Writing Begets Writing

“Writing only leads to more writing” - Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette 

A simple yet powerful quote.  The good news is that it really works. I was doing some freewriting when suddenly this “eureka” moment seized me. The writing felt like water gushing from a spring. I thought, “why not a post about how writing begets writing?”

You may be able to speed this moment along by switching up your routine, too. You could be writing a post and then you get another “ah ha” moment and the solution to your plot hole occurs. Or you feel a need for catharsis, and begin journaling. I believe you don’t have to resort to waiting for the “ah ha” moment either. Just simply “mixing it up” or employing several types of writing (essay, blog post, journaling, fiction) can inform your subconscious of the unmet needs that the other types of writing can gift you with. While you are toiling away at one piece of writing, your subconscious is also working. You may never know when that moment will come, so you have to be prepared to wrangle that thought before it slips away.

And it doesn’t matter if you think the writing sucks. Just do it. You will get better over time. But the only way is to apply the BIC principle (butt-in-chair) and start banging out or scribbling down the words. As Dennis Palumbo says in this article, “Every hour you spend writing is an hour NOT spent fretting about your writing. Every day you produce pages is a day you DIDN'T spend sitting at a coffee shop, bitching about not producing any pages.”

I’ll finalize with this quote from Sharon O’Brien, “Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to find out what I was going to say.” - The International Thesaurus of Quotations

Ready...Set...Go - May 2011 Blogathon

Welcome to the first post of May 2011. This has special significance because I belong to a group of bloggers who are participating in a “Blogathon”. The challenge is to produce at least one post per day, every day, throughout the month of May.  Details can be found on Michelle Rafter’s blogquarters, along with advantages you can gain through the discipline of conjuring new material to write every day. 

Throughout the month, I will try my best to stay true to the focus of this website, which is geared toward writers, people who suffer from mental illness, and especially writers who suffer from mental illness. Obviously, this is going to be quite the challenge.  I need more writing discipline, so I welcome it head-on. Hopefully, I’ll maintain some semblance of sanity by the time this thing is over.

Here are some things I’ve done to prepare for the Blogathon:

•  Kept an “idea sheet” in which I have well over 60 ideas for posts
• Became proactive and did some monthly todo’s before the month began
• Did some freewriting every day for about a week
• Prepared my medicine and vitamin pillbox (only a week ahead, as I have no monthly pillbox)

Here are some things I should have done already, but plan to soon:

•  Plan out which days I am posting which topic (although this can be variable)
• Have a weeks or at least 3-4 days of posts already written
• Organize and de-clutter my efficiency apartment
• Create a structured daily routine (as I am currently not working – discipline is not that great)
• Create a daily exercise, yoga, and meditation regimen

I definitely have many things to improve upon to successfully complete this challenge. However, I hope to have achieved a far greater good than what I will have had to sacrifice. And as always, it’s my wish that those of you reading this blog will take something that may be useful to yourself or someone you know.

Thank you for hanging with me, and I hope you continue to visit (even after the blogathon!).

Writing Group Success

I’ve been a part of several online writing groups for quite a few years, but there’s nothing quite like sitting in a meeting room, say at your local coffee shop, restaurant, or library, writing and talking about writing. To be about writing, in a Zen sort of way.

That being said - if you are thinking about starting a group, or becoming a part of an established group, you should really define your purpose. It’s easy to get sidetracked with a group of like-minded writers and start talking about the industry, gossip, the upcoming conference, etc. And if that is part of the purpose of the group, all the better. However, in many cases the purpose is to critique each other’s work, discuss craft, or set aside a predetermined amount of time to dive into your work(s) in progress. Therefore, focus is paramount to accomplishing your writing goals and keeping true to the purpose of the group.

When you are with a group of like-minded people, then the work you are doing seems to flow (at least in my experience). It’s like we are rallying together to keep that persistent entity known as writer’s block from fully taking over our mind. Now there are more than one to pick on, and it gets harder for that bully to achieve its master plan.

If you are finding it difficult to get motivated, these physical groups are able to counter that by making you accountable for your work. There is a natural tendency for us to be true to our words. This makes a full out battle with staring at the blank page turn in our favor.

2 Motivating Posts I Found Today

I discovered a few great posts today using google reader that I’d like to share with you.

The first post is a guest post on Inkygirl.com entitled Want To Write? 18 Great Writers & Thinkers Show You How (Guest Post: Julie Duffy). In the post she gently guides us in the endeavor to write using 18 quotes from great writers. 

My favorite was this one by Andre Gide:  “Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor.”

As a writer with OCD and ADD, this is perhaps my greatest concern for my own writing. I know it can be difficult for any writer, even seasoned authors.

Another point she makes “Procrastination is exhausting…mentally if your favorite sport is ‘beating myself up about not writing’”.  Then she states that if your writing is “work worth doing” then it is “important for your quality of life and your mental health”.

The second post is a guest post on therenegadewriter.com entitled “The Depressed Writer: An Interview with Julie Fast, Author of Get It Done When You’re Depressed.”

Julie Fast has authored both traditional books and e-books, mostly about living with bi-polar disorder and depression. This book in particular is essentially about how to get things done when you are depressed. I haven’t read it yet, but I did just order it through Amazon. I will post a review once I have read it. What I ascertain from the interview is that it is not solely about depression and writing, but there is some material covered in it. That was my impetus for purchasing the book.

She says that the book essentially tells that you can’t let depression keep you down, otherwise nothing will ever get done, including writing. I know, easier said than done. But, there is hope. After all, she claims to be depressed 75% of the time, so you have to be extra vigilante to get things done. I haven’t put a figure in how often I’m depressed, but I would wager that it is near that mark. Actually, with what I’m going through now, I’m surprised that I can even write this post. Thank goodness for all the quotes I was able to use! LOL!

Julie goes on to say, “What’s amazing is that I can’t tell the difference between my writing when I’m depressed and my writing when I am well. Now, the process is horrible. The difference between what you’re doing when you are depressed versus when you’re well feels terrible, but the outcome — you can’t tell the difference.”

As a perfectionist, that statement is very encouraging. She admits that even though we may not feel like working, we do have the ability to get it done.  And once you are able to get some writing done, you will reap the satisfaction of having done something. Writing is in itself, its own reward. 

The interview article really is a fascinating read, and well worth anyone’s time. And that can be said for both articles.

Writing your way through grief over loss of a relationship

A loss of a relationship can mean many things to many people. It can mean freedom, release of negative emotions and new opportunities. It can also mean grievance so profound that one may feel that they will never get over. Even if you are the one who has initiated the break up.

This is the way it is with my current situation.  My daughter’s mother and I had lived together in a domestic partner relationship for nearly 11 years. Once we moved to another state and city in which we now reside, we decided that we would live in separate apartments. She and my daughter cohabitated with my daughter’s moms best friend. Our relationship, already rocky, seemed to decline from there. The intimacy was lost, even before we moved apart. Over the 3 years that we’ve lived here, I decided that our paths were destined to part. So on Monday, a week and a half ago, I had a talk with her. She was to go to therapy the next day, so I considered the timing advantageous. She was hurt, and kept talking about how we were supposed to become a family again. Then she said some very hurtful things which I can’t talk about here.

Things were OK during the rest of the week, until Sunday. All of a sudden, I had this urge to simply cry, as if I had lost something I will never again recover. For 8 straight hours, I cried in the solitude of my efficiency apartment. I’m sure the upstairs neighbor could have heard me. After that, I took meds to help me sleep, but found I didn’t want to get up the next morning. Not because of the meds, but because I felt too depressed to do anything. Grieving is a mysterious process. She wouldn’t come talk to me until the next day, a Monday. I begged and pleaded for her to forget about what I said. I was desperate to get back what I had so sullenly thrown away. Although, she didn’t take me back, she still knows that I love her, and it was probably the best thing to do. For each of us to have a little space. I began to feel a little better over the course of Tuesday, and now while I’m writing this in my writer’s group I feel like I did initially make the right decision.

I’ve just been to my writing group which is called “mindful writers” and includes meditative writing from the body, mind, and soul. We also meditate at the beginning, which helped clear my mind this week.

I’m also employing “therapeutic writing” to help ease the pain of the loss. I will update as to the process of therapeutic writing and meditation and how it is affecting my mood and how it can help you. I hope the worst is over.

What to do before, during and after a Write-In

Yesterday I participated in a 10K "write-in" at Milli Thornton's Fear of Writing Blog. Every Wednesday and Saturday around the third week of every month, she challenges us to work towards a goal of 10K words. The goal is to challenge yourself and to have fun doing it. So far, I've had a positive experience with the way it is organized. I'm not too pleased with all the procrastinating I did, but I managed to write more yesterday than I have the past two weeks. And to the best of my knowledge, anyone is welcome to participate. Just fill in your name (first name is fine) and an email to post comments on how you're doing throughout the day.

What to do before a write-in:

- do research on your WIP one week to two days before the day of the write-in
- prepare quick meals and have them ready to go the day before the write-in
- plan what types of writing you will do (fiction, essay, blog entry, poetry, etc.)
  and make short goals
- get a good night's sleep

What to do during a write-in:

- start out by doing some relaxation techniques, maybe even a little yoga
- eat a well balanced meal and have small snacks available throughout the write-in
- take frequent breaks to stretch your muscles (at least every two hours)
- keep distractions to a minimum (if you have to network online then designate
  certain times to do so, and keep to it)
- stay hydrated


What to do after a write-in:

- realize that nobody is perfect and often times it can be a struggle to
  reach our goals
- analyze the prep work and the write-in itself and determine where you
  could have done better to get closer to your goal
- be good to yourself; you've probably done more work during the write-in than
  you would have otherwise. And at the most fundamental level, that was the goal
- prepare for the next write-in; now go get 'em!



These are just a few of the many things one can do before, during, and after a write-in. Good Luck!

Objectives and Confession

Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you will continue to follow me in my course of pursuing a Writer's Life while at the same time battling mental illness. This won't be a twitter or facebook type of posting. I hope to post  meaningful, relevant information that can help those of both camps: The aspiring author, those with mental illnesses, and those who are both.

Those whose lives are not affected by mental illness will hopefully find compassion and understanding in those who do, as well as possibly learning a thing or two about the writing process from the little I do know and what I am learning as I go. Those who do suffer from a mental illness, I wish to impart to them how writing can assist with the healing process. A cathartic process that can apply to anybody in any situation. One that I am embarking on currently.

I confess that although I've read a lot of fiction and many books on the art and craft of writing, I am in no way an expert. However, my goal is to live a Writer's Life, and the invitation is open to join me as I learn and grow.