A Mindful Writer (Part 3 of 3)

Process, process, process….

In short – I know, bit late – a writer needs to find his or her process and stick with it. Whatever it is that helps the writer produce writing that satisfies them is valid to be be called The Right Way, and the only modifications needed are ones that lead to increased satisfaction.

My process is open and entwined with the jumble called the human world. It is whimsical and I am free to tolerate dry spells as well as monsoons.  It is not tied up with units moved or sales promotions right now, because publishing a book isn’t on my agenda at the moment. When that does become my focus, then I will adjust my process accordingly to achieve my goals to the best of my ability.

What’s the mindful aspect to all this?

Simply put, everyone must walk his or her own path in their own way, because they have to use their own figurative feet to do it.

There will always be people who insist the way I walk isn’t right, because my path doesn’t match theirs. They can’t accept that my path doesn’t move towards the same goals as theirs, so they don’t grasp how I could be so ignorant or wasteful as to pursue my goals through my process.

Acceptance means that I will know my goal and walk my path in the way my heart and intuition dictate. I am free to adjust my process because it will bring me closer to my goals, and I will not be coerced into embracing someone else’s process simply because it works for them or it landed them a billion-dollar advance. I promise that many people will embrace that process for exactly that reason…. and then fail. Why? There may be many explanations, but my best guess is that it’s because they were trying too hard to walk someone else’s path rather than their own.

I also accept writer’s block when it happens, simply because it happens. Getting frustrated over it is natural, and it happens, but by accepting it rather than judging it, I can overcome it by doing or writing something else. It’s like when I’m trying to remember someone’s name and the harder I try the farther away it gets. Fighting it is usually futile, while moving on often frees my mind of the block and the name (or the words) shows up.

I need to be non-judgmental about days of writing. They aren’t necessarily good or bad. They are just days. I often fail at this, of course, but that’s usually because a writing day either exceeded or failed to match my expectations for it. It would be a shame to miss the fact that a wonderful day full of value just passed me, declared to be a rotten day just because I wrote 3000 words that might never see the light of day. Shoot, how many best-selling authors had weeks like that? Bunches.

I gotta have faith (there’s that song again!) that my writing will achieve my goal of touching people. Even without very much feedback or comments on my blog, I am confident that I’m hitting my target more than I’m missing it. Writers and guitarists with certain bands simply adore feedback (well, with some writers it has to be positive to be appreciated. Lol). Yet I have faith in what I’m writing whether I hear a word back or not.

Presence? That’s all about being content with being right here, right now. Whatever success I have, whatever status I have as a writer, is where I am. I always have room to improve, and there are always more horizons to aim for. But I should never be dissatisfied with 50 readers because I should have 100; that would rob me of my joy and be a discredit to the 50 readers. I can be present with 50 readers, and at the same time work towards 100. I can let go of yesterday’s day of writing and wait for tomorrow’s; all I have right now is right now.

And right now I’m thankful that the words are flowing. It’s a good writing day!

Oops. Rats!

A Mindful Writer (Part 2 of 3)

Where do I write?

I am not a solitary writer. Sitting on a balcony overlooking the sea ain’t gonna get my fingers moving towards a draft of anything. I’d sit and watch the waves until I dozed off and started work on my 2^nd degree sunburn.

I don’t like writing in my bedroom, my study, my living room, or in secluded places. There are plenty of exceptions, and I’ve written many things in all of those places, but they aren’t my preference.

I am a social writer. I like to write (as I am right now) at a fast food joint where there is a constant swirl of human energy. I enjoy the sounds and sights and pure dynamics of the variety of humanity.

Sometimes that stilts my writing. Some environments are too chaotic and distracting. But the ebb and flow of humanity is by itself a wonderful distraction. They just can’t be people I know, or I’ll stop writing and visit. J

I know some professional writers who basically lock their study door and demand solitude and quiet from the rest of the household. If that’s what they need to do, then by al means I wish them success and productivity. It just isn’t my way.

How do I write?

As I’ve mentioned, I’ll write on just about anything in a pinch. But I’ve somewhat turned away from my love of pen and paper and embraced the flow of my computer. I use my laptop which is connected to a USB keyboard for easier typing.

What happens when the words stop coming?

Hey, it happens sometimes. It can be frustrating as all get out, but I know that the words are just ocean tides. Some of the waves wash up way down there and never really get to me. Sometimes the waves are brief. Sometimes I get a tsunami.

If the tide is high, I write with the waves. If the tide is low, I find something else to do until the tide rolls in again.

Yes, I’ve felt the drive to write when nothing pans out. I have spent hours and written thousands of words, and none of them combine into anything satisfactory. It’s cool; I wanted or needed to write, so I did, whether or not it resulted in anything that could be measured as productive or usable. I save everything anyway, in case the words become useful later down the road.

Sometimes the words I want to write are non-fiction, and the topic just isn’t happening. If I still need to write and I’m getting too frustrated with my current topic, I’ll switch topics. Or maybe I’ll write some verse, or a short story, or some ramble about the fact that nothing I’m writing is working out (yes, I’ve done that; ironically that is often the only thing that actually works out that session).

So, what if too many words come?

That also happens. If I need to sleep or attend to other matters, I will stop writing if possible (and it’s almost always possible). I just make sure that I jot notes at the end of what I’ve written to act as road signs for the next time I sit down to write.

I know that some folks insist on riding that creative wave as long as they can, even into the wee hours. That’s excellent for them, and they need to do that.

For me, I’ve never lost my inertia by setting out pointers for the next day and then getting necessary rest. In fact, as mindful experience attests, without proper rest my mind will start to lose its way. Focus drifts, frustration comes more often, and burnout can become a danger for me.