The Mountain

 
An image created by Helen Sword for her Writing BASE diagnostic tool.
 
 

the mountain

Your Mountain profile, shared by around 13% of academic and professional writers, shows that you have given yourself a relatively high rating (6 or above) for your Artisanal habits but low or moderate ratings (5 or below) for your Behavioral, Social, and Emotional habits. This profile is called the Mountain because, like a solitary peak, you stand tall in your craft but may be isolated, difficult to access regularly, and sometimes shrouded in clouds of frustration.

Your strengths and challenges create a distinctive pattern:

  • You feel skilled and articulate as a writer, with strong technical abilities (Artisanal).

  • You often struggle to make time for your writing and maintain consistent habits (Behavioral).

  • You tend to work in social isolation without much collaborative input (Social).

  • The writing process frequently brings you more anxiety and frustration than joy (Emotional).

This combination can be particularly frustrating because you know you have the ability to produce quality work, but struggle to create the conditions that allow your talent to flourish regularly and joyfully.

action plan

To broaden the BASE upon which your writing practice is built, consider drawing on your confidence and skill as a craftsperson to address your other dimensions:

  1. Leverage Your Artisanal Pride to Build Behavioral habits

    • Set craft-centered goals that motivate you to write more consistently.

    • Create a writing schedule that honors your standards of excellence while being realistic.

    • Use your attention to detail to track and analyze your most productive writing patterns.

  2. Expand Your Social Horizons

    • Seek out others who share your high standards for writing quality.

    • Consider sharing your expertise through mentoring or teaching to build connections.

    • Join or create a writing group where craft discussions are central to the experience.

  3. Transform Your Emotional Relationship with Writing

    • Identify the specific aspects of craft that bring you satisfaction and focus on those elements.

    • Try separating the drafting process (where perfectionism may cause anxiety) from the revising process (where your skills shine).

    • Acknowledge your achievements as a skilled writer to build confidence and positive associations.

  4. Create an Integrated Writing Practice

    • Design writing sessions that deliberately combine your strengths with areas for growth.

    • Experiment with social writing approaches that complement rather than compromise your standards.

    • Develop pre-writing rituals that help you transition into a more positive emotional state.

The WriteSPACE can help you with all of these things!

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