My fence fell down… again. There’s this one section, right by the end of the garage, that comes apart at the slightest hint of wind. Sometimes, it’s just a few of the vinyl pieces that come loose. Other times, like today, I walk outside to find the whole panel horizontal.

It struck me today how like that fence we can be as writers and creatives… and just people in general. We have all these things in our lives that threaten to blow us down: not enough time to write, unexpected events that interrupt our plans to write, a rejection from an agent or publication, the book isn’t coming together, someone hates your work, a word or two not phrased well by someone else, etc. Sometimes, we manage to hang on and regroup. Other times, we end up flat on the ground for a while.

What do you do to get back up? Have you thought about that before? Do you have a plan in place? Those flat times are one of the times when we’re mostly likely to abandon our book or whatever else we’re working on. We simply don’t get back up. Maybe you manage to get back up the first few times, but eventually, the effort just seems like too much. You feel like it’s never going to happen and you’re just going to keep falling flat.

For most of us, that flat time is going to happen. It’s inevitable that we’ll face it. So, what do we do about it? (Besides curling up with a pint of ice cream and a Netflix binge).

1. Acknowledge that it happens… to all of us

   Sometimes it can feel like we’re the only ones ending up flat on the ground. But, we’ve all been there. What flattens me, may not flatten you and so you might see me sail through what brings you down and it can make you feel even more deflated. Every writer struggles with something. Let me repeat that. Every writer struggles with something.

   And it will happen to all of us at some point or another. At some point, that wind is going to blow and we’re going to end up flat on the ground. Creativity comes with risk and vulnerability. There’s no two ways around it. If you want to create great art or write great books, you’re going to have to take risks and be vulnerable. An occasional knock-out seems to come with that territory. It’s what you do after that that matters.

2. Know your strengths and use them

   I love the VIA Character Strengths for this. What character strengths can you reach for? The challenge is that these are a little different for everyone so the advice of what your best friend or colleague does, might not resonate with you. But, when you know your strengths, you can actively engage them to dust yourself off and get back on track.

   My fence issue? I’m reaching for my #2 strength Perspective and my #4 strength Humor every day of the week. What’s the big picture on the fence? The dog didn’t get out and I can put the fence back together. No harm, no foul. What’s the humor in the fence? I can laugh about my attempts to get it back together. Or I might muse about my more-than-likely-hilarious attempts to make sure that there are no snakes under the fence before I pick it up. Identifying which strengths we have at our disposal can help us figure out how to dust ourselves off and get back at it.

3. Do something

   When we fall flat, momentum stops. We feel stuck. The easiest path is to do nothing, to stay in that position, because getting back up means that we can get knocked down again. We stop sending out queries or stop submitting our work. We stop working on the book or novel. We just stop.

   Getting back on that proverbial horse can be challenging, but it’s the only way we move forward. Your exact method will depend on your personality, strengths, and motivations, but knowing ahead of time how you might get back on the horse is helpful. I like to find small wins and I keep a list of to-do items that are likely to give me one. For me, that small win will help me keep the fence standing for another day.

4. Get Help

   When the wind is blowing like a hurricane and the fence needs to get back up, sometimes you just can’t do it yourself. You need help. That help can take a variety of forms: family/friends, writer communities, coaches, therapists, etc. If one thing isn’t working to keep you up, try another support system. We can all benefit from a variety of support and sometimes the issue at hand means that we seek out particular forms of support. My dog is a great hiking partner, but she’s not so great about helping me right the fence.

When the wind blows (and it will) and your fence falls flat (and it will), you’ll be in that place were you make the decision to get back up and write on or to stay flat and give up. Make the decision. Get back up. Find the support you need. Rely on your strengths. Do something. Find your win. That’s the way to keep going and finish.