Discussion time!
Posted by Keziah Hill on 07 May 2007 | Tagged as: Chit Chat, Writing Life, Weekly Topics
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my well runs dry. I work full time, look after myself, try and maintain my relationships with friends and family and of course through all that, write. But there are times when creative energy dries up. What do you do to get it going? Meditate? Eat chocolate? Go for a walk? Pull out Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and go on an artist’s date? Tells us your way of getting back to your writing energy.
Keziah,
First, I admit it’s hard to find balance. (I know it’s there. I see it every time I swing by). Some days I have to force myself to leave the computer because the writing is going well but if I neglect other areas of my life, I pay.
Things that help fill my well, however, are long walks, an hour or two surrounded by books (in a library or bookstore), meeting with friends (especially writing friends), flooding my senses with color, sight, sound,etc. I can do this in a variety of ways–visit a quilt shop and drool over the colors. Drive to the mountains. Visit a museum or art gallery. I think one thing I have learned is I have to have down time. Not just time away from writing but time away with NO responsibilities. It’s impossible for me to get away for very long but even a 15 minute bit of down time helps.
Good topic. I’m looking forward to what others contribute.
Linda Ford
May 7th, 2007 at 4:16 pmYou know, it’s never been a lack of the creative juices so much as it has been just a simple, “I’m sick of this writing crap. I want to just play. I just want to go and veg out on TV, I want to watch that DVD I bought two months ago, I want to get a new RPG for PS2 and bring in my kid to play. I want to play Rollercoaster Tycoon. I want some time for me.”
So when I hit those moments, I ask myself the following questions…
Where are you in the MS? Is there a deadline?
How much time have you spent in front of the screen for the past two days?
When was the last time you actually had a play date with you or with your family?
The answers to those questions do one of two things…either I go play for one whole day or I nail my butt into the chair and force myself to write. Even if it’s crap, I’m still writing, and sometimes good stuff can come out of a lot of manure one spreads around. *grin*
For me, writing is first and foremost an addictive recreation. I get more pleasure out of it than just about anything else I could do, except reading a book or being with my family.
If I get really wigged out though, I’ll go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. That in and of itself is great therapy for me.
Monica
May 7th, 2007 at 6:03 pmWell, the key thing is balance, but everyone has a different one. The trick is figuring out what works for you and going with it.
I’m a big fan of Julia Cameron’s THE ARTISTS’ WAY and try to do the program once a year. It centres me and helps me focus on what’s important. Through it, I’ve discovered that working a little bit every day is perfect for me - it keeps the story in my head but I don’t feel compelled to spend hours and hours at my desk. Incremental progress is the key. It also means that I can predict with reasonable accuracy how long a project will take to complete, and whether I have time to do X by date Y.
I’ve developed a daily routine that allows for some spontaneity - too rigorous of a routine stifles me. I get outside every day, regardless of the weather, to walk or run errands, to work in the garden or just sit in the sunshine. And I knit, a bit every day, which lets my mind wander in search of plot solutions while my fingers make something pretty. Like Linda, I need colour, so art galleries, knitting and quilting shops, gardens and coffeetable books are a big part of my downtime.
My well also gets empty if I don’t take care of myself - eating well and sleeping well and getting enough exercise are a big part of the plan. It takes time to figure out what works for you, and everyone’s answer will be different. That’s okay!
Claire
May 8th, 2007 at 6:03 amI walk and lift weights when I hit a snag. It doesn’t always help with ideas, but I do feel better afterward:). What actually helps me the most is talking the problem out. Sometimes writing an email to someone works as well. So I guess it’s the process of talking it out that seems to help me the best. Thinking about the story just before I fall asleep sometime works, or when I’m driving in a car and listening to instrumental music (not music with words because then I sing along and don’t think about the story). I think it’s the process of just relaxing and letting the mind wander that sometimes sparks an idea for me. Oh yeah — also, listening to music that evokes the right mood can help me focus on a particular character.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:35 pmHi
May 17th, 2007 at 7:47 amThis is a vital topic for writers, especially writers who are wives and moms and daughters and sisters and on and on.
I try to hold some time for myself, private time. Something as simple as walking on the treadmill while watching Jeopardy every day can be nurturing.
Also if you haven’t read Linda Seger’s MAKING A GOOD WRITER GREAT, you’re missing out! I recently hit LOW on the creativity meter or it felt like that and I dug this out and started doing the exercises, especially about writing down childhood memories in detail and also writing down dreams. I thought I don’t dream. But I found when I told my mind to remember them, I started. I haven’t gotten good enough to write those down, but plan to!
Hope this helps!