25th August 2007..
Hi Everyone – Saturday again….
A bit like a revolving door really, I step in – it whizzes around and here we are again.
My working world has been very busy this week as I tie-up all my loose ends before taking a two week break. Consequently I haven't had any time whatsoever to think about writing or my groups – but as always my working life and writing life seem to bleed into each other and a couple of thoughts have occurred.
"Deadlines are good" Honestly… they are ! If I let a project amble on I lose the creative energy, enthusiasm and drive with the consequence that the writing suffers. They also offer framework and structure to a project which otherwise perhaps might grow out of control as your imagination takes over ("guilty as charged your honour...")
If I have a deadline (self-imposed or outside), I am forced to keep revisiting the project at regular stages to get it finished and I find that I don't prevaricate or find other more important things to do. So if you don't have deadlines in your writing world, why not try making some.
Suggestions:-
- Keep a writing diary (I have one from MsLexia with hints and tips as well – but any one will do). Keep it on your desk and get into the habit of referring to it at least once a week - Place interesting competitions/submission suggestions in, and other prompts or random thoughts that don't fit elsewhere.
- Use your On-Line or Brower diary (ie Outlook, AOL, or Yahoo etc) to flag up important stepping stones in your project. If you are writing a story which needs to be ready for say 3 months time, think through the steps needed to complete the project and put those in your diary to remind you and give you a nudge.
- My favourite has been to write down a brief mantra to myself enthusing about how brilliant I am, what I can achieve with on a particular project and setting out some steps that I need to do to achieve it – all the things that people don't tell you and you forget to tell yourself. I then sent it to myself using one of those card sites such as Moonpig.com.
This card arrived "unexpectedly" three months after I had started the task (early onset Alzheimer's I think !!). Even though I had written the card, I had forgotten this, and distance meant I read it as if it was from someone else… duh!
It made my day, the project which was refreshed and my enthusiasm returned when I remembered why I had started it.
If you have any favourite ways of creating deadlines – please share it with us.
Don't forget that this is the season of Creative Writing Courses – take a look at your local Uni and see if they have one which you can take on-line. Even the most experienced writer can benefit from touching base with their "beginner" self. Sometimes we wander very far away from our initial intentions on our writing journey – and this is a good way to reset your compass.
Prompts:
- "Sharing my father's shadow"
- Write about a day of two climates.
- A paragraph or two about a "Whistler"
- Consider the word – Valiant.
A Quote to consider:
Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable.
Brenda Ueland