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Writing in the Middle of the Storm · The Daily Writer

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey my friend, welcome to the Daily Writer, where we help writers become authors of their own lives.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I live in St.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Louis, which of course is in the Midwest, and here in the Midwest, we have a particular affection for crazy weather, especially when it comes to tornadoes.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you would think, you would think that an intelligent, reasonable person would run for cover if they spot a tornado in the area.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: But nope, of course, that's not how it happens here in the Midwest, because we love the drama.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: And we will not only go out and watch the crazy weather, we will probably make a video of it as well and share it on social media, and we'll be super proud of it.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some of us, if you take it to the extreme, are crazy enough to become what they call storm chasers.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's those people who don't just observe tornadoes in crazy weather, but they actually get into the middle of it and track them down.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: The point is, a little crazy weather is not going to deter us Midwesterners one single bit.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I gotta be honest with you, that's how I look at writing as well.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Almost nothing is gonna stop me from getting my work done.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's what I call writing in the middle of the storm, which means getting your work done when things are wild and crazy and messy.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there are two kinds of storms that we deal with in writing or creative work.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: We have internal storms and external storms, and you have to write through both of them.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: An internal storm is what happens when your body or your emotions are going a bit crazy.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you don't feel well.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've had an argument with your spouse or your kids.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're worried about money, a client situation, something that's happening in your town or your city, you're concerned about your extended family, or maybe it's all of the above at the same time.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've all been there, right?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Then there are the external storms, which happen when the world around you feels chaotic and completely outside your control.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're traveling and you're off of your normal schedule.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're doing some writing in a location where people are noisy.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're writing in a car and you're typing on your laptop while somebody else is driving.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're working from home and you can't stand the neighbor's barking dog.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So whether your storm is internal or external, or maybe you have several storms happening at once, you've got to learn to write through the storm.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I think the secret is it's not just learning to put up with the storm and kind of endure it, but it's actually leaning into the storm and allowing it to give you fuel for your passion, creativity, and endurance.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because the reality is that storms are going to happen.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Storms are inevitable in life.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so the question here is are you going to let the winds whip you around and throw you off track?
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Or will you stand firm and determine to get your work done no matter what happens?
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Keep writing, keep showing up, and I'll see you tomorrow.