🤯 this is changing the way I think about how I wrote. I’ve always heard that you’re “supposed” to stick with your draft even when it loses that shiny sparkly feeling but this makes me think about the whole experience in a different way. Thanks for sharing!
Love this. I have done a lot of work lately around getting myself to create regularly, and detaching from the "working when inspired" mindset is a big part of it. I need my inspiration to show up for me when I call it, whether I have 15 minutes, 2 hours or 5 days (ahhh, the joy of a writing retreat!). Even on that 5 day retreat, I worked on a schedule (3 2-hour pomodoro sessions every day), interspersed with restorative activities that kept me from burning out. I like how the sources you cite suggest a seemingly backward way to get into a more regular habit: to write more, you need to write less. So much sense there. I'm going to look up some of your links, esp. Dr. K. I'm always looking for ways to hack my functionality!
I'm so happy that the post resonated with you! I find it so fascinating how sometimes the solutions to such problems are so counterintuitive. Emotions and feelings have a logic of their own (can inspiration be considered a feeling, I now wonder?).
The writing retreat you mention sounds like a dream! Is it possible you mentioned it in one of your previous posts? I remember reading something like that of yours!
I have done two retreats recently, very different. The one I wrote about in the spring was a workshop on the coast, so the writing we did was very guided and personal. But in this comment I am referring to in the comment was in June 2023 - I rented an AirBNB in the desert by myself and spent 5 days hunkered down over my WIP, making a run for the end of the novel (I didn't quite make it, but it was close!). Very different experiences, and both very valuable! In December, I'm spending a long weekend with the two women in my writers group up in Tahoe, and that will be another different kind of writing retreat. Very excited for that, too, but I am ready for another solo trip, too. It's great to be able to put down every responsibility and just really focus on the writing for a few days.
Also, I don't think inspiration is a feeling - I don't feel it in my body like I do other emotions - but it certainly connected to them!
I love Dr. K! The concept of knowing when to stop is an interesting one. Lately, with all the things I’m doing to prepare for publishing while still writing, I have a tendency to not stop. I do like to continue a creative session longer than I planned if I’m really in the flow, but I have learned to stop when I can feel myself getting too tired to develop good ideas. Best of luck with your writing as always!
It’s a tricky concept and I can’t say that I’m completely sold on it—I’m still pondering it. I also find myself continuing a creative session when I’m in flow. But man, I can imagine you have so much work to do between publishing and writing! I can see that’s a marathon, not a sprint.
🤯 this is changing the way I think about how I wrote. I’ve always heard that you’re “supposed” to stick with your draft even when it loses that shiny sparkly feeling but this makes me think about the whole experience in a different way. Thanks for sharing!
Love this. I have done a lot of work lately around getting myself to create regularly, and detaching from the "working when inspired" mindset is a big part of it. I need my inspiration to show up for me when I call it, whether I have 15 minutes, 2 hours or 5 days (ahhh, the joy of a writing retreat!). Even on that 5 day retreat, I worked on a schedule (3 2-hour pomodoro sessions every day), interspersed with restorative activities that kept me from burning out. I like how the sources you cite suggest a seemingly backward way to get into a more regular habit: to write more, you need to write less. So much sense there. I'm going to look up some of your links, esp. Dr. K. I'm always looking for ways to hack my functionality!
I'm so happy that the post resonated with you! I find it so fascinating how sometimes the solutions to such problems are so counterintuitive. Emotions and feelings have a logic of their own (can inspiration be considered a feeling, I now wonder?).
The writing retreat you mention sounds like a dream! Is it possible you mentioned it in one of your previous posts? I remember reading something like that of yours!
I have done two retreats recently, very different. The one I wrote about in the spring was a workshop on the coast, so the writing we did was very guided and personal. But in this comment I am referring to in the comment was in June 2023 - I rented an AirBNB in the desert by myself and spent 5 days hunkered down over my WIP, making a run for the end of the novel (I didn't quite make it, but it was close!). Very different experiences, and both very valuable! In December, I'm spending a long weekend with the two women in my writers group up in Tahoe, and that will be another different kind of writing retreat. Very excited for that, too, but I am ready for another solo trip, too. It's great to be able to put down every responsibility and just really focus on the writing for a few days.
Also, I don't think inspiration is a feeling - I don't feel it in my body like I do other emotions - but it certainly connected to them!
I love Dr. K! The concept of knowing when to stop is an interesting one. Lately, with all the things I’m doing to prepare for publishing while still writing, I have a tendency to not stop. I do like to continue a creative session longer than I planned if I’m really in the flow, but I have learned to stop when I can feel myself getting too tired to develop good ideas. Best of luck with your writing as always!
Oh yay! I’m so happy to find another Dr. K fan!
It’s a tricky concept and I can’t say that I’m completely sold on it—I’m still pondering it. I also find myself continuing a creative session when I’m in flow. But man, I can imagine you have so much work to do between publishing and writing! I can see that’s a marathon, not a sprint.
All the best to you too!