Today I completed my first week of early morning writing. It would have been easy to bag it today. I've come down with a cold and don't feel very good. And I did sleep in a little, writing from 6:45 to 7:45 instead of instead of 6 to 7 as I have the other mornings. But it also seemed really important to continue to build momentum by writing first thing, to continue to tell myself that writing and creating are a priority for me and to demonstrate that by making it happen.
Surprisingly, it felt natural to get up and just do my quick morning routine and sit down. I forgot about the tickle in my throat and the irritation in my chest and wrote about Frankie and her sister. It was like I showed up to visit them and it was important to do so.
Several things are coming out of this new practice. First, I did 7 more hours of writing on my novel than I would have otherwise. This has been a busy week of appointments and paid projects and teaching and then not feeling well. I would not have found other single hours or a block of time to write during my days (including the weekend because I did paid projects last Saturday and Sunday) and three nights I taught and the others I was too tired, too worded-out. Editing all day on other people's writing makes it hard to want to write on my own. And I'm not a night person; I get no creative second wind in the evening. So I drafted about 3500 words on the novel that would not have happened otherwise.
Second, I feel in integrity with my intentions. I am committed to being a writer and writers are people who write. Not only did I keep my commitment to do the 7 days but I stepped more fully into my writer self, something on my list of Creative Intentions for 2011.
Third, I've been happier each day. Not only happy about having written, but just lighter, more joyful, more satisfied. This is a big plus.
So I'm committing to doing this for the rest of the Maisel workshop, which goes until January 2. If any of you have decided to try this, let me know what your expereince is like.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Writing early
Last Friday I listened to the first lesson in Dr. Eric Maisel's new class, Your Best Life in the Arts. I keep taking classes from Eric because he's one of the wisest creativity coaches I know and he keeps honing his thinking and coming up with new ideas so there's always more to learn.
I knew it was going to be an overview of the next 3 months but I hadn't expected him to put out his big gun right away. Point #1: Get up and write/paint/sculpt/draw/compose music/dance/sing for the first hour of the day.
This was not new information to me. I'd heard Eric say it before in each class. I'd also heard his explanations as to why it was a good idea. First, you take full advantage of the liminal space between sleeping and waking. While we sleep, we have good access to other parts of our brains, the subconscious, the unconscious, the imagination, and that can be helpful in the creative process. As we wake up and start the day, that connection fades, the way dreams do. Second, if you create for an hour each morning, you've created that day. When we do other things first, creating becomes a Maybe Later and most of the time a No. We just get too busy. But if you create for an hour each morning, you've kept your word, fulfilled on your commitment, made creating a priority.
So Saturday morning, I set the alarm for 6. I got up, brushed my teeth, put in my contact lenses, fed the cats, and sat down to write. The apartment was dark except for two candles and my computer screen. It became a sacred experience, a kind of physical cocoon where I moved into the story. I am using my laptop in the dining room. I've got no wifi so there's no temptation and I didn't turn on the desktop work computer until the hour had gone by. I didn't write particularly furiously or particularly much, but I wrote with more ease and focus.
This morning I got up at 6 again and wrote for another hour. It felt holy again. And I felt happier all day and more connected to my characters. I'm committed to doing this all week, so I'll keep you posted. If nothing else, I will have put in 7 more hours of writing this week than I might have otherwise.
I knew it was going to be an overview of the next 3 months but I hadn't expected him to put out his big gun right away. Point #1: Get up and write/paint/sculpt/draw/compose music/dance/sing for the first hour of the day.
This was not new information to me. I'd heard Eric say it before in each class. I'd also heard his explanations as to why it was a good idea. First, you take full advantage of the liminal space between sleeping and waking. While we sleep, we have good access to other parts of our brains, the subconscious, the unconscious, the imagination, and that can be helpful in the creative process. As we wake up and start the day, that connection fades, the way dreams do. Second, if you create for an hour each morning, you've created that day. When we do other things first, creating becomes a Maybe Later and most of the time a No. We just get too busy. But if you create for an hour each morning, you've kept your word, fulfilled on your commitment, made creating a priority.
So Saturday morning, I set the alarm for 6. I got up, brushed my teeth, put in my contact lenses, fed the cats, and sat down to write. The apartment was dark except for two candles and my computer screen. It became a sacred experience, a kind of physical cocoon where I moved into the story. I am using my laptop in the dining room. I've got no wifi so there's no temptation and I didn't turn on the desktop work computer until the hour had gone by. I didn't write particularly furiously or particularly much, but I wrote with more ease and focus.
This morning I got up at 6 again and wrote for another hour. It felt holy again. And I felt happier all day and more connected to my characters. I'm committed to doing this all week, so I'll keep you posted. If nothing else, I will have put in 7 more hours of writing this week than I might have otherwise.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Forwarding a wonderful blog post on reading.
zen habits: How to Read More: A Lover’s Guide
--------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Read More: A Lover’s Guide
Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:17 PM PDT
Post written by Leo Babauta.
Reading a good book is one of my favorite things in the world.
A novel is a time machine, a worm-hole to different dimensions, a special magic that puts you into the minds and bodies of fascinating people, a transporter that lets you travel the world, a dizzying exploration of love and death and sex and seedy criminal underworlds and fairylands, a creator of new best friends.
All in one.
I read because I love the experience, because it is a powerful teacher of life, because it transforms me.
I am not the world’s most prodigious reader, but I do read daily and with passion.
Lots of people say they want to read more, but don’t know how to start.
Read this. It should help.
1. Don’t read because you should — read for joy. Find books about exciting stories, about people who fascinate you, about new worlds that you’d love to visit. Forget the classics, unless they fit this prescription.
2. Carve out the time. We have no time to read anymore, mostly because we work too much, we overschedule our time, we’re on the Internet all the time (which does have some good reading, but can also suck our attention endlessly), and we watch too much TV. Pick a time, and make it your reading time. Start with just 10 minutes if it’s hard to find time — even 10 minutes is lovely. Try 20 or 30 if you can drop a couple things from your schedule.
3. Do nothing but read. Clear all distractions. Find a quiet, peaceful space. It’s just your book, and you. Notice but let go of the urges to do other things instead of read. If you must do something else, have some tea.
4. Love the hell out of it. You’re not doing this to better yourself. You’re doing it for joy. Reading is magic, and the magic will change everything else in your life. Love the experience, and you’ll look forward to it daily.
5. Make it social. Find friends who love to read, or find them online. There’s a world of readers on the Internet, and they’d be happy to make recommendations and talk about the books you’re all reading. Try a book club as well. Reading is solitary, but is also a social act.
6. Make it a habit. Pick a trigger in your daily routine, and consistently read exactly after that trigger each day. Even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes. The more consistent you are, and the longer you keep the streak going, the stronger the habit will become.
7. Don’t make it a chore. Don’t make it something on your todo list or schedule that you have to check off. It’s not part of your self-improvement plan. It’s a part of your Make Life More Awesome Plan.
8. Give up on a book if it’s boring. Reading isn’t something you do because it’s good for you — it’s not like taking your vitamins. You’re reading because it’s fun. So if a book isn’t fun, dump it. Give it a try for at least a chapter, but if you still don’t love it, move on.
9. Discover amazing books. I talk to other people who are passionate about books, and I’ll read reviews, or just explore an old-fashioned bookstore. Supporting your local bookstores is a great thing, and it’s incredibly fun. Libraries are also amazing places that are underused — get a card today.
10. Don’t worry about speed. Speed reading is fine for some, but slow reading is great too. The number of books, and the rate of reading them, matters not a whit. It’s not a competition. You’re reading to enjoy the books, so take your time. It’s like enjoying good food, or good sex: better savored, not rushed.
(Leo Babauta at Zen Habits)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Read More: A Lover’s Guide
Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:17 PM PDT
Post written by Leo Babauta.
Reading a good book is one of my favorite things in the world.
A novel is a time machine, a worm-hole to different dimensions, a special magic that puts you into the minds and bodies of fascinating people, a transporter that lets you travel the world, a dizzying exploration of love and death and sex and seedy criminal underworlds and fairylands, a creator of new best friends.
All in one.
I read because I love the experience, because it is a powerful teacher of life, because it transforms me.
I am not the world’s most prodigious reader, but I do read daily and with passion.
Lots of people say they want to read more, but don’t know how to start.
Read this. It should help.
1. Don’t read because you should — read for joy. Find books about exciting stories, about people who fascinate you, about new worlds that you’d love to visit. Forget the classics, unless they fit this prescription.
2. Carve out the time. We have no time to read anymore, mostly because we work too much, we overschedule our time, we’re on the Internet all the time (which does have some good reading, but can also suck our attention endlessly), and we watch too much TV. Pick a time, and make it your reading time. Start with just 10 minutes if it’s hard to find time — even 10 minutes is lovely. Try 20 or 30 if you can drop a couple things from your schedule.
3. Do nothing but read. Clear all distractions. Find a quiet, peaceful space. It’s just your book, and you. Notice but let go of the urges to do other things instead of read. If you must do something else, have some tea.
4. Love the hell out of it. You’re not doing this to better yourself. You’re doing it for joy. Reading is magic, and the magic will change everything else in your life. Love the experience, and you’ll look forward to it daily.
5. Make it social. Find friends who love to read, or find them online. There’s a world of readers on the Internet, and they’d be happy to make recommendations and talk about the books you’re all reading. Try a book club as well. Reading is solitary, but is also a social act.
6. Make it a habit. Pick a trigger in your daily routine, and consistently read exactly after that trigger each day. Even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes. The more consistent you are, and the longer you keep the streak going, the stronger the habit will become.
7. Don’t make it a chore. Don’t make it something on your todo list or schedule that you have to check off. It’s not part of your self-improvement plan. It’s a part of your Make Life More Awesome Plan.
8. Give up on a book if it’s boring. Reading isn’t something you do because it’s good for you — it’s not like taking your vitamins. You’re reading because it’s fun. So if a book isn’t fun, dump it. Give it a try for at least a chapter, but if you still don’t love it, move on.
9. Discover amazing books. I talk to other people who are passionate about books, and I’ll read reviews, or just explore an old-fashioned bookstore. Supporting your local bookstores is a great thing, and it’s incredibly fun. Libraries are also amazing places that are underused — get a card today.
10. Don’t worry about speed. Speed reading is fine for some, but slow reading is great too. The number of books, and the rate of reading them, matters not a whit. It’s not a competition. You’re reading to enjoy the books, so take your time. It’s like enjoying good food, or good sex: better savored, not rushed.
(Leo Babauta at Zen Habits)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Shifting my calendar to carve out creative time
A couple of months ago I took an invigorating workshop with Dave Ellis, a leadership coach. One of my A-list projects was to begin moving towards working for money half-time and creating half-time without a big dip in income. When I met with my Ellis buddy a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take on that A-project like no kidding, so while I was on the cruise to Alaska I talked to my wise friend Melanie and we threw around ideas and I began to look at how I could do this. Here's my current plan:
1. Beginning in December, I'll be able to save a great deal of money every month that I currently pay for health insurance. Some of that money that I won't have to earn can buy some creative time.
2. I can hone my work estimating so that I don't lose money on the occasional project that takes much longer than I'd planned.
3. I can have a frank conversation with my financial advisor about how best to use my retirement resources to fund my creative life.
4. And I can begin to change my schedule.
At first, I thought I would want to have some long days to write each week, but the idea of only being available to my clients 3 days a week and one of those being Saturday didn't work too well. So now I'm working with the following possible schedule:
Creative: Mon, Tues, Thurs mornings and all day Friday
Paid work: Mon, Tues, Thurs afternoons, all day Wednesday and some Saturday hours if needed
Sundays are off and I'll try to funnel all appts into Tuesday afternoons.
This will take some getting used to and a kind of focus that I'm only used to having during writing retreats. I did not find myself jumping up to write this morning. Instead, I worked on a rush project for a client that I knew was coming. And I ran errands that I hadn't been able to do on Saturday. So I am facing the non-time-management issues around this too. Taking my work seriously, and as equally important. So I'm getting up to write tomorrow, no matter the resistance!
1. Beginning in December, I'll be able to save a great deal of money every month that I currently pay for health insurance. Some of that money that I won't have to earn can buy some creative time.
2. I can hone my work estimating so that I don't lose money on the occasional project that takes much longer than I'd planned.
3. I can have a frank conversation with my financial advisor about how best to use my retirement resources to fund my creative life.
4. And I can begin to change my schedule.
At first, I thought I would want to have some long days to write each week, but the idea of only being available to my clients 3 days a week and one of those being Saturday didn't work too well. So now I'm working with the following possible schedule:
Creative: Mon, Tues, Thurs mornings and all day Friday
Paid work: Mon, Tues, Thurs afternoons, all day Wednesday and some Saturday hours if needed
Sundays are off and I'll try to funnel all appts into Tuesday afternoons.
This will take some getting used to and a kind of focus that I'm only used to having during writing retreats. I did not find myself jumping up to write this morning. Instead, I worked on a rush project for a client that I knew was coming. And I ran errands that I hadn't been able to do on Saturday. So I am facing the non-time-management issues around this too. Taking my work seriously, and as equally important. So I'm getting up to write tomorrow, no matter the resistance!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Retrieving my zero draft mentality
While I was on vacation, one rainy afternoon I pulled up the draft of the first 7 chapters of the new novel I'm working on. I read through it, did a little rewriting, rethinking, but I didn't really get into it. I didn't have a big block of time, I wasn't in a situation to build any momentum, but I wanted to be back in touch with my characters and I hoped I'd have a clear idea of where to go next in the story. That didn't arrive.
Tomorrow is Writing Friday and I'm out of excuses. I've also committed to producing at least one new chapter before my writing group meets next Tuesday and tomorrow will be the day to do it. I have to admit my acquiring of an agent has set me back a little. The stakes seem higher. I find myself no longer in the writing-for-fun mindset and that's got to change, because what I need now is to retrieve my zero draft mentality. That anything goes, that it doesn't matter if I write a chapter that won't be in the final book or if I take a character down a deadend street or if the writing is marginal. I just need to get back into it and trust that the characters, my imagination, and my muse will all come through for me.
The truth is, I love to be in the middle of a writing project and I haven't been since July. I need it to happen and so tomorrow, I'm writing something, anything, to get me going again.
Tomorrow is Writing Friday and I'm out of excuses. I've also committed to producing at least one new chapter before my writing group meets next Tuesday and tomorrow will be the day to do it. I have to admit my acquiring of an agent has set me back a little. The stakes seem higher. I find myself no longer in the writing-for-fun mindset and that's got to change, because what I need now is to retrieve my zero draft mentality. That anything goes, that it doesn't matter if I write a chapter that won't be in the final book or if I take a character down a deadend street or if the writing is marginal. I just need to get back into it and trust that the characters, my imagination, and my muse will all come through for me.
The truth is, I love to be in the middle of a writing project and I haven't been since July. I need it to happen and so tomorrow, I'm writing something, anything, to get me going again.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Thoughts on writing well from Joseph Epstein
"Learning to write sound, interesting, sometimes elegant prose is the work of a lifetime. The only way I know to do it is to read a vast deal of the best writing available, prose and poetry, with keen attention, and find a way to make use of this reading in one's own writing. The first step is to become a slow reader. No good writer is a fast reader, at least not of work with the standing of literature. Writers perforce read differently from everyone else. Most people ask three questions of what they read: (1) What is being said? (2) Does it interest me? (3) Is it well constructed? Writers also ask these questions, but two others along with them: (4) How did the author achieve the effects he has? And (5) What can I steal, properly camouflaged of course, from the best of what I am reading for my own writing? This can slow things down a good bit."
Taken from the October 2011 online magazine: Vocabula Review
Taken from the October 2011 online magazine: Vocabula Review
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cruisin' for characters
This past week I was on a cruise that went from Seattle to Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska. It is a great way to vacation. I went on the Holland America line, which had been recommended to me by several friends. Great food, excellent accommodations, and seeing Alaska and the coastline of British Columbia were wonderful. We did have some bad weather and didn't see everything on the original itinerary as we had to skirt even worse weather but the trip was till great. And I have to say, a cruise is an amazing place to people watch and find characters for your writing.
There are numerous options for meals. Many of the people seem to continually opt for the all-day buffet. The food there was good and it was convenient and the Lido deck, where the buffet was, had big windows and you could sit and watch the sea and the view. I ate up there for breakfast once and lunch twice and saw a few interesting characters. But the best experience for my writing was in the Vista Dining Room.
Most days we ate all 3 meals there. Many of the tables are for 4-8 people and we were 2, so they always asked before seating us if we'd like to share a table and we always said yes. It's not very often that I get to spend an hour over a meal with complete strangers, listening to their accents, their speech mannerisms. Or getting an opportunity to watch their physical quirks and gestures, their manner of dress. It isn't staring excellently but there is an opportunity to study several people in that intimate a setting.
There was a bit of sameness. They were mostly couples, mostly middle-aged and older, mostly white. But there were at least two couples who really intrigued me, who just might show up in a book soon. In his book Weekend Novelist, Robert Ray recommends spending a lot of time in public places, like a shopping mall, to scope out potential body types, mannerisms, affectations. And I've done some of that but those experiences are more fleeting.
For character studies, cruise ships are a better deal. And way more fun!
There are numerous options for meals. Many of the people seem to continually opt for the all-day buffet. The food there was good and it was convenient and the Lido deck, where the buffet was, had big windows and you could sit and watch the sea and the view. I ate up there for breakfast once and lunch twice and saw a few interesting characters. But the best experience for my writing was in the Vista Dining Room.
Most days we ate all 3 meals there. Many of the tables are for 4-8 people and we were 2, so they always asked before seating us if we'd like to share a table and we always said yes. It's not very often that I get to spend an hour over a meal with complete strangers, listening to their accents, their speech mannerisms. Or getting an opportunity to watch their physical quirks and gestures, their manner of dress. It isn't staring excellently but there is an opportunity to study several people in that intimate a setting.
There was a bit of sameness. They were mostly couples, mostly middle-aged and older, mostly white. But there were at least two couples who really intrigued me, who just might show up in a book soon. In his book Weekend Novelist, Robert Ray recommends spending a lot of time in public places, like a shopping mall, to scope out potential body types, mannerisms, affectations. And I've done some of that but those experiences are more fleeting.
For character studies, cruise ships are a better deal. And way more fun!
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