James River Writers is excited to have writer, editor, and coach Lisa Cooper Ellison spearhead our April Springboard! Writing Retreat. We asked Lisa to answer a few questions about her work as a writing coach, what she feels keeps writers from reaching the finish line, the value and importance of writing retreats, and a little bit about her latest writing projects.
Here’s what Lisa had to say…
ON HER ROLE AS A WRITING COACH…
While your work as an editor and writer provides obvious experience that can add value to coaching other writers, can you share how your Ed. S in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and background in mindfulness contribute to your ability to effectively guide writers to success?
While working as a mental health counselor, I also learned a lot about how and why people change and what gets in their way. When it comes to writing, this knowledge has helped me uncover the character arcs buried in plot heavy books, find ways to address flagging middle sections, and help writers create strong endings that are earned by the prose that precede them.
My former career also gave me tools for identifying the areas of “stuckness” writers face and taught me how to address them by helping writers tap into their resilience. This has been so helpful, because so many of the struggles writers face are about things other than what’s happening on the page.
What do you think is the most common obstacle writers face when trying to reach the finish line?
Doubt is the number one obstacle writers face. Doubt says something’s wrong or we’re not good enough. When we don’t think we’re good enough, we’re likely to self-sabotage so that we don’t have to face the pain of discovering whether this is true.
Here are just a few ways we self-sabotage:
- Packing our schedules so there’s no time to write
- Thinking we’ll write after we check things off our list, then not finding time to write
- Focusing on other people’s problems, which can include revising other people’s work, instead of focusing on our own stories
- Taking too many classes
- Becoming perfectionistic about our drafts and revising to infinity
- Complaining about the market rather than sending out queries
- Talking about writing, but not actually writing
What is the most important quality for a writer to possess to ensure success?
In the past, I might have said the discipline to show up regularly to the page. While that’s important, I think the ability to engage in deep work is vital for writers.
We live in a distracted world that puts constant pressure on our attention. This is shrinking our capacity for deep work which requires sustained focus. For many of us, our writing lives are plagued with constant internal and external nudges to check our email, compose our next Tweet, or check our Instagram for likes and comments.
One remedy for distraction is taking a break from daily life—like going to a retreat.
Because deep work is something I’ve studied and practiced, I’m excited to facilitate periods of deep work for the writers who attend the upcoming James River Writers Spring Retreat. My goal is for them to not only make progress while we’re together, but to leave with skills that will help them work deeply when they return to their desks.
What experiences have you had with writing retreats?
As a writer, I’ve attended retreats for years and find them to be rocket fuel for my writing process. I get so much done, especially when I’m working with other writers. Plus, spontaneous conversations I’ve had while on retreat have led to on-the-spot solutions that prevented me from getting stuck. I’ve also met lifelong friends while on retreats, which is an added bonus.
As a facilitator, I love working deeply with individuals and seeing how quickly they make progress when others hold space for their creative work. There are usually so many a-has and lightbulb moments. That’s the magic of retreat time, which is what makes it such a special experience.
What common writing advice do you feel is ridiculous? What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
The most ridiculous piece of writing advice is to write every day. Yes, you must build a consistent writing habit to be a writer, and, yes, you must show up to the page when you don’t feel like it, but the show-up-every-day edict isn’t something everyone can follow. It’s better to find a rhythm that works for you.
The best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever received is to keep showing up and to believe it’s worth it.
What do you enjoy most about working with writers?
I thoroughly enjoy learning about writer’s stories, seeing the lightbulbs go off when they have major insights, and watching their confidence grow as they achieve their goals.
ABOUT LISA’S WRITING AND HER UPCOMING PROJECTS
Who is your favorite writer?
That’s like asking about my cats. They’re all my favorite. My current favorites are Laura Cathcart Robbins (Stash: My Life in Hiding), Jayson Green (Once More We Saw Stars), Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), and Georgia Clark (Island Time).
Well, that answers our next question as to whether you’re a cat or a dog person!
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Definitely a pantser who plots after my first draft.
Which do you enjoy more-the initial writing process or the editing stage of your work?
Early in my writing career, I loved writing because it was so satisfying to generate new material. At that time, I thought people who loved editing were bonkers. I have since joined camp bonkers. I love editing, because it’s through the editorial process that I’m able to create the story I really want to tell.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading When She Comes Back and Home Is A Made-Up Place, both by Ronit Plank, and Poe for Your Problems by the lovely Catherine Baab-Muguira.
Tell us about what you’re working on now.
I just finished Please Stage Dive Carefully: A Memoir of Heavy Metal, Healing, and Hope, which is now out on submission, so I feel like I’m between projects. I have a few essays I’m working on, and in a few weeks, I’ll return to my next book The Mindful Path of Writing about Trauma. I also plan to work on a speculative fiction novel whose characters are begging me to play with them.
Thank you to Lisa for taking the time to share with us. We can’t wait to learn from her in April!
Learn more about Lisa and the Springboard! Writing Retreat HERE
