Hi there,
Hope everyone is having a fun-filled, but relaxing, summer. Sometimes, though, summers get so hectic we don't take the time to do the things we love, like sitting in a shaded hammock reading the steamy Micah's Child, or starting that novel or short story you always dreamed of writing. How do you find time for yourself during the dog-earred days of summer?
Mike and I have been asked to give talks about that very subject to writing groups around the Southeast. We also give talks on Writing the Memoir and Writing with a Partner. But today, we'll share with you our outline for Finding Time to Write. If anyone is interested in the other two talks, we'll be happy to post our notes for those.
Hope our notes give you some tips on how to find more time for yourself.
Diane
Finding the Time to Write by Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan
“That’s not a banana, that’s my nose!”
I. Strip away the peel to free the creative YOU.
A. Beware of the CAT (conformity, apathy, tabloid mentality) as defined by author Mari Messer.
B. Think sideways and backwards.
C. Slow down.
D. Forget what you know.
E. See all the colors that make up white (or green, blue, etc.). Spend some time in an art museum, nature, unique store, etc.
F. Believe that you are creative.
Discussion: What are your most stubborn obstacles to your creative expression? What do you most want to let go of?
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
II. Identify your creative space where your ideas flow best.
A. Tent in the Blue Ridge Mountains
B. The caves of Umbria
C. A cement bunker behind his house—J.D. Salinger
D. Coffee shop—Michael Buchanan
E. A small sun room—Diane Lang
Discussion: Where is your “walled garden”? Describe your fantasy writing space? Where do you write best? Why do you write best there?
“I find TV very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book.”
III. Surround yourself with objects and colors that speak to your creative muse, so you go to your creative home more often.
A. Meaningful objects make your space real.
B. Your special artifacts stimulate the mind.
C. Your creative self feels safe and at home, so ideas flow more readily.
Discussion: Share your special writing “prompts.”
“Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we go.”
IV. Deadlines, over-scheduling, and busyness kills creativity. Find the balance between the rational and the imaginative mind.
A. Interests become narrow.
B. Stress interferes with creativity and dreams.
C. Lack of living in the Present
D. You’re too tired for creativity.
E. Distractions are everywhere.
What can you do?
A. Cut your “to do” list in half.
B. Schedule a romantic evening with your writing, complete with music, flowers and wine—it really works!
C. Schedule a weekend away for just the two of you.
Discussion: How can you turn your chaotic life into a more creative one? Cut and Paste your life so you have at least three hours a week in your “walled garden.”
“Risk is part of the game if you want to sit in that chair.”
V. Fear can keep you from writing, whether it’s fear of rejection, success, criticism, the blank page, failure, etc.
A. Talk to someone you trust.
B. Get past the first paragraph and become connected to your work.
C. To fear is human.
D. Research equals confidence.
E. Write for your eyes only.
F. Turn your fear into a major character in your novel.
Discussion: When was your scariest writing time? How did you get through it? Feel free to share your current fears.
“Well-behaved women (men) rarely make history.”
VI. Take your own creative risks.
A. Start small—one chapter, paragraph, or sentence at a time.
B. Share bits and pieces with writing groups.
C. Take a creative writing or screenplay writing class
D. Reward yourself for trying.
E. Collaborate with a friend
F. Write the familiar.
G. What risks do you regret not taking?
Discussion: What have you learned from the risks you’ve taken? How did you cope with setbacks or failures? What were your successes?
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know which one you’re gonna get.”
VII. Oil the Tin Man. Write until your ideas start to flow again. Fill up the blank page.
A. Write in longhand for ten minutes.
B. Write about the mood you’re in.
C. Write long e-mails to friends.
D. Doodle.
E. Write a comic strip.
F. Write about something that makes you angry or exhilarated.
G. React to the news, movies, politics, books, religion, teachers, kids, etc.
H. Sit down to write one paragraph or half an hour only. See where that leads you.
I. Change your point of view. Get to know people who are vastly different from you. What would it be like to be a teacher, mail carrier, podiatrist, wine steward?
Discussion: Write as fast as you can from a different point of view for three minutes.
“Life must be lived as play.”
VIII. Play around with ideas, especially really off-the-wall ideas.
A. Put a character in an unfamiliar situation.
B. Give voice to inanimate objects or animals.
C. Write like a space alien.
D. Write without a goal in mind.
E. Write for the fun of it.
F. View the world through humorous eyes.
G. Allow yourself to make mistakes, and then laugh about them on paper.
H. Sing your words as you write them.
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
XI. Identify your distractions.
A. Technological distractions: cell phone, ipod, internet, television, etc.
B. Human distractions: kids, spouse, needy friends, chatty neighbor
C. Household distractions: the dust is piling up and the grass is tasseling.
D. Emotional distractions: lost job, hurtful or rude comments, divorce, death, difficult relatives.
E. Physical distractions
Discussion: Choose one distraction you can tame.
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”
X. Take it one Day at a Time
A. If you miss one writing day, then write the next day. Guilt is another distraction.
B. Consider your purpose.
C. Set small goals that lead to your larger one.
D. It’s okay to write in circles or start at the end.
E. Join a writer’s group for encouragement or accountability.
F. Never give up.
G. Never give up.
If you don’t feel that finding the time to write is worthwhile, then you won’t create the time to write. Believe that your words have merit.
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