Last week... so many years later... I think I finally kinda got it. When writing just write.
Yes, I do believe in preparation and forethought. Novel #2 that I'm currently working on began years ago as a character sketch and a 20 page synopsis. I'm glad I put the thought into it then. But I didn't do anything about that novel until now and it's very strange that it's suddenly so easy to write. I think this might be because I've gotten out of the way of the story. I'm not over-thinking. I'm just writing.Is that the power of just?
For me, focusing on just one thing doesn't mean that I'm working on just one thing. Just one thing at a time. When taking a morning walk, just take a morning walk, which is different from what I would usually do - refuse to end the walk until I'd figured out how to get a character to the next plot point. When walking just walk. When writing just write.
The quieter my mind, the easier it is to write.
And the easier it will be to answer questions for Heather Kelly's Friday blog where I'll be interviewed about my writing and Our Spirit, the nonprofit I started to help gay/lesbian youth.
Thank you, Heather! As everyone knows, she's awesome, a blogger extraordinaire. She's also the best crit partner, and I know the world will be a better place when her novel is published. I just know it.
If only you knew what Heather and I are talking about at this very moment. This post reaffirms her...rant.
ReplyDeleteYeah, she literally just yelled at me. It was kinda epic and electric. My light bulb is burning bright and you just upped the wattage.
I love this. It's why the practice room works for me. For an hour, I just write. I don't second guess, or stop. Stopping is big with me. I never realized that when I hit a snag, I can write through it. I thought I had to think through it. This post game me chills, R. Thanks. I'm going to go write. Just write.
ReplyDeleteJon - very cryptic. Inquiring minds want to know about the rant... Increased wattage is a good thing, right?
ReplyDeleteHeather - I totally hear you about the Practice Room. Did Tina tell you I tried to join last week. I think my tech cluelessness got in the way.
ReplyDeleteLast week ended up being busier than I'd expected: an overnight in Seattle and guests who weren't at our apartment but whom we showed around for several days. Anyway, I'm soooooooo excited to be back with more hours to write and be on-line. Thurs or Fri I hope to check out the Practice Room.
And Tour De Writing is fantastic... I'm signing up today!
Meditation is wonderful, I wish I took more time to do so!
ReplyDeletemulti tasking or thinking about too much at one time seems to sap writing power. I'm all for just writing. And yes, sometimes that's hard!
ReplyDeleteI am going to a coffee shop to write for the first time. Any advice for staying on task and avoiding the people that recognize you?
ReplyDeleteJen - thank you for stopping by! Even if I don't have time to meditate, just a few minutes with a hot drink does the trick for me.
ReplyDeleteLaura - I hear you. In fact I now find "multi-tasking" a bad word.
ReplyDeleteJon - I'm not sure what to say. I find cafe noise comforting. Aural wallpaper. Unless there's that one voice that rises above the din. Or that one topic of conversation that I can't tune out. Usually politics. Then I move.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm in a cafe on the harbor. The sun just set, so there's an orange glow over the water. Gulls, radio, our occasionally whining dog, gibberish all around, the slapping of runners on the pavement, the low hum of a motoring sailboat... For me, it all works. Even this afternoon in the window of streetside cafe as the traffic flowed... There are worse addictions.
Carolina - a belated welcome to the flow!
ReplyDelete...wrote some of my best work while in Carolina. Found a spot near a live oak, yet a short distance from fellow starving artists and photographers...a most excellent afternoon:) Being of clear mind indeed causes the frontal lobe to flow.
ReplyDeleteYay for this post. Some how the not thinking came up again this morning in the practice room, I'm not sure if it was directly related to this post (because a couple of those folks have already commented here). But I think this is so important. And I have such a hard time with it.
ReplyDeleteElliot - Sounds great. And not a huge surprise given the very cool palm trees on your blog.
ReplyDeleteTina - Yup, we're all connected. Figuratively and literally through your awesome Practice Room.
ReplyDeleteYes! If you can let go of everything else, then the words will flow. Must eliminate the internal censor and try to banish all intrusive thoughts as well.
ReplyDeleteHow cool you taught English in Japan! I would've loved to do something like that.
Carolina - It's never too late. I have a very good friend who joined the Peace Corps, lived in a hut on stilts and rolled condoms down bananas in family-planning class. She was 65.
ReplyDeleteA. Grey - Thank you for joining! I also look forward to learning about "Grey Places."
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