Nobody sees my first drafts. I ignore thoughts of who might enjoy the piece I am writing. My focus when I try to create something new is to tell a story. I don’t trouble myself with spelling or grammar or word flow. Syntax, tense and even a character’s name may change from one page to the next. The storyline ebbs and flows. When an idea strikes, I give myself permission to write while the sparks are flying. The writing jumps from a starting point to the end to various points in the middle. The beginning suffers from cross-outs and re-dos, while other parts are skipped altogether.

Believe me, the original piece is not readable. But from the chaos, magic happens. I meet my heroes and the antagonists in unique ways as they reveal their inner personality. The adventure evolves with surprises as situations unfold and my characters react according to their nature. When I write draft 2.0, I can rearrange, cut and edit the tale into something someone may one day wish to read. By the time I reach my first draft 3.0 I no longer feel the need to light a match.

How do you approach your writing process?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I am a voracious reader. My preferred reading style is consuming books, from beginning to the end, in a single sitting. I’ve never possessed the required discipline, or desire, to limit myself to a chapter before laying the book aside. Perhaps I am impatient. Books in a series present the same challenges of a marathon. I plan and schedule accordingly and can finish trilogies in a weekend.

The pace is not sustainable if you have multiple interests. The result is my reading takes on a seasonal feel. There are definite periods when my reading list shrinks perceptively, and seasons when it stagnates. Exploring unknown worlds, discovering captivating facts and entertaining controversial viewpoints is part of who I am. Summer is coming, daylight lasts longer, and all those ‘trashy’ beach novels are calling.

How do you like to read?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have been delaying working a short story. I had a splendid idea, and the scenes played as vivid as any movie. They felt real, and I could pretend I had lived through the events. The narrative ran on a feedback loop, repeating each day. Somehow, at my scheduled writing session, I found more important tasks needing my attention. It was becoming embarrassing and most annoying as the deadline approached.

The truth finally dawned on me. The problem was neither the story nor the writing. I earmarked this piece, intending to enter it in a contest and somebody, maybe several somebodies would judge my work.  The thought, buried deep in my head, paralyzed me. Fear kept me from starting, until today. Today, I found my courage, sat at my desk, and began.

What will you begin today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Few things happen overnight. Okay, you can have your orders delivered in twenty-four hours, your movies play on demand, information is available with a quick search and the world spins a breakneck speed. It is easy to get caught in the whirlwind, racing to perform jobs faster and faster. Our anxiety builds when we can’t complete every task on our lengthy lists.

There are advantages to ambling along at a leisurely pace. We can make small mistakes without dire consequences and adjust our course as needed. It also grants us time to spend with family and friends and honor other obligations. By moving deliberately, we build strength and we gather momentum. The work moves forward with less effort and we find ourselves carried across the finish line. We grant ourselves precious moments to savor our journey. Dripping like water, we carve deep impressions on solid rock.

How will you make your mark?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This Memorial Day amidst the parades, barbeques, and fireworks—remember.

Thank you to all who serve.

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Working on project deadlines while keeping current on the normal everyday grind means hours turn into days sitting in front of computer screens. Headphones stream my favorite music to keep me centered as I flip from one screen to the other and words fill the page. Mandatory conference calls and essential webinars punch holes in a tight schedule. Files are downloaded, manipulated, massaged, updated and verified before I push them to the end user.

The room rocks, the thunder rolls and the reason for the room’s darkness slowly dawns on me. They predict morning thunderstorms, with clearing skies and moderate afternoon temperatures. Pulled from the fog I realized my body is stiff from sitting, my shoulders ache from tension and other people’s deadlines must wait. Outside the world smells fresh and clean. The sun sparkles, and the breeze shakes raindrops from tree leaves. The pressures disappear, I remember the reasons I chose this path and I hold my head high.

How will you connect with nature today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Mother Nature forges ahead with her own agenda. She doesn’t wait for everything to be perfect before she begins. To herald the season’s metamorphosis, she sends spring flowers. Late snowstorms dump two feet of the white fluffy stuff way past the date the calendar says it should snow. Thunderstorms, torrential downpours, flash flooding, and tornados don’t keep her from coaxing crocus, tulips, lily of the valley and blood red peony stalks above ground.

They brave inclement weather and hostile conditions. They may hope for gentle breezes, sunny skies, and tender rain, but life gives them no guarantees. If they have any hope of growing, blooming and reaching their full potential they must take risks. Faced with uncertainty, they begin anyway.

Are you dreaming of a beginning?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

We can’t escape it. Life is brimming with heartbreaks, hardships, grief and tear-filled days. Frida Kahlo had every reason to drown her sorrows. As a child, she suffered from polio which caused her to limp. As a teenager, she was involved in a bus accident, impaled by a steel handrail which nearly killed her. The disaster left her with multiple spinal fractures, a shattered pelvis, fractured ribs, and collarbone. They confined her to a full body cast for three months. Yet this is when she obtained a paintbrush, canvas, and paints and began creating magnificent art.

Her story reinforces the belief that deepest sorrows are counterbalanced by pinnacles of joy. To experience those amazing feelings, we must allow the bastards to swim free. We should just let them go. While it may be easier said than done, releasing them can provide the inspiration to construct poignant beauty.

What emotions do you need to release?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

As a dancer, Isadora Duncan rejected the structured positions and rigid forms of ballet. She improvised, focusing on letting her emotions dictate her movements. She allowed her gestures to flow from one to the next. Dancing was a natural response to music. Aleister Crowley wrote that she displayed an “‘unconsciousness’ — which is magical consciousness — with which she suits the action to the melody.”

We can apply the description to writing. Sometimes the words tumble and appear on the page. They evolve freely. Abstract thought becomes a general idea and finishes as flowing prose. To reach that state, the writer has to let go.  Released from regulations and rules they give the unconscious mind room to run free. The author breaks constraining bonds and creates an uninhibited natural work of art.

How do you connect to your wild nature?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

They tell us success requires a laser-like focus on a single goal. Then they suggest we create a work-life balance. They say it is necessary to spend equal time on our finances, personal growth, health, career, family, relationships, social activity, spirituality, creativity, attitude, and amusement. The demands are overwhelming and the wheel of life bumps over us imitating the proverbial bus.

The creatives among us are perhaps more sensitive to the underlying need for harmony. We wrestle with the tension, channeling it into our creations. The stress creates conflict, which we try to harness and incorporate into our work. If we are successful, we convey those feelings to our readers. It allows us to form a connection and tell a story that resonates.

How do you maintain balance in your life?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer