Inspired Writing: How I Put Words on the Page

Sometimes words flow freely. Other times they ebb to a trickle. And there are moments when you might wonder if your creative dam has been sealed up tight forever more.

By perusing my recent entries, you might assume that the latter has been the case for me. In fact, that is far from true. While words have not been prolific here, new blog posts have graced A New Day. Plus, my clients have received a word or two in their social media channels as well. And close friends and family got messages in Christmas cards.

But yes, new content on this blog is certainly sparse. My apologies…

How to Add More Words on the Page

How does one change that? Easy and immeasurably difficult, depending upon your mindset. There are infinite articles out there with tips and tricks on how to write more;

• write at a set time and/or for a set period of time every day
• create a dedicated space for writing
• write someplace new
• remove and ignore distractions from your writing (ie. silence your phone, close your office door and hang a Do Not Disturb sign, cancel notification alerts, close social media/email accounts, etc.)
• brainstorm for ideas
• start a new project
• edit an existing piece

You get the idea. While all of these work, the bottom line is that you have to put in the effort. And lest you think me lazy, I have done that. You just haven’t seen it here. Want to know another trick to get more writing done?

Join a Writing Group

I set myself a resolution to make my writing a priority this year. I want to see more writing accomplished for myself, have taken a concerted step to ensure I succeed. The trick? I joined a writing group. Yeah me!

We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers.

Shut Up & Write! London

The perks of joining a group satisfy many of the above criteria. I meet once a week at a set time and place, with other like-minded individuals. We introduce ourselves, explain what we are working on for the evening, then SHUT UP AND WRITE (you see where the name comes from…). After an hour, an alarm sounds and we go around again and share our accomplishments from the evening. You can then continue to write, socialize, or head home. It adds a layer of accountability that pushes you to get words on the page. Plus, it adds socialization to a typically solitary activity. So far so good.

So, not only have I met a few new like-minded people, but I have marked writing on my calendar (once a week is better than nothing and it IS inspiring more). I plunk on headphones for an hour, then have the opportunity to see what other people are working on.

Plus, I am pleased to note that I have begun editing my African tales once more. I know, I know… Will it ever be done? Well, since attending a few events, I have found myself carving out a little more time in the evenings to return to Africa. Perhaps this will be the onus to help me finish editing my masterpiece/monster. Heck, I could even tackle writing my grief story on a larger scale. New project – tick!

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What are you writing in 2019?