It's refreshing to explore imagination, and new ways to trigger it.
Seven source minimum. Cite until you're blue in the face. Don't toy with the margins.
U s e y o u r i m a g i n a t i o n ! Double space it. Proper header. Don't use lengthy quotes to manipulate the number of pages.
(Can you imagine how much more enjoyable research papers would have been throughout college if the instructions included that small detail I added?)
"and, in turn, a burgeoning set of ideas seduces writers into writing projects that have no formal, abrupt beginnings. imagination involves writers in prose before they fully realize that they are beginning to write"
I was drawn to this tip above the others, because I think some form of that happened this afternoon during class. I had a clear head during meditation today and was really pleased with my writing, but grew frustrated when I couldn't keep the streak going at home. I typed (and deleted), re-typed a mediocre page for about 15 minutes, but my thoughts weren't translating well. It came so naturally earlier but maybe the idea I've been toying with isn't that great after all. I took a 20 minute break to make some lemonade and people-watch out the window. If I could go back to third grade for a day, today would have been perfect for a lemonade stand.
I did half of a sudoku puzzle and was about to return to my word document when I decided I wanted to keep using the pink pen I had been using all day. There's something fun and lighthearted about writing in a pink pen. I don't know where I found it, but it's milky and I like it. I drew a little sunflower in the top right corner before I started round 2. This time was better. Writing words, not history homework words or statistic formula words, but real words, is such a different experience. I can hear my voice loud and clear in my head when I'm jotting on a piece of paper. "THIS is what I was trying to convey. THIS is what I wanted it to sound like."
20 minutes of writing followed by a 10 minute meditation.
I don't know if this is all in my head (it very well might be) but I think I'm on to something. I feel much less...Times New Roman-ish? My mind isn't getting any stimulation from a computer right now. It's too formal. It's an abrupt beginning I know all too well.
I don't know if this is all in my head (it very well might be) but I think I'm on to something. I feel much less...Times New Roman-ish? My mind isn't getting any stimulation from a computer right now. It's too formal. It's an abrupt beginning I know all too well.
Tomorrow I want to try the suggestion of collecting pieces of ideas and rearranging them to see what happens.
I can't reference Willy Wonka in the post title and not include a picture.
E
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI'll have the Wonka song stuck in my head all night now, I love it!
The noticing of a simple switch of writing methods was a good one on your part. Understanding what the best environment for you - one that promotes freedom, relaxation, comfort, and creativity - seems to be crucial in producing quality writing.
You'll have to do a show-and-tell of this milky pen - you have me intrigued! (Gel pens were, and will always be cool by the way.)
Thanks for your perspective!
" There's something fun and lighthearted about writing in a pink pen"
ReplyDelete- The fact that these small things can actually take your writing in a different direction is so crazy to me! I think it's like a thing we learned through the socialization process growing up. When you're doing something serious or doing an application its clearly marked PLEASE WRITE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK. So maybe when we do little things like simply change the color of ink we are writing in, for a second we get to rid ourselves of the seriousness that comes with a certain color ink and just write! I'm happy that you were able to find a way to bring a little FUN to writing!
I'm also a little envious of your ability to finally get back to writing and be able to tell yourself " this is the direction I was headed in! this is what i want!" Because of your power of voice, I imagined you at a desk yelling over your paper and standing up and chanting and doing a victory dance. lol. I'm happy that Boice's pointers are having a similar effect on you that they've been having on me! As wordy and confusing as he may get, in the end he's telling us some pretty simple lessons. Things that just like you, I wish I would've known YEARS ago! I would probably be publishing my second book by now, and living off of the royalties by the beach! lol.
Good luck with your work! Xo
-Queen