Writers go to a magical place which can be described as a place of wonder and of mystery. This is a place where you become unconscious of the words or even turning the page, the bed you lie on or the world around you. You will find yourself feeling as if you are there and you have devoured the book before you know it. Your mind will see only what is happening in the story.
When your writing is just like that, you will become less focused on which word to choose, or the keystrokes your fingers must make. Your story is unfolding before your mind's eye and you scramble to write what is going on. The rush of inspiration flooding through you will make you feel elated, and you are so close to your characters, desperately wondering what will happen to them, how they will be saved. Imagine if your writing could be like that.
This is the writer's paradise, this is the Flow.
It is also the difference between writing 500 words an hour and writing 2,500 words, which is a very big difference. The more you can capture the Flow, the faster, more coherently and easily you will write. What is not to love about that? You will have better books, more often, with less pain and more joy.
The strategy in achieving this flow has a prerequisite. You might be wondering how to do this. Where can you find this magical land? Does it involve drugs? No, no drugs. Nothing illegal, or immoral, or anything that might make you fat. Instead, you must be able to understand the key elements that make up the Flow.
Stilling all of your body's shouting, training yourself to know when to perform, and giving your genius time to come up with the goods by building anticipation. These are the elements required to be in the flow.
YOUR BODY'S REQUIREMENTS
In order to focus in on the world inside your mind, your aim is to still all the body's normal shouting. Imagine your body is like a faithful dog. It has no right to complain if you take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down, or else it will keep on nagging you. A short walk, a banana or something healthy and filling, along with a good drink. You should do this if you want to get something done, and make sure your writing space is comfortable.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT
There are some things in your environment that are out of your control such as the screaming child next door. You do your best to minimize these things, but you also need to learn to ignore them. I do recommend noise-cancelling earphones if you live somewhere particularly noisy.
In your home however, there are aspects which you can control. Find a spot in your house where you can write comfortably. Make sure that you can sit up without hurting your back and you can type effectively. All special places need some practical elements.
TRAINING YOUR SELF
One of the easiest ways to train yourself is through ritual. When you sit in this particular chair, after doing these same things, your subconscious knows that it is time to start coughing up the goods. The more ritual you can create, the easier it will be to convince your youth to come out and play. At a set time and certain place, train yourself to always expect to write. By doing so, you can enter the flow and it will become more natural and automatic.
CREATING ANTICIPATION
Creating a sense of anticipation is the most important aspect about the writing session. There are ways to make this easy for you. Firstly, lay out exactly how much you plan to get done in this session. Let it be a number that excites you but also scares you just a little bit. Secondly, spend time before your session, such as on your way home from work, thinking about your writing and how much fun this session will be. Thirdly, try finishing each session before you have completed the idea, that way next time you sit down, you'll know exactly where to start and already be excited.
The next time you write, expect the flow to be with you. That is, if you If you work these elements of feeding your body, preparing your environment, training yourself through ritual and building anticipation.
When your writing is just like that, you will become less focused on which word to choose, or the keystrokes your fingers must make. Your story is unfolding before your mind's eye and you scramble to write what is going on. The rush of inspiration flooding through you will make you feel elated, and you are so close to your characters, desperately wondering what will happen to them, how they will be saved. Imagine if your writing could be like that.
This is the writer's paradise, this is the Flow.
It is also the difference between writing 500 words an hour and writing 2,500 words, which is a very big difference. The more you can capture the Flow, the faster, more coherently and easily you will write. What is not to love about that? You will have better books, more often, with less pain and more joy.
The strategy in achieving this flow has a prerequisite. You might be wondering how to do this. Where can you find this magical land? Does it involve drugs? No, no drugs. Nothing illegal, or immoral, or anything that might make you fat. Instead, you must be able to understand the key elements that make up the Flow.
Stilling all of your body's shouting, training yourself to know when to perform, and giving your genius time to come up with the goods by building anticipation. These are the elements required to be in the flow.
YOUR BODY'S REQUIREMENTS
In order to focus in on the world inside your mind, your aim is to still all the body's normal shouting. Imagine your body is like a faithful dog. It has no right to complain if you take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down, or else it will keep on nagging you. A short walk, a banana or something healthy and filling, along with a good drink. You should do this if you want to get something done, and make sure your writing space is comfortable.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT
There are some things in your environment that are out of your control such as the screaming child next door. You do your best to minimize these things, but you also need to learn to ignore them. I do recommend noise-cancelling earphones if you live somewhere particularly noisy.
In your home however, there are aspects which you can control. Find a spot in your house where you can write comfortably. Make sure that you can sit up without hurting your back and you can type effectively. All special places need some practical elements.
TRAINING YOUR SELF
One of the easiest ways to train yourself is through ritual. When you sit in this particular chair, after doing these same things, your subconscious knows that it is time to start coughing up the goods. The more ritual you can create, the easier it will be to convince your youth to come out and play. At a set time and certain place, train yourself to always expect to write. By doing so, you can enter the flow and it will become more natural and automatic.
CREATING ANTICIPATION
Creating a sense of anticipation is the most important aspect about the writing session. There are ways to make this easy for you. Firstly, lay out exactly how much you plan to get done in this session. Let it be a number that excites you but also scares you just a little bit. Secondly, spend time before your session, such as on your way home from work, thinking about your writing and how much fun this session will be. Thirdly, try finishing each session before you have completed the idea, that way next time you sit down, you'll know exactly where to start and already be excited.
The next time you write, expect the flow to be with you. That is, if you If you work these elements of feeding your body, preparing your environment, training yourself through ritual and building anticipation.
About the Author:
This is an extract from Elizabeth (Buffy) Greentree's new book The Five Day Writer's Retreat. Get more advice on preparing for a lifestyle of writing, sign up to the The Five Day Writer's newsletter for a free copy of the book, or find it on Amazon.
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