“It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: He catches the changes of his mind on the hop.” – Vita Sackville-West
The Write Word
Watching a sunrise is my idea of a good ritual to start any day. -- Photo by Pat Bean
Completing the rewrite of my book, “Travels With Maggie.” was high on my list of New Year’s Resolutions, yet I procrastinated doing it for the entire month of January.
February has been better because I finally turned on the light bulb in my brain and then took some advice from a famous dancer.
It dawned on me that the way I got through NANO (writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days) was by making it the No. 1 activity of my days, which have always been filled with many eggs to crack and enjoy. So, I decided “Travels With Maggie” would be my No. 1 priority.
Any sunset is the perfect time for the ritual of counting the day's blessings. -- Photo by Pat Bean
Then I started reading Twyla Tharp’s book “The Creative Habit,” in which she talks about the importance of ritual as a way to make sure she went to the gym daily so as to keep her body in shape for dancing. It’s the same, I thought, for writers. We must exercise our writing fingers and minds daily for the most benefits.
Twyla’s ritual was the taxi cab ride she took to the gym. She knew that once she got to the gym, she would both exercise and enjoy it.
“Some people might say,” Twyla wrote, “that simply stumbling out of bed and getting into a taxicab hardly rates the honorific ritual that anyone can perform. I disagree. First steps are hard; it’s no one’s idea of fun to wake up in the dark every day and haul one’s tired body to the gym … but the quasi–religious power I attach to this ritual keeps me from rolling over and going back to sleep.”
After reading that, I decided I needed my own ritual. I made it the simple one of setting my alarm clock to signal the end of the writing time I had promised myself.
Believe it or not it worked yesterday when I woke up in the mood to do anything but write. Just set the alarm clock, I told myself. And I did. And I wrote.
Bean’s Pat: Writing Though Life http://tinyurl.com/7r4wmez This is a great blog for anyone writing a memoir, keeping a journal or even just blogging regularly.
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You did just hit the nail on the head. You hit nails on their heads. I had not seen the Sackeville-West quotation, but I have stood in the tower that was her study at beautiful Sissinghurst and known that she went there to write, door shut, gardens, sons, husband, lovers not in the picture–only writing.
The Tharpe book is a permanent resident of my ‘reading now’ shelf. I need a constant reminder. Now I wear an around-the-neck timer. I set it for my writing time and try to be in my figurative tower.
Thanks for this great reminder post.
How wonderful that tower must have been. The quote and the ritual hit me on the head, too. I needed reminding as well. Thanks Trilla for following my journey.
Keep writing … Pat Bean https://patbean.wordpress.com
I’ve been following your blog for about a year and have really enjoyed your observations and photos from across the country. Your post today reminded me of a story American Profile magazine wrote on “The Power of Daily Writing: How daily writing enhances lives and relationships.”
http://www.americanprofile.com/articles/the-power-of-daily-writing/
What a good idea: setting the alarm clock. Sort of trick the mind into getting on board!
Tricking procrastination ain’t easy Karen. I’m for anything that works.
I’ve just been reading an article about this by a bloke called Stuart Ferris. All about writing without inspiration. Very good article discussing just the situation. And how just actually writing hones your skills.
Jim
It’s working for me. I seem to always enjoy writing when I get started, but am always finding things to do to procrastinate. Telling myself to just turn on the alarm clock actually works. I’ll see if I can find Ferris’ article. I love the Internet.
Keep writing … Pat Bean https://patbean.wordpress.com