Why being regular is a must for writers!
Five ways to beat creative constipation.
Back in the good ole days, before fast media, being regular was much easier. You weren’t being lured every minute by delicious online distractions and you could stick to a diet of healthy low carb research and daily writing.
I remember the bliss of working on one project at a time, taking as long as it took to finish, of not even thinking about being out there in the world until it there was a launch or opening night to tell people about. If you were lucky you might get a bit of publicity in the press, if not you would have some screen printed posters to put around and would let people know by word of mouth, telephone or send a written invitation in the mail.
I remember taking four years to finish the feature film script called Talk. Of having the luxury of a one year fellowship to write my play, Escape From a Better Place. Back then I received commissions to research and write plays in quite lengthy time frames which also included a workshopping process with actors and directors.
Writing prose is different — there’s no one to workshop with and unless you are really famous, no one is commissioning, so you have to set your own timetables and deadlines. But these days even those who are not yet full-time writers are encouraged to keep a hi-viz profile — blogging and tweeting, gramming and snapchatting, showing a potential publisher how seriously saleable you are. It’s a full time job!
What happens then to the full time job of writing?
The feast of colour, image and information grabs we imbibe every day is like a diet of hi-tech fast food that looks and tastes delicious but has no nutritional value. Unless we are strict with ourselves we can find our energy drained and dissipated from just keeping up with…
yes? what is it we are keeping up with?
You gotta be regular, my mother always told me. It’s good for the colon and the brain. When our energy gets stuck so do our ideas.
So here are five things to remember..
1.Walk before you write.
2. Slow is ok, regular is good.
3. Write in bite-sized sessions.
4. Take time to digest what you wrote the day before.
5. Keep coming back to the desk, that’s all you have to do!
Louise DeSalvo in The Art of Slow Writing says..
“Slow writing is a meditative act. It acknowledges that we are all beginners and insists we cultivate empathy for ourselves because being a writer isn’t easy. Slow writing is a way to resist the dehumanisation inherent in a world that values speed. It’s one way to find — or return to — our authentic selves”
© Jan Cornall 2017
Having trouble getting started? Get your free Anti-Procrastination E Book HERE.
Jan Cornall is a writer/performer/teacher. Her books, Take Me To Paradise and Archipelagogo are available here. She is currently working on a travel memoir about following the footsteps of the French writer Marguerite Duras in Veitnam and Cambodia. Jan also mentors writers and leads international writing workshops and retreats.
Next trips heading out:
Taste of Tibet, June 7–18, a 12 day creative tour for writers and artists.
Backstage Bali, Oct 14–21, seven days, mountains and ricefields retreat.
Moroccan Caravan, Mar 4–17, 2018. A camel riding/writing adventure into the Sahara.
Enjoyed this? Hit the heart 💚 so others will find it too!
