It can be a real challenge to get into the flow of writing. You have some ideas that you want to express but you are not sure where to start and you end up just staring at the blank page.
Over the years I have experimented with many ways of improving getting into the flow of writing and what I have discovered is that it is like a relationship. When I am connected with my writing, it’s kind of like having a friend that I am frequently in touch with and is easy to talk to and share things with, and when I am not connected with my writing it’s kind of like getting together with someone you have not talked to in a long time and you are unsure where the conversation is going.
If you struggle with getting into the flow of writing, experiment with the following strategies to maintain your connections with your writing and allow you to get into the flow more easily and consistently.
Write with a pen and paper daily
You can write about anything you want…. you can do what I call a mind dump/download or you could brainstorm about something that you need to write or a problem that’s coming up for you… When you show up every day to write, it creates more of an ease when entering the flow of writing than the strained relationship of just forcing the flow to arrive when you need it. Also, if writing daily feels overwhelming commit to a schedule that works for you. I write Monday to Friday in the morning and sometimes Saturdays and Sundays.
Writing down your ideas as they come to you
You can create a “universal capture list” in any note app … I like simplenote.com because I can access it on my laptop and also through an app on my phone. This makes it available to me at any time. The only rule here is that it all goes down. Do not judge of the ideas, just capture the ideas.
Interacting with the world Another part of having the ideas within you as you begin to write is being out there in the world and interacting with it. This allows the ideas to come in and develop and evolve. Listen to podcasts, watch films, read and discuss books. It’s also important (although not my personal strength) to interact with a breadth of information so that you can cross-pollinate. I tend to go deep into my specific topics – human nature, spirituality, entrepreneurship and self-help – and expanding your sphere is so important for creativity to spark.
I have tested these strategies or more than 15 years now and they have created a relationship with writing for me that I can count on. My relationship with writing has not always been easy and we have had our ups and downs but we return to each other and find ways of expressing ourselves and our relationship grows.
I encourage you to experiment with these strategies and let me know what your experience is with your relationship with writing.
Email me at support@melissaEanders.com to let me know what’s working and what’s not working.
Sincerely,
Melissa
Melissa E Anders 