Getting words on the page is much easier with
the correct frame of mind. Before you think
about writing, prepare yourself for a
productive writing session. I use several
writing tools including software, prompts,
books, and atmosphere. None of them will work
if I'm not in the writer mindset. Here are a
few simple things you can do to put you on
the fast track to a productive writing
session.
Think like a writer without the drama. Drama
can be being upset at your boss if you have a
job, or family member. It can be reviewing
something that happened in your day that sets
an unsettling mood or atmosphere. Financial
stress can cause a clouded mind. Be artistic
and have peace of mind. Calm yourself. Yes!
It is possible. Before you write, set up a
pleasant environment. Put some Loreena
McKennit in the CD player or Yanni, perhaps.
Relax. Get rid of the negative crap and
meditate. After the mind is calm, you can
concentrate on thoughts of your writing
project. Put notes in front of you and make
new ones.
I lost the ability to get to sleep quickly
for a while, with my mind racing out of
control, and then I started thinking calmly
and remembering the words to an old U2 song
and meditated on it. They were, "Sleep, Sleep
Tonight, and May Your Dreams Be Realized". I
learned to be calm and actually think sleep.
Learning little tricks to calm myself, or
even to ignite into a quick, energized state,
is something I've had to learn out of
desperation, trial, and error. As a writer,
we tend to over exaggerate and make things
difficult. Just as I thought of sleep and
getting sleepier, I can think of words
flowing effortlessly onto the page. I can
think like a writer with focus and conviction
in what I do. Energy can be ignited into an
explosive form, producing page after page.
Knowing and keeping in mind exactly the
subject your working on will propel you to
the next level of writing at a very rapid
pace. You can be a pace setter, like a pace
car at the speedway.
The Holy Bible says, " A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways." Having focus with
singleness of mind is imperative. Having a
one-track mind gets things done. If your mind
is untrained, you'll be pulled in a thousand
different directions. Without focus, the
people perish.
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your
balance you must keep moving. Albert
Einstein.
Set the surroundings up in advance before
writing. My desktop has notes on it. I have
an inviting and clean place to work. My
iGoogle homepage has writing quotes, and
quotes by Albert Einstein, Socrates, and
Aristotle, to name a few. The proper mindset
doesn't start just before the writing begins,
it starts when you wake up of a morning and
it lasts the entire day.
The proper mindset is a habit. Think writer
and think correctly. You'll be able to write
more quickly and efficiently, with less
effort, and gain the ability to generate
prose worthy of praise. Everything comes into
play, including background, attitude, and if
you've had too much coffee. Once your mind is
trained, you can be in a noisy concentration
camp, with your dead dog in your lap, and
still meditate on the proper things. Just
think more like a writer and you'll start
acting more like a writer. Stillness of mind
is the best trick I've learned. Use it.
Meditate. Your pocketbook will thank you and
you may end up leaving an awesome legacy.
Copyright© 2007 - AJ Dowell