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| Tips to feed your creativity. |
Writing is hard
work, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
We spend hours
at a computer, neglecting exercise and proper posture. Beyond that, we pour our
hearts and souls into the words we arrange into stories, articles, even blog
posts. We spend time and money learning how to write, constantly improving our
skills.
Then, when it
seems like it couldn’t get any harder, we take a deep breath and share our
words with the world. So often that world can be less than kind. To face the
tumultuous life of writing, we have to take time to feed your writer’s soul.
Today I want to
share some tips you can use to
nurture the writer within.
1. Come up
with a schedule—complete with breaks—and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be a to-the-minute
sort of thing. I promise myself a break every hour to hour-and-a-half. But
breaking things into small bites reduces the stress.
2. Set
goals, some small, some large. Keep them varied. It will keep you interested, successful and help
you make forward progress, not matter what type of writing you’re doing.
3. Reward
yourself when you meet a goal. What’s the point of a reaching a goal if you don’t get to
celebrate? Goals give you something to shoot for and something to
celebrate. It could be something as easy as 5 M & Ms when you write
500 words. But take time to give yourself positive feedback.
4. Surround
yourself with cheerleaders. Enlist
your family and friends in your dream. Share your struggles, share your goals,
share your success. You’ll be richer in the end.
5. Take time
to be a vegetable. For
me, that’s mindless TV. I love Survivor, Castle and Big Bang Theory. For you,
it may be time to thumb through a magazine or have a cup of coffee with a
friend.
6. And on
that note…eat right. I
know, it’s become a cliché. But things are clichés for a reason—they’re usually
true. Make sure your diet is well balanced. None of us can exist for days on
end with nothing but junk food.
7. Don’t
forget to exercise. I
hate it like the plague (talk about a cliché). But I ALWAYS feel better when I
take time for it. No only do I feel better physically, but I’m sharper
mentally.
8. Join a
writing community. Or if
you already have one, take part in it. I’m part of My Book Therapy, and love
hanging out on our Facebook page. I’m also part of several local groups. I don’t
limit myself because as you may have noticed, I believe variety is the spice of
life.
9. Give
yourself permission to write junk. Sometimes I just have to write bad before I can write good. Knowing
it’s going to happen makes it more palatable. And that’s the genius behind
NaNoWriMo. Writing 50,000 words in a single month doesn’t leave you with time
to agonize over editing.
10. Don’t
neglect your spiritual life.
None of us would be here without God. Make Him your priority and He’ll handle
the rest.
These are my 10
tips for feeding my writer’s soul. What would you add to the list? Be sure to
leave your thoughts below.
Don’t forget to
join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEETABLES
As always, great tips and reminders of things that may have been neglected in my writing life. Thanks, Edie, for putting together your wonderful lists that keep us on target!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, thank you for the encouragement! Blessings, E
DeleteGreat list, Edie! I would add the importance of cat-napping. I do not like to nap! I'm learning, however, that if I can rest for 20 minutes (I set my timer) I wake up feeling more refreshed.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I love that addition! Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteGreat ideas Ms. Edie! Thanks for sharing. For me, it's walking outside and feeding the donkeys a snack or fussing around with one of the calves. In just minutes, I am renewed and filled with joy. I find that words flow easier when happy.
ReplyDeleteJim, definitely one I'll add to the list! LOL! Thanks for taking time to share, Blessings, E
DeleteHi, Edie! I would add reading to the list for me. Sometimes I need to stop writing and instead of creating story, I need to be lost in story. Usually I encounter a character, a plot twist, an effective metaphor, etc., and think, "I wish I'd written that!" Those moments inspire me. (P.S. I miss Castle! I love Big Bang, too!)
ReplyDeleteOH Karen, good one! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Blessings, E
DeleteGreat list, Edie! When the words just won't come, I go outside and sit in my garden. God is always present to bring peace and motivation.
ReplyDeleteEmme, defintely a great addition! Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, thank you so much for your ideas and encouragement! Sometimes I feel lost in the process and you make writing doable without such strict guidelines. Your suggestions make writing much more enjoyable. Exercise always helps me the most. Thank you for your inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMarsha, We all work better when have others who know what our challenges are and share what's helped them! Thank you for the encouragement, Blessings, E
DeleteThank you. This is great wisdom. :-)
ReplyDelete