Kickstarting the Muses 2: Day by Day

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Antoinette H.

If you want to write--make it an everyday date.

If you want to write well--prepare to spend time every day doing it.

Now, maybe you're saying: "But I have classes to attend/a job/lots of demands on my time! How am I supposed to find the time to write at all? Can't I do it on my day off? Or during Spring Break? How about once I've gotten people off my back?

Well, yes, you can write on days off. Or on vacation. Or after the latest deadline's been met.

If I may be so indelicate, however, let me ask: how much writing can you really do if you're putting it off for more "opportune" moments?

And what do you do when something comes up on that day off?

Authors write for hours at a time--some three hours a day, others eight or more.

Relax. I'm not telling you to rent an office, dedicate 40+ hours a week to writing, or even carve out three to four hours a day for it.

Not that these aren't good goals. Your goal is simple: keep a small notebook (or smartphone) on hand. Jot down what you're thinking about, what you see--whatever catches your attention. I recommend starting with a 15-minute session, and sticking to it, every day.

Once you've got the hang of it down, increase your writing time: 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, and so on. If you can't write for an uninterrupted period of time, write at small intervals, until you've accrued your daily time.

And if it takes a while to make the habit stick--don't be too hard on yourself. Just keep writing.

Kickstarting the Muses 1: Brief Confession

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Antoinette H.

When I began writing--outside of a classroom setting--I subscribed to the notion that, in order to write, whether fiction or poetry, I had to be inspired. And if I didn't have an ounce of inspiration, well, then I just wouldn't (and didn't) write a single word in my notebooks.

Romantic notion, yes. And one with flaws: as it turned out, I went through long, long periods of "writer's block" and, when I did get a really good idea, the writing came with difficulty.

When, however, I began to consider the craft of writing, and to spend time, every day, with pen in hand, things got better. No, not better in some Hollywood movie montage way--I still had to deal with dryness, bad writing, and pages full of typos, crossed-out phrases, and no resolution. ("So, what did happen, then?")

I read more poetry, more nonfiction, and more books on style, forms, and practice.

I started paying attention to what authors and poets themselves had to say about how, where, and when they wrote.

I started considering the stuff I did cross out as material for other projects.

And I decided to write every day, whether poetry, journaling, or blogging--only an illness like the flu could keep me down.

This hasn't been easy. And it hasn't followed a predictable, linear formula, either. Some days, I can write four or five poems in a sitting. Others, I struggle to scribble a journal entry, or post a micropoem on Twitter.

But when I write, even if it seems to be drivel, there's always something to learn--even, to relearn.

Antoinette H.'s Blog at WyzAnt.com

Kickstarting the Muses 2: Day by Day

Kickstarting the Muses 1: Brief Confession