For me to clear my head and find my writing mojo, firstly I get all my other tasks completed so I don’t spend time worrying about my To-do list. Then I schedule a chunk of time so I’m not interrupted. I grab a giant cup of hot green tea, a small snack and head for my desk. (When I’m nervous about what I’m going to write that day I might stuff a few squares of dark cacao in my mouth, too!)
The main reason I need a block of uninterrupted time is because when I write, it’s very hypnotic. I transport myself back to the time and place that I’m trying to capture on paper. I usually shove some earbuds in my ears even though they are not plugged-in, to help drown out any distractions. Once I’m comfortable sitting on my exercise ball staring at my computer, I write an email—send a quick note to friend. Anything to get my words flowing. Friends get the telltale sign when I’m “warming-up” because they randomly receive an overly detailed note.
I make my best creations when my mind is deep into the scene and can feel the emotions I felt when it originally happened. I think about the event with all of my senses. (Including my 6th sense.) Once I can walk through the memory like it was yesterday, I start to write. If I’m interrupted from a scene in 1986 for example, it feels quite jarring. Like someone yanked me to the future and snapped me out of my deep-dive from a time and place that no longer exists. Keeping myself there until the entire content is recorded is what allows me to communicate the story in an authentic way.
Writing is both a right brain and left brain activity for me. When I get an idea for a writing project, I start with an outline of the entire story . Then I determine the starting point and the ending point. I craft the arc of the story by selecting the various stories within the story, that allow the reader to understand the deep messages that are layered throughout. After that, I create a chronological outline that lists all of the dates and events that need to be written about. Then I organize them into chapters and parts.
Sometimes I get stuck looking for the right words, but it seems they eventually always appear. You’ve probably heard songwriters talk about waking up and needing to write down a lyric—that’s exactly what happens to me. Some days I can’t even sit at my computer because I just know I haven’t worked it out yet. And then I’ll wake up and write an entire chapter—having no idea where the words came from. If I’m really stuck, I will edit the previous chapter and that seems to get my right-brain flowing.
The title usually doesn’t comes to me until I’m done writing, but when it finally feels right, I never question it again. In the case of All But Six, I wanted the title to encapsulate who my father was. It seemed like it summed him up perfectly. I also like the play of three words, all with three letters.
Writing processes can be quirky, unique and even absurd. It doesn’t matter. Just get’er done!
You won’t find me in a loud coffee shop trying to write. But you can find me on Substack—and I hope you do. : )
