writing Archives - onthebigadventure

Morning Routine – Inspiration and Motivation

January 8, 2018

My morning routine at the moment looks like a grumpy ball of yarn rolling around the house, bumping into things in the dark and grumbling. On good mornings, when my alarm goes off at 5:30am, I’ll get up and turn on the coffee before going back to sleep for fifteen minutes. On bad mornings, I’ll get up and bring my alarm back into bed with me to sleep for an extra thirty to forty five minutes.

I’ve heard that the best way to motivate yourself to get up early in the morning is to focus on why you want to be up earlier. So, in addition to hoping I feel less rushed in the mornings, what I really want to accomplish before going to work each day is writing.

my cat’s morning routine is the ideal one, I think.

To get some inspiration, I took a look at a few routines from famous writers. Most writers advocate for discipline in craft, usually in the form of writing every single day, and almost of all of those writers write in the morning, when the light is fresh and the day is new. What I found most interesting from reading this list though was the strong sense of routine involved in their process; it’s just as much about the motions involved in writing this way as it is sitting down at the exact same time each morning to put words on paper.

Honestly, I find the idea of writing every single day daunting, in the same way that I find exercising every day to be an insurmountable goal. What about Cons? Vacations? Or, as I have been for the past couple of weeks, being so sick that concentrating is only happening for a few hours a day? I know these formidable writers had no issue breaking for these sorts of things, but it’s precisely those quantities that make it difficult for me to stick to an every day writing routine. (It’s the same reason I can’t stick to using a normal planner, really. I have to give myself permission to deviate or I feel like an absolute failure.)

So here’s what I’m proposing as a starting goal: three days a week, I will get up early enough to get writing done. Two days a week, I’ll do yoga during that time instead. (Murakami says, “Physical strength is a necessary as artistic sensitivity,” in terms of writing a long-term project.) On the weekends, I am giving myself permission to deviate as necessary. I’d love to get up on Saturday and write and do yoga, but it’s also just as likely that I’ll get up and drink coffee on my front porch. And that is okay.

Here’s to the next step in the good morning process, everyone! Hurrah for a morning routine!

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life writing

On Jennas, werewolves, and cookies

August 12, 2017

otherwise known as living a creative life with fear and anxiety

This is pretty close to every day me.

Things have been quiet on the blog front for quite some time, ironic because when it was called quiet in the grasp I could never seem to shut up. But then a funny thing happened–I started putting all this pressure on myself to live a life I’d always planned.

I’m pretty sure we all hit 25 or 30 (or whatever big milestone freaks you out) and realize that life is more complicated, more out of control than you ever anticipated. I had no way of knowing that the magazines I was planning to edit would be a very elite business by the time I graduated, and I had no way of knowing how much continued rejection would beat me down and make me doubt my own creative ideas. I had no control over the terrible economy or the awful politics or how either of those things would effect my every day life and dreams.

Stability is something I have always searched for, but I am hopeless about finding it or keeping it. In fact, if things aren’t changing on a fairly regular basis, I get massive anxiety attacks and fear that everything in my life will be exactly the same forever.

So, I’m trying to get back to some of my roots. I want to remember what used to wake me up early in the morning to jot down notes for a novel idea or why I used to stay up late singing a new song. I have been writing stories since I was about 12, singing since I was 5, and yet now that I have spent most of my life loving these things they are somehow getting more difficult, filled with more pressure and expectations.

In an effort to get back some of the me I miss, I am going to start writing here more often, maybe make an occasional video. I am going to sing and write more, without the pressure of knowing if those efforts will ever see the light the day. I am going to make plans for creative projects, set deadlines, but not necessarily make any grand, ambitious plans.

I hope you’ll be along for the ride, or at the very least, I hope that you remember what it is that makes you feel like you. Keep it, or fight to get it back.

P.S. I know the title of this blog post makes very little sense, but trust me when I tell you that cookies, my friend Jenna, weird dreams about werewolves, and the ever-wonderful Mudha are a big part in me trying to get past this fear of creativity. Also, I just finished reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and so I’ve been thinking about this for awhile now.

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NaNoWriMo: 10 Writing Tips

November 6, 2015

I don’t typically participate in NaNoWriMo, mostly because it doesn’t suit my writing process, but hundreds of people participate in this event every year. I love watching people tackle the fun and grueling task of imagining someone’s life, wondering how it will impact others’ and eventually play out. But for those that have never tried to write a novel before, it sounds like a scary and daunting task. I have a few tips that might make it easier to get started.

10. You are not trying to impress anyone. The idea that you have to write the next great novel is stupid. You are writing for yourself, so don’t put that kind of pressure on.

9. Have the characters’ names somewhere visible (I put a post it note on the bottom of my computer monitor) while you write. I’m always afraid I’ll forget someone’s name and then confuse myself when editing later.

8. Do NOT edit the story as you go. It takes too much time and will eventually discourage you from finishing.

7. Feel free to tell a couple people you are writing a novel, but don’t tell too many. You want accountability and support, not pressure.

6. Take a notebook with you. It’s irritating to be doing something mundane, like grocery shopping, and get a great idea for your novel, only to get all the way home and forget all about it. Notebooks fix that! You could also make notes on your phone, but I prefer to look at one screen when I’m writing.

5. Writer’s block is normal. If you feel stuck, walk outside; do some sort of chore; exercise. Doing something active will get your mind off whatever had you stuck, and it might give you ideas to move forward. Take breaks.

4. Limit distractions. If you write on your computer, turn off your wi-fi while you write. If you go to a cafe, put in those headphones and listen to classical music. Do whatever you need to for focus. (I love the focus playlists on Spotify, if you are looking for a place to start.)

3. Research before you start writing. If your novel requires any kind of research, on places or diseases or methods of torture (hey, no judgement here!), do that before you sit down to write for the day. Otherwise you will travel down the research rabbit hole instead of writing during the time you set aside.

2. Plan rewards. Did you make your word count goal for the day? You definitely deserve to watch an episode of The Flash/drink a glass of wine/eat a cookie/all of the above before going to sleep then. That doesn’t mean you punish yourself if you don’t reach the goal; this is all positive psychology here.

1. Prepare to suck. I’ve said this before, but your first draft would suck no matter what you did, really. It will suck if you take years to write it. It will suck if you take a few weeks. It will suck if you take three months. Accept that, acknowledge that you’ll make it better in the next draft, and just get started. You can’t make it better until you have something to mold!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? What are you favorite writing tips? Let me know in the comments!

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books writing

Top 5 Characters You Wish You Were More Like

June 4, 2014

5. Lola Nolan from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: Lola is, from the beginning, unapologetically herself. She’s passionate about fashion and goes for it in pretty much every aspect of her life. By the end of the novel, she is dedicated to being a better daughter, friend, and all-around person while still being exactly who she is. She has confidence, beauty, and passion. And she has Cricket, a guy who wears super cute pants and has crazy hair and makes adorable inventions. I am a sucker for Cricket.

4. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Another girl who is herself through and through, I love Luna because she believes based on faith; she believes in the good of people, in her family and friends, in things she can’t see. She is incredibly intelligent, but nowhere near being pretentious, and she is quirky in the best way.

3. Lucy Pevensie from Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis: When everyone thought she was lying about the magic of Narnia, Lucy refused to back down. She ventured alone into the cold forest, made friends with Tumnus, and believed that he would do the right thing even when he wasn’t sure he would. She maintains a constant belief in Aslan and the power of Narnia. All the creatures of Narnia tend to love Lucy, and she is caring and considerate each time she sees them.

2. Linh Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Maybe it’s just because I finished this book this week, but I am really impressed with how Cinder handles unexpected trauma and revelations. Without spoilers, Cinder is strong and independent. She is definitely not the typical girly-girl. She is not very comfortable in her own skin yet (because I only just finished Cinder, so no spoilers!), but I get the feeling that she will be. She’s all set to completely rock, but she knows that she won’t get there all alone. I kind of love that mix of independent and strong enough to be dependent on others occasionally.

1. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: I know this doesn’t make much sense, because Elizabeth Bennet is a genuinely flawed character who is opinionated and judgmental. But she betters herself and learns from her mistakes, while still maintaining her intelligence, love of reading, and fierce loyalty to family and friends. By the end of the novel, she is very aware of all her flaws and strengths, and she works to keep open communication between her and Darcy.

There are some definite common denominators here: an innate confidence, being true to oneself, being intelligent, independent, and feminine. They all have loyalty to friends and family. They are all passionate and pretty quirky. And they are all pretty freaking awesome.

This post, by the way, is part of the Goodreads group I recently became active with (Top 5 Wednesday). Usually, I plan videos for the topics, but this week my free time before Wednesday was pretty filled. I will post a book-related video on Friday, and I’ll have another Song Saturday up this week, too, but for now, I hope the rest of your week is amazing.

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