Make Space:
This week’s letter is centered around lessons I’ve learned from “The Power of Writing It Down” by Allison Fallon.
Here are some steps that will help you build a writing habit:
Take stock of your calendar - figure out where you can make time.
Assign a physical space for writing. This could be a couch, an entire room, your car, whatever works for you. Have a designated writing space.
Add ‘Writing Time’ to your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself and treat it with importance. If you had an appointment with a doctor that was hard to schedule, you would show up for it no matter what. That is the sort of importance you need to assign your writing time.
Now, show up to your writing meeting, but feel no pressure to write. Stare at a blank page if you will. You will be surprized with what happens when you have no pressure to make words. Show up, be mentally present and get comfortable with your blank page. You will feel a surge of emotions or thoughts that will greet you. Be with it, work through it.
Continue to show up at the same time and place to write. We are building a habit and some space in your life. That is all. No word count, no pressure. Make space.
I think this translates to any habit you want to build, exercise, reading, meditation. Whatever you want to build, make mental and physical space. The productivity will follow.
This Week’s Writing Tidbits:
This week’s writing tidbit also comes from “The Power of Writing It Down”.
The author talks about a writing prompt that she calls “The Infinity Prompt”.
Use this to help you heal through past trauma, get you out of writers block and help you gain self-awareness. Here is how to go about it:
The Infinity Prompt:
Facts: Write the facts down. like a journalist.
Story: What is the story I am telling myself about the facts?
Feelings: How do I feel about what happened?
Actions: What did I do do engage or disengage with said feelings?
Results: What happens as a result of my actions.
This writing prompt will help you build the insight that is so crucial to improving your writing.
What I’m Reading:
The Power of Writing It Down by Allison Fallon
This book is part therapy, part writer’s-block cure, part movitation and inspiration. A nice comfortable read for new writers. The start and middle are great, towards the end my interest tapered off. I read this in both audio and physical format. I find that reading a book in multiple formats really helps the message sink in.
Favorite Quote This Week:
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe