Well, I recently sat in my living room and stared out of my window to prepare to write. The house next door is an Air BB (or some such), so a variety of people often mill about. Well, milling about this time was a shirtless guy loading up his car.
And of course I realized I needed someone in my WIP to be shirtless. Of course.
So I give today’s writing prep combination a 13/10. It pushed my creativity and upped my word count.
Well, I was feeling disgusted and busted. It had been a hard few days, and I wanted to curl into a ball and cry. My life is good, mind you, but I was feeling the weight of several things and felt ill-equipped for the tasks ahead of me. Including writing.
Prior to my writing menu, I probably would’ve nurtured my funk, skipped writing, and then felt guilty for not writing. But that’s not what God wants for me, so He turned my attention to my writing menu, and I opted for my breathing app and a desk fan.
My breathing app has background nature sounds, so that, combined with my desk fan, had me feeling like I was in a cool grotto, instead of the scorcher that was actually outside. I felt better through the sounds and sensation of a cool breeze, and my breathing exercise calmed me down.
I approached my writing with a better mindset. And like I did previously, I wrote my disgusted and bustedness into my WIP. I did stop almost as soon as I reached my desired word count, but I reached my desired word count, which is a far cry from where I was before I turned on my app and fan.
So I give Breathing + Fan 12/10.
Today I sang my heart out as my writing prep – hip hop, 90s R&B, movie soundtracks – you name it, I was belting it out. I felt so good and pumped and ready to take on the world that I figured I better sit down and write.
My creativity flowed more than usual during today’s session, so I hit a word count I don’t normally see. AND we’re seeing the opening scene of a spiritual warfare battle royale. Woot woot!
I give singing a 15/10!
I was not feeling writing, not at all, but I knew part of building my writing habit is to do it, even when I don’t feel like it. So I pulled out my writing prep menu and chose silly putty and journalist.
I squeezed the putty while thinking about my journalism questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Then my hands started itching. I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to this putty.
So I figured someone in my WIP could have an allergic reaction to something. I wouldn’t have thought of that if I hadn’t reacted to the putty. Nevertheless, I’m going to leave the putty alone from now on.
I give this combo a 10/10.
I have an app called “Breathe” that takes you through breathing exercises. I really like it.
I totally didn’t use that app, however, as part of my writing warm-up the other day. But I did use the techniques I’ve learned from the app. I didn’t want to have the lady talking to me while I was trying to focus on God and prayer, but I did hear her say “Well done” in my mind.
So I paid attention to my breathing and I prayed as my writing warm-up.
Just before I began my warm-up, I experienced a disappointment. It was no big deal, and I only felt slight disappointment, but I felt it. So I told God about it. I try to be open with God regarding my emotions. He knows them; He’s experienced them; He can handle them. So I told Him I was disappointed, and then I asked Him what I should write.
And I heard His response quite clearly: Write your disappointment.
Well, what disappointed me would’ve been completely anachronistic in the piece I’m working on, but I wondered what might be disappointing in the context of my story, and I wrote about it.
My writing output wasn’t that great, not shabby, but not great. But the directive to write my own emotions onto the page was illuminating. I give Prayer + Breathing 15/10.
Well, let me tell you – my most recent combination was a winner winner chicken dinner. I didn’t know I was waiting to write from this character’s perspective, but apparently I was. I didn’t know I had flashbacks and military reprimands centered around a scythe lurking in the recesses of my mind.
I give this a 15/10.
I love to ponder. I will while away entire days just thinking. But there comes a time when you need to do.
Today is that time.
Write about what you’re wishing about and what step you can take TODAY to start doing something about bringing that wish to fruition.
This time I wrote from a different character’s perspective, and it was the best thing to happen to my story in a long time. My creativity increased, as did my word count.
I give this a 14/10.
For starters, my stone isn’t actually smooth. Well, not all smooth, anyway. It’s striated, and the striations, in addition to adding visual interest, feel like ridges as I rub the stone. I found this particular stone on a walk one day during my lunch break at work.
A friend and I often went for walks over lunch. Our university was in an affluent neighborhood, and we enjoyed walking around, looking at the houses and the well-curated yards and gardens. My friend, from time to time, would stop to smell the proverbial roses, but I never did. I mean, I stopped. I didn’t leave her in the dust while I plodded ahead. I didn’t smell the roses, though. I didn’t feel it was prudent for my black female self to trespass and risk a deleterious outcome, just to smell some flowers, The day my friend asked me why I never smelled the flowers with her prompted a really good conversation. I think about that a lot.
What I did do with my friend on our walks was collect nature’s artifacts – an enormous leaf, a twig with shedding bark, a striated stone. One of our students often laughed at us when we came back into the office showing off our newly collected pieces on our desks.
I’ve had this stone going on about 10 years now, and as much as I’ve rubbed it, I’ve not rubbed away the striated ridges. Actually, I find the stone more and more appealing as time elapses, much like I continue to grow in appreciation of my friend who still adventures with me in nature.
So the other day, I prayed and rubbed my stone as my writing prep. I found both activities calming and centering, and that peace reflected in through my writing. I wondered what my MC would do when facing stressful situations (and there are many in her tale). In essence, my prep work helped me dive into my MC’s personality in ways I hadn’t before. As it turns out, she likes to dance. Who’d’ve thunk?
I give Prayer + Smooth Stone a 12/10.
What has kickstarted your writing lately?
I posted the following conversation with God five years ago today. He’s been telling me for a long time to write and reimagine education. And here I am, five years later, not doing any of this perfectly, but I’m on the road. LELA House exists, and I’m writing more. I’ve even published some of my writing with LELA House courses. I pray you’re on your road, too, and if you need some help getting on your road, let me know. I’m here to help.
Me: Lord, it’s been a hard summer. It’s been a hard everything. It’s all too much, God – all of the violence, the disparities, the inequities, people living on the street when there are hundreds of empty buildings in the city, hurting people who need You and don’t even realize they’re lost, and don’t get me started on the education system. I know You don’t want me to move to Finland, but what can I do? What do You want me to do? How can I possibly combat the erosion of my country? Of the world?
God: Write.
Me: I mean, really. What can I do? I don’t have a bully pulpit. I’m not famous. I like to stay at home. I always pray, but I feel You calling me to do something in addition to prayer. We need You desperately, but I don’t know what to do.
God: Write.
Me: Write what?
God: What you’ve been writing is a good start.
Me: What I’ve been writing? What’s that? A compilation of the antics of my kids? A bad romance novel? A composite novel with so many disparate elements it’s hard for even me to see the through line? A literary/education/family online magazine that’s been on hold because I don’t have the mental energy to sustain it? A bookified dissertation that no one wants to read? A million partial stories? Too many projects begun and left incomplete to count?
God: You left some stuff out.
Me: Did I? Well, there are the academic articles I’ve been toying with and the Writing Center handbook that I’ve made headway on. Or did You mean the fictionalized retellings I’ve been jotting down of some women in the bible whose stories I find fascinating? Hmm. What else? Oh, that’s right. I have those two children’s books I wrote. And some articles for children’s magazines, too. Ok. I get Your point. I’m already writing, so I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing.
God: Not exactly.
Me: That’s what I was thinking too. What good is any of the stuff I’ve been writing, anyway? Who is it going to help? How will any of it point back to You? How does any of it explain the rage and exasperation and sorrow that I feel for the world? How is any of this a good start?
God: Why don’t you give finishing a try.
Me: You’re funny, God. Ok. Say I finish some of this work? Then what? Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed, that’s not the right word, but You get my point, by some of the stuff I write. Umm, I think I worry what people will think of me. I have some dark, bleak, and graphic things going on in my mind that definitely come out in some of my writing. Honestly, I’m surprised I’ve written it. Again, surprised isn’t the right word, but something akin to it. Like the first book in the Kept series – it has that disturbing rape scene. Oh hey. I had forgotten all about the Kept series and the three books I’ve worked on in it. Thanks for reminding me.
God: Do you think I don’t know you have these ideas? I gave you those ideas.
Me: I know.
God: Then if you know they’re from me, why are you ashamed of them?
Me: I don’t think they fit the image people have of me, which admittedly is an incomplete image.
God: Why do you care about the image people have of you? If you’re doing my work, I will take care of everything you need.
Me: So not only do you want me to write, but You actually want me to share what I have written? Some of this stuff doesn’t need to see the light of day.
God: You’re right about that, but a lot of it does.
Me: I don’t understand how my writing is going to help combat the ills of the world, but I hear You, so I’ll write. And finish. And share. But it’s going to be difficult.
God: Of course it will be difficult. I never promised you easy.
Me: No, You didn’t, but You did promise You would never leave me or forsake me. And You did promise that You will be with me always. And You did promise to be my ever present help.
God: I did and I meant it.
Me: Ok, God. I hear You. Please help me to obey You even when I can’t see what’s coming or understand what’s going on.
God: Of course. Now for another thing. Education.
Me: Education?
God: Yes, education. I made you passionate about education for a reason. You see needs in the education system, and I made you to fill them.
Me: I know that, God, but…
God: But what? Stop second guessing me. I knew what I was doing when I placed this heart of and for education in you.
Me: Of and for?
God: Yes. You are forever an educator and you are forever a learner. You can touch people both in how you educate and how you learn.
Me: So writing and education is what You want me to do to make our world a better place?
God: Yes, but you knew that already.
Me: I did. Writing and education are what I’ve been doing my whole life. They’re not sexy. They aren’t new and in the moment. They don’t speak to the conflagration of emotions I have each time I read a news article. They’re not revolutionary.
God: You don’t know that. You’ve never given either one of them enough of a try yet. Look at history. Writing and education have always been agents of change and revolution, but the people who wield them haven’t always had revolution in mind. You’re just afraid you might actually accomplish something.
Me: I am, but I don’t know why.
God: *silence*
Me: You’re not going to tell me, are You?
God: Not yet. I need you to trust me right now, even though You can’t see how it will all come together.
Me: Ok, God. I do trust You, but please increase my faith so that I may trust You more. Although I’m sure those lessons will actually come by my inability to see what You’re up to, because that is how You roll. Is there anything else, God, You want me to talk to You about right now?
God: That’s good for now, but get some rest. The road ahead is long and wearying.
Me: Help me to rest, Lord, and help me to write and to educate and to bring glory to You in all that I do. Thank You for talking with me. I look forward to our next chat. In Jesus’ name, amen.