Sustaining Your Creative Writing Practice

by Victoria M. Johnson

 I know many writer friends who feel overwhelmed with their families, their jobs, and the world, and they've stopped writing.  It's not that any one of them intended to stop writing.  But once stopped it's proven difficult to find the time--or the way--to relight the flame.

 I teach a class about sustaining the creative writing habit and we talk about what makes a habit and how to grow your actions into a habit in the first place.  For writers this means writing as well as creating a routine for writing.  Among other things, you stick to this routine as much as possible to develop it into a practice. 

 Naturally there are times when you can't physically or emotionally write.  Life happens.  Life often delivers unexpected hardships and emotionally draining challenges.  When you've been dealt a jarring setback allow yourself a guilt-free break in those circumstances.  Nourish your spirit.  Gather your strength.  Take care of yourself first.  Then get back to your writing practice.

 A good way to start is by feeding your creative soul.  For me that's a visit with nature.  The sound of waves crashing while strolling along the beach, hiking on a trail, or simply walking to a neighborhood park helps restore my sense of being.  The fresh air and movement does wonders for the spirit.  After a few minutes in the outdoors I can't help but unwind, and my writer's brain can't help but make mental notes for a poem or other piece.

Photo by Alessio Lin

 My next favorite way to start feeling like myself again is exercise.  I love Zumba.  It's vigorous, challenging, and enjoyable.  Others might prefer a jog, a swim, or a punching bag.  Do whatever it takes for you to get some of that energy out and allow yourself to feel in control again. Experts say aromatherapy or massage have healing powers.  I agree on both counts.

 In time you'll be ready for the feeding of your imagination with things that stimulate you--be that music, artworks, or reading favorite works of others.  Feed it nourishing things.  And eventually you will pick up the pen.  Just write.  Forget high standards.  Forget the rules of writing.  Forget what you should be writing.  Just write what you want to write about.  Just say what you have to say.  Just write for a few minutes.  No pressure.  And you keep doing this until you get your mojo back.

 You're in this life for the long haul and it's natural to have periods when you need to step away from your writing.  It's okay.  A key to sustainability is taking that break... and coming back. 

Some authors can write through difficulties, others need to recover from them before putting words on paper.  Both are correct.  The important thing is resuming your practice and writing like crazy... when you're ready.  Do you have any tips for sustaining your writing practice?  Let us know in the comments below.

Victoria M. Johnson knew by the time she was ten that she wanted to be a writer.  She loves telling stories and she's happiest when creating new characters and new plots.  Avalon Books and Montlake Romance published Victoria's fiction debut, The Doctor’s Dilemma.  Her other fiction book is a collection of romance short stories titled, The Substitute Bride and a novella, Hot Hawaiian Christmas. She is also the writer and director of four short films and two micro documentaries.   Visit Victoria's website at http://VictoriaMJohnson.com for inspiration and tips and find her Amazon author page or connect with her on Pinterest and Twitter.

 

Zen and the Art of Doodling

It’s First Fridays, and thus, time to get creative… with zen doodling. It’s the latest rage! Okay, it’s not such a rage. More of a low murmur. And Okay, it’s not so new. In fact, it’s as old as the hills. But I’m “down with the kids”, and this is what they’re murmuring about this week: Zen Doodles.

What, you ask, is a zen doodle? (Pretend you asked.) Basically, it’s a doodle. It’s one big, complex, massive doodle. What’s the point of a zen doodle?

1. Meditative
2. Stress release
3. A plotting tool
4. Cool art to fill the pages of your journal.

It’s meditative, because it helps you to exercise moving from constraint to freedom. The only constraint is the page on which you’re doodling. Then you slowly add constraints – an outline of my hand was my constraint in this doodle (below). Then you free up again by doodling in one portion of it, then add constraint – a curve, a flower petal, a line – big and bold within the constraint of the hand, then within that constraint, you add another layer of free-form detail. (This, by the way, is a LOT like plotting a novel.)

It’s a stress release, because it requires very little attention. I did the hand while having coffee with the LWDC (Ladies Who Drink Coffee). As we chatted, I doodled.

It’s a plotting tool. I suffer (suffer?) from Attention Deficit Disorder or A.D.D. – an ugly, pejorative term that doesn’t really describe what it is to have ADD. I prefer to think of it as Attention Diversity Dilemma. Sure, one of its less pleasant side bars is the inability to focus – on stuff that other people want you to focus! I’m perfectly chill with focusing on what I want to focus. Sometimes I need to employ strategies… like zen-doodling. I write. My mind wanders. I doodle. I strum my banjo, (always close at hand), and then I turn back to writing. I have a goal of 1,000 words per day. That’s just four pages, approximately. I can do that – in and around Attention Diversity Dilemma. Would I be more productive without A.D.D.? Maybe. Who knows, but I’m certain I would be far less creative.

Here’s a little video book trailer I put together for one of my off-road books, (another hazard of A.D.D. – going off-track genre-wise). The entire book trailer is just one big giant zen-doodle! While writing the book, I created pictures – still shots of scenes that were playing in my head – then I used my words – a free-form expression of what I hoped to incorporate into the characters, the plot, etc., into the creation of the pictures. The zen doodle is the plot! I hope you enjoy the trailer, even if the book might not be exactly your cuppa tea. (Warning: It's young adult, paranormal, not cozy.) The book I'm writing now is a sweet romantic comedy loosely based on the play, Cyrano DeBergerac, by Edmund Rostand. I'll try to post some of the zen doodles on my blog at www.sofiecouch.blogspot.com as I journal the plot... soon. 

So, the next time you sit down to coffee with friends, pick up a pen, grab a piece of paper… and zen doodle. You never know where it may lead you.