I hope you had a good holiday season. And I hope your family events weren’t disrupted by Covid like mine were. Still as I heard the Dalai Lama say recently in a wonderful doco, Mission Joy with Bishop Desmond Tutu — within the negative is always something positive. And so it was. I turned my self isolation period into a ten day writer’s retreat.
The first day wasn’t so easy but I did as I always do when I’m re-entering the work — I adopted the tidy, slide, sleep and write method.
The first step is fairly obvious. Get your house in order — Tidy the kitchen, the living room, the desk, the workspace. Don’t go overboard, no major spring cleaning, just getting things in order, getting things in place. People think of this as procrastination but it’s not. Tidying prepares the mind, lets it know — soon we are about to start, soon we are going to get serious.
The Slide is a little more subtle. It requires you to leave some materials lying about in easy access that you can pick up and browse. Some books you used for research in the past but haven’t looked for a while, some old notebooks, scrapbooks you used for jotting, some music from the era you are writing in. The slide may also suggest bringing in certain colours, textures, fabrics, scents, smells or objects, that help create the atmosphere you need to enter into the world of your book.
The Sleep is a key part of this method. It’s good to make sure you have comfortable lolling places not far from your desk. A comfortable day bed with ample cushions, an armchair you can sink into, a comfy stool near a window with a view. And of course you will have scattered some of your slide triggers about the cosy lolling places, ready for browsing or contemplating.
The Write component is simple, and it’s where this is all leading. But you need to go gentle here, not berate yourself that you have spent all this time preparing and you haven’t even started yet. All you need do is open your computer to your draft, then step away, loll about, read some of your old research materials and if sleep overtakes you allow it to come. When you wake up, head to your computer and start to write.
On Day One don’t try to write too much, leave off when you get tired, have another little loll about, another little nap, jot down some notes and go out for a walk. Cook some dinner, watch a movie, sleep.
On Day Two, go straight to the computer and get cracking. Once you are in you are in! Grab a tea or coffee and some breakfast at some point but write for as long as you can. If you get tired sleep, when you wake up get straight back to the computer. Continue this way through out the day and into the evening if you like. Go again the next day and so on. Consult your research materials, loll about with them in between writing sessions, and don’t forget to eat. Small meals are best. And don’t forget to walk. I like evening walks these days. That means I can get straight to the computer when I wake.
Continue this way for up to ten days. Your study will look like a right mess by the end. Doesn’t matter. What matters is you are back in the book, where you love to be!
Draft Busters Online Begins again Monday Jan 10 at 10 am – 11.30 am.
A four week course to keep you motivated and working on your drafts. It includes 2 weekly sessions — Motivation Mondays and Feedback Fridays.
Motivation Mondays, 10am -11.30 pmAEST ( 1.5 hrs)
Check in with the group, set goals and timetables for the week, discuss any questions or issues coming up for you in your writing process, plus a meditative writing exercise on a specific area of writing craft: setting, voice, characters, dramatic action, resolution, impact etc.
Feedback Fridays, 3pm – 5.30 pm AEST (2.5 hours )
Read an excerpt from your week’s writing, receive feedback from the group, discuss any issues arising.
Sessions are conducted on Zoom.
When: ongoing, contact Jan for dates and workshop times
Cost: $320AUD (185 Euros, 160 GBP, $200USD) for eight workshops. BOOK HERE
