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Craft of Writing

Nan Fischer

Coddle Your Creativity

Creativity is a spiritual expression of our most authentic self. Writers dig deep, searching for and telling their truth, and in the process they self-actualize.

Because creativity is about the self, you need to nurture it. Honor yourself with self-respect, being organized and quiet time to nurture your creativity, reduce fears and increase productivity.

Self-respect
"I Matter. My Work Matters."

This is a sign taped next to my monitor where I see it every time I sit down to write. I need this reminder every day. The idea of mattering helps me stay strong against the inner critic.

When my negative self-talk tries to sabotage my work, I beat it away with the I Matter Mantra and pull myself back to a more productive state of being. I say, "I matter," right out loud with conviction. This changes my perspective moving me from fear to confidence and productivity.

Believe that what you have to say is important. Know that there are readers out there who need the information you want to convey. When you hear a voice telling you not to bother writing, tell that voice that you matter, and keep writing.

Honor yourself with lots of support. Find a writing group, writing buddy or a coach. Share your work with family and friends that understand what you do. Support is another way to ward off negative self-talk and build confidence.

Praise yourself. At the end of the day, don't look at what didn't get done. Praise yourself for what did get accomplished. Too often we focus on the negative instead of the positive. Change your perspective with a daily acknowledgement of how much got done.

Just yesterday, I was upset with myself that this article was not done. I caught myself in the act of beating myself up and changed my thoughts from negative to positive. I told myself I was proud for getting most of it done and that I'd finish it in the morning. I felt much better about myself, and I was more inspired to continue to work on it. Positive affirmations keep us motivated.

Being Organized
An organized workspace doesn't fit the romantic notion of creativity and the muse, but it is crucial. It will free up your time and energy for deep writing, and it will increase your productivity. You won't be cleaning off the kitchen table again, or looking for papers, folders and books in each room of the house. You can walk to your desk, know what you are going to work on that day, and find what you need. You save hours each week by being organized.

Shirley Jump, who writes romantic comedies for Kensington and Silhouette, says "an organized writer is a productive writer." Her very organized writing space helps her be more productive by writing better and faster. "A serene work environment leads to a less-stressed writer, which leads to more focus on the work."

Your workspace should be just for writing. Honor it with:

• a good size desk
• proper materials (computer, pen, paper)
• resources (books, websites bookmarked)
• bookshelves (for all those resources)
• comfortable atmosphere (including a place to get away from your desk where you can relax and still work, like a comfy easy chair)
• calendar (months ahead so there are no surprise deadlines - put it where you can see it every day, the bigger the better)
• a schedule (write it down and, again, put it where you can see it - take it seriously, but allow flexibility)
• inspiring non-writing related items (photographs, mementos, lucky charms, etc.)

When you have everything you need where you need it, you respect your creativity and yourself. Make your writing important! Give it the recognition, space, time and materials it needs. Remember, it is an extension of you.

A writing ritual is a "ceremony" performed before and after you're done working. It says that you are committing this part of your day solely to writing. It will define your writing time, which creates discipline and helps you keep a schedule. A ritual can be as simple as lighting a candle, breathing and stretching, or preparing your materials and space the night before. You honor your creativity by making it important with a ritual.

Quiet Time
Quiet time serves several purposes.

• It helps you get centered to work more efficiently, just like the writing ritual.
• Because writing is a spiritual expression, quiet time puts you in touch with your subconscious. This is where the deepest writing comes from. It's your true self, the one you want to share with your readers.
• It replaces your mind chatter with fresh ideas. "The noisy mind suppresses ideas," says Eric Maisel, a creativity coach and author of The Creativity Book. Only an empty well can get filled.
• When your mind is clear, you can make decisions with clarity. Throughout the course of an article or book, there are choices to be made—topic, style, length, and to quote or not to quote. These can cause a lot of anxiety. Quiet time centers you, bringing our energy to a lower place in your body besides our head. When you feel centered and your mind is clear, you can make choices based on logic, not emotion.