Great insights and lessons from the trenches. I suffer from a lot of the same “isms” you mention. And when I don’t write, when I get off my path, I am just not me. I lose my sense of self and my joy for the world we live in. For the subtleties that make life interesting and that make my heart glow.
A couple other ideas for keeping your writing fresh I use when all else fails:
5. Get out in the world and observe. Listen. Watch. Try and understand the relationships between the people you see and their world around them. Just slow the mind down, and observe. What do you see? What do you feel? What does that mean for how you live your life? Sometimes I will create character sketches of the people I see existing out in the world. Where are they going or coming from? What is their deal?
6. Go to a movie. Preferrably a good one, with interesting characters and narrative tension, not just great special effects. When I do that I imagine what the writers were trying to make us feel as they crafted the story. Talk about the movie with a friend after. Where did you feel the most engaged? Did it happen the way you wanted it to? What would you have changed?
I love your writing Jon, and have passed your words along to colleagues and friends who now follow as well. Resist the dark time and keep writing. It’s awesome. Thanks.
