Today I read an article about writing, part
of a newsletter I receive electronically from Writer’s Digest, a writing
magazine I subscribe to. The topic of
the article was how to get started on a writing project or get back to it if
you’ve been away from it for a while. The advice I took away from the article was
all about how to “kick start” my writing again.
Written by Cheryl Pon, a guest writer for
the site, it offered several ways to get the creative juices flowing, even if
you have to be busy with other tasks. When you’re waiting your turn at the
doctor’s office, for example, try imagining the main character of your work in
progress in a similar situation. Why might s/he be there and what news might be
imparted by the doctor? How is your character likely to react to good news? to bad
news? How will receiving a medical diagnosis change your character’s future
actions … or even the plot of the novel or short story the character features
in?
Even if a visit to the doctor or a medical
diagnosis never make it into the body of the work you’re creating, you’ve
learned something about your character by imagining his/her responses to such a
situation. With this extra layer of understanding about what makes him or her
tick, you can write a much more authentic character.
“But tomorrows become empty yesterdays if
you don’t write today.” This piece of advice from the same article has to be
the best ever motivational statement for writers and also the best advice for
all those “wannabe” writers who plan to write “someday.” Yes, we can dream of writing, plan for
writing, and read about writing; those are all helpful pursuits … to a
point. But in the end, my “end” had
better be firmly planted in a chair in front of my computer or my notebook and
I had better be moving words from my brain onto a page. Then, and only then, am I actually writing.
And tomorrow will not become another empty yesterday.
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