Not that conversation?!
I mean the one between yourself, and your writer self, and the self that seems to prevent you or stop you from writing?
The very first time a friend suggested I do this type of conversation I was shocked I hadn't thought of it before.
Maybe I had done such a thing in my journal, only not as organized.
And I had characters talking to me and to each other... so I had experience with all the voice talking...
So, when I sat down to write in my journal and have these three parts talk to each other, I needed a focus.
So, I asked them each:
Try this at home.
Identify these three parts (we have an infinite amount of parts):
Yourself, i.e., the one who decides
Your Writer Self
the Self that seems to prevent you or stop you from writing
They may show up a little differently than this. That's okay. There actually is no right way to do this exercise. Rather, any way you do it is perfect.
Set these parts around a table or imagine they're seated at the three points of a triangle, or triangular table.
Ask them their name.
Then ask each:
What would you like?
But not from an abstract position.
From an embodied position.
Here's what I mean.
Start off as Yourself. Should be easy. Hopefully. This is the You that decides to write; the You in charge, like your inner CEO.
Then look to one of your cohorts and ask them, you guessed it, What would you like?
Listen to the answer and notice your reaction to it.
After a moment or two of digesting the reply, move to the next position and sit in the new chair.
Be that one - for example, your Writer Self.
Feel how that feels in your body, in how your heart beats, in how you breath, in how you think and feel.
Ask yourself, What would I like?
Listen, digest, and then ask the next position, your Writer's Block:
What would you like?
Listen, digest, and then ask the other position, Yourself, the Decider:
What would you like?
Listen, digest...
Then move to the third chair or position: the Self that seems to prevent you or stop you from writing.
Feel how that feels in your body, in how your heart beats, in how you breath, in how you think and feel.
Ask yourself, What would I like?
Listen, digest, and then ask each of the other two positions, one at a time:
What would you like?
Listen and digest.
If you need a break, stand up and move around; dance; or wiggle. Change up the energy. Listening to music is great too.
There are layers here... take your time, do this exercise via writing, hand writing if you can because that activates more parts of your brain.
Make sure each of the parts gets to ask the question and also share its response. Once around the group is fine. Then you can stop.
Thank all the parts.
Now take a walk, do the dishes, eat something yummy...
Your system will integrate what you have become aware of in its own way, in its own time.
If you'd like support to transform your writer's block, I offer coaching sessions. I invite you to hit reply and let me know, if this kind of session is right for you. Or contact me via my site here:
BTW, I did a version of this material as a session at Daniel David Wallace's Perfect Your Process summit this past week. While the summit is over, you can still purchase an All-Access pass if you'd like.
❤️
