“Brrr . . . it’s cold in here!” I said to myself as I pushed back the down comforter I’d been sleeping under. I jumped out of bed and looked at my room thermometer. It read 58º F. I pulled on my bathrobe, walked to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Then, I got dressed in a flannel shirt and corduroy pants. Once I started moving I began to warm up. I knew I had to move; standing still would have made me feel even colder.
Likewise, when my idea bank is frozen, when I feel “cold,” moving helps me warm up. I don’t wait until I feel inspired, but I do remind myself of my goals; then I sit down at my computer, open a document, date it, and start typing. After a few sentences I’m warmed up and the words start flowing.
There are spiritual and mental stimulants, “cups of coffee,” that help me start writing. God blessed me with two of them this morning, a sentence from the Gospel of John and a short chapter in Kristi Holl’s book, Writer’s First Aid.
From the Gospel of John I read, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” Yes, I concurred, in my lifetime I’ve received much grace and many blessings. I want to pass them on to others. Writing is a way to do that. I will continue working on my writing goals.
From Kristi Holl’s book I read about the necessity of having a good ignition system. Cars will go nowhere without an ignition system and neither will writers. Sometimes I flood my system with too many ideas. Other days I feel completely out of gas. What do I do? Do I force myself to write? What would I do if the car wouldn’t start, but I wanted to drive to Long Island to see my daughter and family? Would I forget about the trip? No, I would fix the ignition system. What will I do this year when I can’t get started writing? Will I forget about the “trip?” No, I have a destination, a goal. I will remind myself of that and do whatever it takes to fix my ignition system.
What about you, my writer friends, is your ignition system working? If it is, I’d like to hear about what gets you started and keeps you moving on your writing goals. If you are having trouble getting started, I’d still like to hear from you. Maybe we could encourage one another.
Sometimes you may have to give up the car you've used for a long time and borrow or buy a different one. Sometimes you may need to change your routine to get the creative juices flowing again.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of borrowing and designing my own "car."
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