Jump Start Your Writing
After a summer of non-writing distractions, a constant stream of activities and time spent with my busy children, I now find myself at the beginning of a new school year faced with a quiet house and empty hours just ripe for writing. Perfect, I thought, for getting back into the swing of my routine that had been abandoned. As I sat down to write this week, my expectation was to pick up right where I had left off, transitioning easily back into daily writing and seeing progress. Sadly, I can’t seem to hit my stride.
Before the previous school year ended I had a groove for my writing time, a specific routine and schedule. I was a creature of habit. Starting at six a.m., as soon as I woke the kids for school, I would settle down at the end of the kitchen table with my cup of coffee, dressed in my pink flannel robe, and it worked perfectly for me.
Every morning was predictable. I had a zone. My creativity flowed easily and for hours. I thought slipping back into my old habit would be simple, like riding a bike again, just sit down and start pedaling (or writing) and you’re off! But, unfortunately, not so much.
Part of the problem, I admit, is my own distraction with social media. Not surfing it, but rather, learning how to use its potential for marketing. My research and seemingly endless discovery of details has my head spinning, preoccupying it with the realistic side of the self-publishing journey, crowding out my creative voice.
And then there is my everyday life, managing the many moving pieces of my family…doing my best to maintain an organized house, running continuously from any one of the kid’s various games and practices to another, helping them with homework, volunteering…you get the picture. I had, before the summer, learned how to prioritize most of my tasks and focus on my writing routine. It worked and I was happily productive. I am still happy, but much less productive at the moment.
As I sit here and pour my thoughts into this post, I realize that maybe the true issue is, as the children make a fresh start at school, I need to make a fresh start with my writing pattern. I will always be a morning writer, I work best in the early hours, but maybe this is a sign that it’s time to create a new ritual and give myself a different perspective. What could be better than that to jump start writing?
Suddenly I’m feeling inspired to leave my kitchen table and find a cozy corner in the late morning sun. It’s time to dust off that manuscript that has been waiting for me.
What specific writing routine or environment makes you most productive?
