There is a secret place that some writers go to, a place of wonder and of mystery. As a reader you will have experienced this magical place, where you become unconscious of the words or even turning the page, the bed you lie on or the world around you. Instead, your mind sees only what is happening in the story. You feel as if you are there and find you have devoured the book before you know it.
Now imagine if your writing could be like that also. Not focused on which word to choose, or the keystrokes your fingers must make. All you see is your story unfolding before the mind's eye and you race to record all that is happening. You feel elated by the rush of inspiration flooding through you, and are so close to your characters, desperately wondering what will happen to them, how they will be saved.
This is the writer's paradise, this is the Flow.
The Flow is also the difference writing 500 words an hour and writing 2,500 words, which is a very big difference. When you are in the flow, you write faster, more coherently and easily. Isn't that a joy? You will have better books, with less pain.
The strategy in achieving this flow has a prerequisite. You might be wondering how to do this. Where can you find this magical land? Does it involve drugs? No, no drugs. Nothing illegal, or immoral, or anything that might make you fat. Instead, you must be able to understand the key elements that make up the Flow.
The Flow requires a combination of elements; stilling all of your body's shouting, training yourself to know when to perform, and giving your genius time to come up with the goods by building anticipation.
YOUR BODY'S REQUIREMENTS
If you want to get anything done, there are certain steps you should take. Compare your body to a faithful dog. It will keep nagging you unless you take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down. A short walk, a banana or something healthy and filling, along with a good drink, and it then has no more right to complain, as long as your writing space is comfortable. This is just like stilling all the body's normal shouting in order to focus in on the world inside your mind. That is your aim.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT
You cannot control all that is in your environment, such as the screaming child next door. You can minimize these things, but you can also learn to ignore them. Noise-cancelling earphones are very helpful if you live somewhere particularly noisy.
In your home however, there are aspects which you can control. Find a spot in your house where you can write comfortably. Make sure that you can sit up without hurting your back and you can type effectively. All special places need some practical elements.
TRAINING YOUR SELF
If you train yourself to always expect to write at a set time, in a certain place, entering the Flow will become more natural and automatic. One of the easiest ways to train yourself is through ritual. When you sit in this particular chair, after doing these same things, your subconscious knows that it is time to start coughing up the goods. The more ritual you can create, the easier it will be to convince your youth to come out and play.
CREATING ANTICIPATION
You should be able to create a sense of anticipation about your writing session. There are a number of ways to do this. Firstly, think of how much you plan to get done in this session. Let it be a number that excites you but also scares you just a little bit. Secondly, spend time before your session, such as on your way home from work, thinking about your writing and how much fun this session will be. Thirdly, try finishing each session before you have completed the idea, that way next time you sit down, you'll know exactly where to start and already be excited.
If you work these elements of feeding your body, preparing your environment, training yourself through ritual and building anticipation, you can expect the Flow to find you every time you write.
Now imagine if your writing could be like that also. Not focused on which word to choose, or the keystrokes your fingers must make. All you see is your story unfolding before the mind's eye and you race to record all that is happening. You feel elated by the rush of inspiration flooding through you, and are so close to your characters, desperately wondering what will happen to them, how they will be saved.
This is the writer's paradise, this is the Flow.
The Flow is also the difference writing 500 words an hour and writing 2,500 words, which is a very big difference. When you are in the flow, you write faster, more coherently and easily. Isn't that a joy? You will have better books, with less pain.
The strategy in achieving this flow has a prerequisite. You might be wondering how to do this. Where can you find this magical land? Does it involve drugs? No, no drugs. Nothing illegal, or immoral, or anything that might make you fat. Instead, you must be able to understand the key elements that make up the Flow.
The Flow requires a combination of elements; stilling all of your body's shouting, training yourself to know when to perform, and giving your genius time to come up with the goods by building anticipation.
YOUR BODY'S REQUIREMENTS
If you want to get anything done, there are certain steps you should take. Compare your body to a faithful dog. It will keep nagging you unless you take it for a walk and then give it a bone before sitting down. A short walk, a banana or something healthy and filling, along with a good drink, and it then has no more right to complain, as long as your writing space is comfortable. This is just like stilling all the body's normal shouting in order to focus in on the world inside your mind. That is your aim.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT
You cannot control all that is in your environment, such as the screaming child next door. You can minimize these things, but you can also learn to ignore them. Noise-cancelling earphones are very helpful if you live somewhere particularly noisy.
In your home however, there are aspects which you can control. Find a spot in your house where you can write comfortably. Make sure that you can sit up without hurting your back and you can type effectively. All special places need some practical elements.
TRAINING YOUR SELF
If you train yourself to always expect to write at a set time, in a certain place, entering the Flow will become more natural and automatic. One of the easiest ways to train yourself is through ritual. When you sit in this particular chair, after doing these same things, your subconscious knows that it is time to start coughing up the goods. The more ritual you can create, the easier it will be to convince your youth to come out and play.
CREATING ANTICIPATION
You should be able to create a sense of anticipation about your writing session. There are a number of ways to do this. Firstly, think of how much you plan to get done in this session. Let it be a number that excites you but also scares you just a little bit. Secondly, spend time before your session, such as on your way home from work, thinking about your writing and how much fun this session will be. Thirdly, try finishing each session before you have completed the idea, that way next time you sit down, you'll know exactly where to start and already be excited.
If you work these elements of feeding your body, preparing your environment, training yourself through ritual and building anticipation, you can expect the Flow to find you every time you write.
About the Author:
This is an extract from Elizabeth Greentree's new book The Five Day Writer's Retreat. For more great tips on preparing for a lifestyle of writing, sign up to the The Five Day Writer's newsletter for a free copy of the book, or find it on Amazon.