:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/?p=2260"},"modified":"2013-06-25T22:01:07","modified_gmt":"2013-06-26T02:01:07","slug":"typical-writer-dilemmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/typical-writer-dilemmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Typical Writer Dilemmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>What kind of writer are you right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"305\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/blogging-combines-publisher-and-writer-roles-into-one\/typewriter\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?fit=296%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"296,288\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"typewriter\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?fit=296%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" wp-image-305 alignleft\" alt=\"typewriter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=178%2C173\" width=\"178\" height=\"173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?w=296&amp;ssl=1 296w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=150%2C145&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=256%2C250&amp;ssl=1 256w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=205%2C200&amp;ssl=1 205w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=96%2C93&amp;ssl=1 96w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=24%2C24&amp;ssl=1 24w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=36%2C36&amp;ssl=1 36w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/typewriter.jpg?resize=48%2C48&amp;ssl=1 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The answer to that question sometimes determines how you will act.<\/p>\n<p>Each of us encompasses many types of writers. If you can take on the identity of a different kind of writer, even temporarily, sometimes you can eliminate writer&#8217;s block or other frustrations.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the writer identities I tend to take on, one after another, as a project evolves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>dreamer (this is when I\u2019m thinking or talking about writing something but haven\u2019t yet set pen to paper),<\/li>\n<li>detective (this is when I get caught up in research, which happens all the time),<\/li>\n<li>news hound (this is when I\u2019m really caught up in what\u2019s happening right now),<\/li>\n<li>gossiper (this is when I comment on, critique and discuss characters and events)<\/li>\n<li>practical doer (this is the person who is totally focussed on completing a specific task within a tight deadline),<\/li>\n<li>word enthusiast (this is when I keep rewriting the same sentences using different words, and yet am never satisfied),<\/li>\n<li>imagineer (this is when I get so caught up in my work that the story seemingly writes itself),<\/li>\n<li>legal eagle (this is when I\u2019m thinking about libel, contracts, copyright or any of the other complicated legal questions writers sometimes have to tackle. As a kid, I always wanted to be a lawyer, so taking on that role temporarily helps me fulfill a childhood dream and takes away some of the angst) and<\/li>\n<li>caring bureaucrat (this is the role I take on to think about billing, governance, editing and other tasks I normally don\u2019t like. I served as a bureaucrat in the Australian, Florida and Ontario governments and in all three positions, I saw how helpful it can be when people in these roles care. Temporarily becoming one of those heroes can be very satisfactory.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these roles has both positive and negative connotations. By thinking of myself taking on the positive attributes of the next writer identity in the list, I can often get past whatever block by just taking on the role of a different type of writer. Try it, and let me know if it works for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What kind of writer are you right now? &nbsp; The answer to that question sometimes determines how you will act. Each of us encompasses many types of writers. If you can take on the identity of a different kind of writer, even temporarily, sometimes you can eliminate writer&#8217;s block or other frustrations. Here are the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journalism","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2buQs-As","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19302,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/family-history-writer-quiz\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":0},"title":"What kind of family history writer are you?","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"January 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Notable Nonfiction&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Notable Nonfiction","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/writing\/notable-nonfiction\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/coming-soon.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/coming-soon.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/coming-soon.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/coming-soon.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2143,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/business-and-tax-identity\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":1},"title":"Business and Tax Identity","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"June 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"When I first began freelancing for the Plattsburgh Press Republic in the United States, no special documentation was required. I invoiced the paper for my work and they paid by cheque. That\u2019s not the case now. Canadian writers who work for American publications now require two things: an ITIN and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Journalism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Journalism","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/writing\/notable-nonfiction\/journalism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"W8BEN","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/W8BEN.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19286,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/writers-grants\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":2},"title":"Writers Grants Available in Canada","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"January 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/7MjIqN9---s I am here to talk to you this week about grants. Most provinces and the federal government have writer funding for individuals or groups of writers to complete projects. They also have lots of funding for writers to visit schools or communities. Governments also pay for writers to represent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Creative Entrepreneur Adventures&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Creative Entrepreneur Adventures","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/creative-entrepreneur-adventures\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Creative Solopreneur","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Creative-Solopreneur-Life-e1546834073497.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Creative-Solopreneur-Life-e1546834073497.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Creative-Solopreneur-Life-e1546834073497.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Creative-Solopreneur-Life-e1546834073497.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2151,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/literary_nonfiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":3},"title":"The Challenges of Literary Nonfiction","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"June 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Literary nonfiction is a work that reads like a novel, but includes only fact and presumed facts. The \u201cpresumed facts\u201d part gets tricky sometimes and writers have dealt with the challenge in different ways. In some cases, writers choose to simply change facts to suit their story and release potential\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Journalism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Journalism","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/writing\/notable-nonfiction\/journalism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hill Novel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bookofNegroes.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":388,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/writer-performing-out-loud\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":4},"title":"Writer Performing Out Loud","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"May 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It felt like entering a novel from the 20\u2019s. Although the lighting from various hanging bulb lights was dim, the white painted tin ceiling reflects all of it, so the room seemed almost bright. The salle de spectacle at the Casa Del Populo (http:\/\/www.casadelpopolo.com) has a white painted tin ceiling.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/casadelpopolo.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17148,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/reference-books-writing\/","url_meta":{"origin":2260,"position":5},"title":"Improve your Craft with a Writing Reference Book","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"January 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you a word nerd? If so, consider getting a writing reference book from the following list and support your passion and my work at the same time. If you choose to buy one of these books through my affiliate links, I get a few cents although you don't pay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2260"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2264,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260\/revisions\/2264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}