Don’t get pervy. We will be chatting about those three things and learning along the way.
The Mind
Got one? You need one to be, well, anything of note. The mind, or the brain, is an efficient machine. It is capable of doing multiple things at once. It is the main tool in our kit that we use for writing. Now, scientist have proven, on average, we only use about 10% of our brain.
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As a writer we are trying to tap into portions not used. This is why it can feel like we are mining for words to throw on the page. That crazy, elusive 90% is useful. They call it the subconscious or unconscious. Huh- I’ve been unconscious before. It wasn’t all that informative. Maybe I used it wrong.
Speaking of unconscious- I need to refill my now empty cuppa. How about you? Walk with me. You dig around for a diet friendly nibble and I will pour the coffee. Do you take cream? Sugar? Brown sugar is nice in coffee. You should try it sometime. Yummers. Any-who, get your copy of The Novel Writer’s Toolkit by Bob Mayer. Meet me on the reading rug and turn to page 14, The Mind. Got it? No, we can’t wait four minutes while you heat up someone else’s lunch. First, that is too long to wait. Second, that is MY lunch! Put it back. Argh.
Okay, back to work. Question: have you started dreaming about your characters? Yes? Well this is your subconscious working out your story. Cool, right? My problem is I can never seem to remember what my dream was. On top of dreams, be prepared for the dreaded Writer’s Block. I covered this in detail during our lessons on the book Around the Writer’s Block by Rosanne Bane. Look back a few months in my posts. It may help. The idea is, even if you have writer’s block, write anyway. The more you write the better the chance of getting beyond the block. Like I said yesterday, you can’t edit a blank page.
Wanna make your book interesting to even you? Step outside of your own comfort zone. This will help you understand the experiences of your characters and the best way to write them. For example: Your character is boarding a train for the first time. You want to write their excitement, anxiety, and possible fear. Have you ever been on a train? Yes, how did you feel. No? GET ON A TRAIN! Some people react differently to new experiences than others. If your character has high anxiety their experience will be far different than one who doesn’t. Another key thing is knowing yourself both mentally and physically. If you don’t get YOU then how will you understand others. We will cover this further in chapter 3.
Contentment and Desire
What is your goal in writing? To make tons of cash? Good luck with that. We all want that to some degree, but it shouldn’t be your main focus. The reality is most of us will not make enough money to live on. Ouch, right? Now, we can make money writing in other avenues like freelancing or copywriting (not copyright-totally different things). We all want to publish (maybe) but think about how many people that is. A TON, and we are all trying to get a publication to notice us. Those are some crazy bad odds of getting in. I am not saying you shouldn’t try. Try, try and try again. Get better at writing and try some more. I wish you all the luck in the world.
In a perfect world we all would be successful in our dreams. We don’t live in a perfect world. Just watch the news. If writing is your calling you will find a way. You may have to work outside of the home to do it, but you can.
Let’s talk passion. Have you ever told someone, “I’m writing a book!” and they looked at you like you have the Corona virus? Writing clearly isn’t their passion. It doesn’t mean it can’t be yours. Write your story your way. If no one is reading it then you may need to reevaluate your approach to storytelling, but you don’t have to stop.
Heck, I work every day to get people to buy, read, and leave reviews on my books. It’s a struggle but an absolute desire of mine. I write for all of you at least 4 times a week because it is a passion. Words drive me. They should drive you as well.
This is a thankless job. Chasing words to slap on a page, shove between the covers of a book, or posting a blog should be about the words, the story, or the information. If your only goal is to be popular, you may want to rethink your approach.
Next in our crazy journey we will look at Setting Objectives and the dreaded Writer’s Block. If you are scared, you can hold my hand virtually. Did you use hand sanitizer? Wash for at least 20 seconds? Just checking.
Polish your sparkle and keep twirling.
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
I’m always looking for new friends!
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