I have a necessary yet difficult writing task today. I’ve been putting it off for months. Let’s face it: I’m a coward. Writing is hard enough, but sometimes we face a challenge that looms larger than most.
Writing Tip for Today: Whether it’s a writer who must tell a friend her manuscript needs lots of work, an editor who must reject a work, an agent who has to pass on a project or a writer who’s breaking off one writing direction to go another, sometimes it’s easier to think about than to do it. Why is it so hard to do this stuff and how can we deal?

• Dip or Plunge? We’re people and people have emotions. Everyone wants to be accepted, liked. If you face a difficult task, decide if you are the toe-dipping sort or the type that just dives into the water.
• The How of It. If you’re a toe-dipper, you could “practice” your task by writing either a narrative or a bulleted list of things you need to say. The next day, take a look at what you wrote as you would any piece of writing. Rearrange, add or subtract–and filter for emotions that should or shouldn’t be part of the spiel. If you’re a plunger, at least organize your thoughts before you dive. In most cases, an email or snail mail letter is better than as phone call.
• Color Emotions Positive. Find ways to state your case in positive ways. For instance, I know a writer who had to decline to endorse another writer’s novel. We brainstormed phrases that would let the writer down easy–without any flaming language.
• Be Sincere. If you are framing something in a positive way, it doesn’t mean you have to be insincere. We’ve all had rejection slips that were cryptic ways of saying “No thanks.” Don’t go overboard on the euphemisms.
• Just Do It. Finally, set a deadline for yourself and then keep it. As I’ve learned, putting off a difficult task only adds to my pain. Do you face an unpleasant writing task? If so, don’t put it off!