A Writer Writes...sometimes

A lot has been said about setting your schedule to write and sticking to it. Experts are keen to remind us that it is best to have a set time of the day, a place, and to write for whatever amount of time you can afford. I believe there is something to all this. Hemingway was a morning guy (first light) and got it done so that he could get to drinking by lunch. Vonnegut also got up early, wrote till eight am, and then had his breakfast, returning shortly after so that he could get to the swimming pool by 10. Whatever you decide is best for you, do it and stick to it!  Occasionally things happen, so forgive yourself and move on.
 
If you set a goal for yourself with a word count, go easy on yourself. I always say 1000, but 500 to 750 words are more realistic. If nothing comes, don’t panic. I am a great believer in Morning Pages (courtesy of Julia Cameron). It is a string of consciousness type of writing which is purging your guts out on the page. I recently returned to the practice, and I’m glad I did. These pages are not to be reread but only to act as a literary cleanse of your creative colon.  Try it, and you’ll be surprised at how many ideas can come from this little exercise. And, if you are mucked up, try reading The Artist’s Way by Cameron. I’ve been through it several times, and it never ceases to help.
 
And finally, if you are still stuck, try walking. And while you are taking your stroll, live in the moment. Enjoy it, and try not think about your project. That will come naturally. Just get outside and do it. 
 
And read, not be confused with watching television. It would help if you had a book open on your bed stand right now. Please read it. Every time you feel the desire to kill your emotions with the television, open your book. This holds doubly true for smartphones. Give it a rest. Schedule some time away from it. Practice a musical instrument, read some poetry or Shakespeare. Leave the Bejeweled Blitz for a long car trip.
 
Okay, there you have it. Now stop reading this and go write.