Writers are unique individuals. Our brains donāt think the way those of normal folk do. Weāre inspired by the simplest of things sometimes, and our inspiration is like a newborn baby āĀ ready to put us to work at any given minute.
A few friends have asked me what my writing process is like, and Iāve gotten some pieces of fan mail asking the same thing. Since, personally, the writing processes of other people fascinate me, I figured that I would give you a look inside mine:
All you need is tea
I canāt write a word without a cup of tea to start my day. Even if Iām starting to write more in the afternoons or evenings, I usually need a warm cup of tea right next to me. Iām not a coffee drinker (I was about 4-foot-10 as a high school freshman and feared my growth being stunted in any way), so tea does the trick.
Silence is golden, but not realistic
I canāt listen to music when Iām writing; I just canāt. I listen to it while thinking of story ideas or trying to break writerās block (see below), and I can deal with background music if Iām writing outside of my home, but if Iām trying to transform my thoughts into words, I canāt have any form of headphones in.
Ironically, I can write in loud or stressful situations (Iām a high school reporter, so most of my stories are filed from bleachers or a local McDonaldās), but something about having headphones in is a massive distraction.
E.B. White once said, āA writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper,ā and it is so damn true. Get comfortable, but your surroundings will almost never be perfect.
Some of the best writing I achieve is usually done at a Starbucks or, for whatever reason, the Westchester County Center, when thereās blaring music playing or a basketball game being played. I like the quiet, as Iām sure many writers do, but you will almost never have complete silence.
A nod to āA Few Good Menā
Fun fact about me: āA Few Good Menā is my favorite movie of all-time.
Thereās a scene where Tom Cruise asks Demi Moore where his baseball bat is because he āthinks betterā with it. Some time ago (I donāt exactly remember when), I picked up a bat once while walking around my apartment and it actually helped me relax and unclog my brain.
Now, whenever Iām struggling with writerās block or if a piece isnāt coming together exactly as I envisioned it, I grab my bat and walk around my apartment. When Iāve got something good, I put the bat down and write.
You canāt force whatās not there
Iām paid to be a sports reporter. I write for Thought Catalog out of passion. I like that I can write about pretty much whatever I want, with no real limitations (censorship, inch count, etc.).
Because Iām not paid to write here, maybe my stance is different than others, but I donāt like forcing material that just isnāt there. Sometimes I have a great idea and I know what I want to write, but the words just arenāt coming out or flowing the way I thought they would. In those cases, I donāt write.
I donāt have daily goals for word count or articles finished. I donāt like quotas; I feel like they stifle creativity. They force you to put something out there just to fill a space.
I believe in quality over quantity. Iād rather write two or three solid pieces a week, rather than submit six or seven a week, with most of them being absolute dreck. Some days Iāll write four or five solid pieces in a day; others I canāt muster 100 quality words.
My advice: Write when you can, not when you feel you have to.
Paralysis by over-analysis
Like every writer, I go through spurts of writerās block. In those times, itās frustrating, but I try to surrender to it; embracing it, if you will.
Sometimes Iāll just completely turn off the idea of writing. Iāll run errands, throw something on Netflix, do work stuff for the paper; anything but writing. In my experience, the break in writerās block hits me like a smack in the face. Things just start to click. If Iām free or by a computer, I write; If Iām at work or otherwise preoccupied, Iāll write down whatever the idea is and a sentence or two to help jog my memory for later.
To me, you have to approach writing like sex: Itās supposed to be enjoyable, not stressful. If youāre trying too hard, everything will turn out awful and your partner (the reader) wonāt be satisfied.
Relax. Let the flow come to you. When you find your rhythm, go and do your thing. When youāre in a zone, everything works and everything flows. When youāre able to perform stress-free, everyone is happy.