Writing, for me, is like dining on a fine meal. I ease my way into the plate by starting with the vegetables and starches, but the true heart of my writing is in the protein. It isn’t until I sink my teeth into the real meat of the dish that I truly get the taste for the potential of the story. Lately I have been spending an inordinate amount of time being distracted by the side dishes and leaving no room for the most important part of the meal.
Blogging has become a very special part of my life and I look forward to writing every day and reading posts from others afflicted by the same passion. I’ve been so wrapped up in the world of WordPress that I have all but abandoned the book that I had begun writing a while ago. Until recently, I had great intentions of setting aside time to do nothing but continue the journey of the characters I created so long ago. But that has finally changed.
(image courtesy of Google)
With encouragement from fellow blogger Sage Doyle, we made a pact. We vowed to set aside time two mornings a week and make the other accountable for getting up early and devoting time to write. With coffee in hand, we check in with each other in the wee hours of dawn, bid each other adieu for a couple of hours and we write. There is no TV, no noise, just caffeine induced creativity. It’s been a fantastic way for me to shift focus back onto the book because I have that accountability, and it is truly inspiring me to dedicate that much-needed time to the WIP. My characters are animated once again and brushing the dust from their clothing. They have attitude and they now know there is a time and a place that they can bring it.
Fleeting ideas are now forming into meaningful sentences and paragraphs and 1,500 words magically transposed themselves onto the screen on Wednesday. My plate is full and it’s time to gnaw on the chops of my writing as well as enjoying the appetizers.
What is your writing ritual?
polysyllabic profundities 
For me, accountability is the key to reaching my goals. Good luck with your book!
Thank you. It sure is helping to keep me focused.
I was just thinking how much time I devote to reading and writing – and my ‘book’ research is sitting on my shelf being chewed by the cat…
I like your idea – I might have to adopt a ritual… I cannot wait to read what has come from your mind, my friend!
Thank you!! I would say join us at 6:00 am, but that would be 4:00 am your time….that might be pushing the envelope a bit!! 🙂
Yes – that’s my last hour to sleep before my 5AM rousing!
Several weeks ago I visited the Carl Sandburg National Park in East Flat Rock, NC. Beyond the beauty of the place where Mr. S lived his final 22 years I was fascinated by the tour guide’s insight into the Lincoln biographer’s writing schedule. He wrote AT night after supper and a visit with his wife and daughters and grandchildren. He wrote ALL night in a small office on the second floor of the house and would wave from his window as the rest of his family went to work at their goat farm on the premises the next morning. He slept for five or six hours, had a light lunch and then worked all afternoon with a cousin who typed what he wrote the previous night. When he finished, he would spend an hour or so with his wife before supper. If I write for several hours every OTHER day, I think I’ve done something. If there were a division for lightweight writers, I’d be there. Carl Sandburg was a heavyweight.
I wish I had more time to dedicate to writing. Living as a single income negates the idea of becoming a full time writer at this point (unless I win a lottery in the meantime). That would have been an interesting visit!!
I like to write first thing in the morning. I like to edit at night. I’m just blogging right now. I don’t have a book in mind, although I should. I have much to share, I just don’t think I have what it takes to finish a book and then promote it, or talk a publisher into doing that.
You’ll never know until you give it a try!! 🙂
I love how you express yourself, and I am thinking I should find me a writing buddy who will keep me in line. It is funny, but yesterday at my writers’ group meeting one of the writers told us about this idea…
I love the way you express yourself
Thanks so much!!
Sadly, I find most of my writing is off the cuff, with minimal editing. (Editing sucks,)
Lately, i’ve been making at least a few minutes a day for something I’m working on, but I don’t know how long that will last, It’s a bit formal for me.
I find the structure helps me. I didn’t realize I was so easily distracted when I am…..oh, look a squirrel…..
“afflicted by the same passion” 🙂 Awesome!
Thanks Rick!!
I was writing a sci-fi novel, but it keeps becoming overcome by events. Both events that prevent me from writing it, and events that somewhat negate the prescient inventions I had in there. Sigh.
Don’t say ‘was writing’….trust me, that book will wait for you to return. The few hours I spend in the mornings are keeping my story alive….and it’s a great feeling knowing it is there to welcome me when I take the time to feed it and watch it grow.
My ritual is to pound out (as in sledgehammer) the words early in the morning while the deadline of leaving for work looms like a black pregnant cloud over my head. The other day I wrote a piece about time travel. I thought it was ironic since I spared absolutely no time or thought in working on it. I simply McDonaldized text as fast as my nimble fingers could go. You’re supposed to wear three hats when writing: writer, editor, reader. Three distinct phases. I generally skip that stuff. Later, if I have time, I reread my work and try to fix most of the grammatical errors that happened due to raw speed. That time travel piece maybe took 15 minutes. I don’t exactly strive for quality. That would take too much time.
Lol….there is lots of quality in your writing. I always enjoy it!!
Every successful writer I read about seems to find a way to eliminate distractions and to set aside a specific time to write, as you do. I’m the Queen of Distractions, unfortunately. And I re-write the heck out of everything until I’m sick of it.
I’d like to find a writing partner like you have so we could check on each other. I’ve found a few but they soon fell by the wayside. Do you follow up with Sage after your writing period?
We do follow up afterwards. It’s really helping me stay focused.
My ritual is writing 3-4 different stories at once in a very disorganized fashion. It’s not a very good system, but somehow I have yet to go crazy from it.
Perhaps you were crazy when you started?? It’s just a theory. 🙂