Easter is a good time to take stock of where you are on your writing journey – or anything else in life!
Think about what you want – and why. Remember that this is your journey. You don’t need to follow the crowd.
I’m currently working my way through Julia Cameron’s latest book – ‘Write for Life.’ I’ve done ‘Morning Pages’ on a regular basis for the last twenty-five years and definitely recommend them as a way of focusing your mind on what you are hoping to achieve in all areas of life. They are basically three pages of long hand written very quickly, preferably early in the morning before you begin your day. (They work just as well in the evening before going to sleep.) Julia also suggests that regular short amounts of time spent on a writing project will get you to the end more quickly than ‘binge’ writing. I’m also trying to tell my inner critic not to expect perfection on a first draft – it won’t happen!
WRITING EXERCISE
Make a list of your obsessions and interests – e.g. archaeology, bee-keeping, Italian cookery, steam trains and knitting.
Make a list of five possible locations for a story or novel. (If you are working on a memoir, then think of five buildings that were significant.)
Write down brief details about five different characters. (Approx 100 words for each.)
List five different types of weather or environment.
List five emotions – e.g. anger, lust, sorrow, joy, fear.
Pick one item from each list and create the beginning of a story or the first draft of a poem. Have fun with this. See where these ideas take you.
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