The Proper Mindset Of A Writer
Getting words on the page is much easier with the correct frame of mind. Before you think about writing, prepare yourself for a productive writing session. I use several writing tools including software, prompts, books, and atmosphere. None of them will work if I'm not in the writer mindset. Here are a few simple things you can do to put you on the fast track to a productive writing session.
Think like a writer without the drama. Drama can be being upset at your boss if you have a job, or family member. It can be reviewing something that happened in your day that sets an unsettling mood or atmosphere. Financial stress can cause a clouded mind. Be artistic and have peace of mind. Calm yourself. Yes! It is possible. Before you write, set up a pleasant environment. Put some Loreena McKennit in the CD player or Yanni, perhaps. Relax. Get rid of the negative crap and meditate. After the mind is calm, you can concentrate on thoughts of your writing project. Put notes in front of you and make new ones.
I lost the ability to get to sleep quickly for a while, with my mind racing out of control, and then I started thinking calmly and remembering the words to an old U2 song and meditated on it. They were, "Sleep, Sleep Tonight, and May Your Dreams Be Realized". I learned to be calm and actually think sleep. Learning little tricks to calm myself, or even to ignite into a quick, energized state, is something I've had to learn out of desperation, trial, and error. As a writer, we tend to over exaggerate and make things difficult. Just as I thought of sleep and getting sleepier, I can think of words flowing effortlessly onto the page. I can think like a writer with focus and conviction in what I do. Energy can be ignited into an explosive form, producing page after page.
Knowing and keeping in mind exactly the subject your working on will propel you to the next level of writing at a very rapid pace. You can be a pace setter, like a pace car at the speedway.
The Holy Bible says, " A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Having focus with singleness of mind is imperative. Having a one-track mind gets things done. If your mind is untrained, you'll be pulled in a thousand different directions. Without focus, the people perish.
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. Albert Einstein.
Set the surroundings up in advance before writing. My desktop has notes on it. I have an inviting and clean place to work. My iGoogle homepage has writing quotes, and quotes by Albert Einstein, Socrates, and Aristotle, to name a few. The proper mindset doesn't start just before the writing begins, it starts when you wake up of a morning and it lasts the entire day.
The proper mindset is a habit. Think writer and think correctly. You'll be able to write more quickly and efficiently, with less effort, and gain the ability to generate prose worthy of praise. Everything comes into play, including background, attitude, and if you've had too much coffee. Once your mind is trained, you can be in a noisy concentration camp, with your dead dog in your lap, and still meditate on the proper things. Just think more like a writer and you'll start acting more like a writer. Stillness of mind is the best trick I've learned. Use it. Meditate. Your pocketbook will thank you and you may end up leaving an awesome legacy.
