While I believe in protecting one’s ideal writing and creative time, I’m an equally strong proponent of working outside those times. Challenging oneself is necessary. It teaches a person to work regardless of the external situation.
writing practice
The Blank Page is not Your Friend
We don’t go to the page to make friends. We go to see something other and apart from who we are. – Jodi Angel
Punctured Tires and Thumb Tacks
We hollow out without utility. – Kyle McCord, “I’m Concerned You Will be Reincarnated as Office Supplies”
Start Over Again
It’s said that you don’t forget how to ride a bike. It’s a somewhat true statement. If you have ridden a bike in the past and decide to start riding again, you have a slight advantage over the person who has never ridden one. Then again, maybe you don’t have an advantage. You rode in the past, but your final ride was horrific. You had to stop riding, not because you chose to, but because you were physically incapable of riding due to an injury. For you, the challenge is not in the pedaling but in the images and memories that fill your mind.
Do You Have a Writing Practice?
Most of my writing, with the exception of my poetry, occurs in the morning. It’s when my mind makes better connections. The words come more easily and aren’t weighted with the cares of the day.