The Enemy’s Playbook, Part Two
But Resistance doesn’t stop there (see last week’s post). It attacks us with distractions like the web and social media. It seduces us with sex and drugs and rock ‘n roll. It diverts us into vices like abuse of ourselves or others, addiction, self-dramatization.
It scatters our focus and dissipates it within a thousand conflicting enthusiasms, none of which we seem to be able to settle upon and actually commit ourselves to. When we do succeed in sitting down to do our work, Resistance paralyzes us with the fear of failure and the terror of success; it freezes us with self-doubt. It relentlessly undermines our self-belief.
Resistance is not just brutal and pitiless, it is clever and protean and ever-evolving. It is an active, intelligent, diabolical force that will shape-shift, allure, seduce, intimidate, terrorize. It will use reason against us. It will offer excuses that seem legitimate (and may even be) to stop us from doing our work. It will entice us into arrogance and complacency. It will paralyze us with dread of the judgment and disapproval of others.
Is this ringing a bell? I know it is because that voice is in my head, just like it’s in yours, and it never goes away, never diminishes, and never cuts us a moment of slack.
Why do we need self-awareness and self-discipline, you and I? Why do we need to learn self-motivation, self-validation, self-reinforcement?
“That second self … will kill you. It will kill you like cancer. It will kill you to achieve its agenda, which is to prevent you from actualizing your Self, from becoming who you truly are.”
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
As always, thanks for the reminder.
Thank you vey much dear Steve. Ah, a Force that can’t be seen nor be felt, but it brings great results to the table of mistress Nothingness – the neutrality of the “homeostasis of easiness”. Speaking about that, I parallel it to the point of least resistance. Or Resistance. I’m looking for the wand that will turn Resistance against itself and make it motivating instead of repelling, but I might be hunting fairies. Hm, fairies.
Send my love to Diana and all our friends! Rupes nebulosa.