Last week, finally, I was able to wake up and start the day with writing for my current book. Usually, I need to write a blog entry or write some journal notes first in order to get the juices flowing, but last week I was able to break through the routine and deviate when it felt right. And it felt right a lot.
But for the longest time I couldn’t start the morning with the book writing. Sadly, until writing pays the bills, I still have my day job, and I never feel quite relaxed enough to get into a flow state until I’ve exercised, so it takes a bit of time for me to get to my favorite part of the day. And when the day finally does free up for writing time, it’s not always easy to go right into the book. So, I blog or journal first to anchor myself. This routine helps a lot.
The Need for Structure
I think a lot of us feel, or wish, that when inspiration strikes we can dive right in and create. But life is never that convenient. Maybe if I were living alone in an apartment somewhere, smoking the marrow out of life, I might be able to freely produce at will. I doubt it would be any good, but when we are unencumbered by responsibilities, the words come easier because life is so good, we must have the answers.
But I have an army to feed and am juggling a bunch of things. I need structure, whether I like it or not, to keep this writing train going where I want it to go. And it’s working. Every day doesn’t produce great results, but even if I write a crummy thousand words, it moves the needle. If I only write a blog entry, or a poem, or a journal entry, it helps me practice the craft, which increases my ability to write from the hip. Structure to a creative can feel like handcuffs at first glance, but I’ve come to realize it as a necessary tool to let my creativity flow through the peaks and valleys of inspiration.
Breaking Through
The proof is in the pudding, because after a steady two-month routine, I woke up last Monday and started writing the book without giving it any thought. I was just ready to meet the pages. Another time I was walking by my desk and inspiration struck, so I wrote another couple thousand words at a time that I don’t normally reserve for writing. And when inspiration couldn’t be found at the time I do typically reserve for the book, I returned to the blog to anchor myself again.
Creation Road is a bumpy one, with lots of turns and traffic lights. But learning to navigate the interruptions has helped smooth out the bumps and I’m breaking through the roadblocks. The writing process is about much more than outlining and story development. It’s also about putting mechanisms in place so you don’t lose momentum when you struggle to extract what you want from your mind. Like climbing a mountain, you just have to keep taking the steps. Happy writing.