Peaceful, Easy Sunday Writing Session — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 10 Comments

i-wake-up-fairly-early-every-day-by-8-for-sure.-sunday-is-a-lighter-writing-day-than-the-weekdays-but-i-still-wake-up-and-write-for-about-an-hour-beginning-right-around-8.-i-definitely

After a weeks’ worth of waking early and working late into the evening, sleeping in is a justified reward. The trick is finding the sweet spot. Wake too soon, and it’s different to distinguish Sunday from my typical workday. I drag myself from my bed, tired, drained, and uninspired. Sleep too long, and the slow, tranquil parts slip away. I chase after my longed-for relaxing pace and end up feeling cheated, rushed, and resentful.

Preparation is the key. I purposely turn off my alarms, set my phone to silent, and adjust the thermostat to cool. My optimal bedroom temperature is between 65 and 68F. It makes snuggling into a warm cocoon with my favorite fluffy downy comforter and pillows is a rare indulgence. Waking without an alarm to the aroma of a freshly brewed coffee is a decadent treat. One quick push of the start button is all it takes when I also prepare the pot the night before.

The next part happens naturally, with no prodding or forethought. My desk and my story beckons. There is nothing better than a steaming cup of Joe, a quiet Sunday morning, and the soft tap of keys as the scenes in my head appears on the screen.

Do you write on Sunday, or do you unwind?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 25

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 299 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Nuances, Implications, and the Subtleties of Just the Right Word — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
before-the-scene-before-the-paragraph-even-before-the-sentence-comes-the-word.-individual-words-and-phrases-are-the-building-blocks-of-fiction-the-genes-that-generate-everything-else.-

I have a love affair with words, vocabulary, diction, and expressions. I have compiled a lengthy list of glorious examples I have encountered in my reading. There is great joy in discovering a novel turn of phrase. The best authors accomplish perfection by evoking thoughts, feelings, and atmosphere, almost effortlessly. Their brilliance shines by using, as Nancy says, le mot jeste.

I can spend a lot of time agonizing over a single word choice. Should I use “cold” or does “bitter” convey a meaning laced with harshness and resentment? Does the picture change if I select “crisp” instead? Can my reader smell an apple, recall a glorious autumn day, or see leaves changing color? Or perhaps “glacial” is more appropriate? If words make fiction blossom, do I want my rose to “smell,” or should it have an “aroma”? What about a “fragrance”?

The astute writer considers these nuances as their prose paints the desired picture. Every single word carries an image, flavor, or emotion. A single well-placed word can replace sentences and entire paragraphs filled with descriptions. I know because I have deleted them in my editing process.

How much consideration do you place on word choice?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 24

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 298 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Mingling Work, Play, and Nurturing Your Creative Process 24/7 — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
you-think-24-7-when-youre-a-creative-person.-and-i-find-pleasure-in-everything-if-im-in-a-flea-market-im-there-on-my-downtime-but-im-also-there-searching-for-the-collection.-i-dont-separ

Some folks anticipate Friday’s arrival and the week’s end. My weekends are pressure cookers. Invariably, a few tasks scheduled during the week remain unfinished and get pushed to Saturday and Sunday, along with other obligations, family dinners, connecting with friends, yard work, laundry, and grocery shopping. They consume the hours meant for generating stories, relaxing, and recharging our batteries. By Sunday afternoon, I can’t wait for Monday’s calm.

The brain doesn’t stop working because the calendar says it is Friday. It is always creating, solving problems, and it demands you pay attention. Finding time to satisfy the creative drive on the weekend is a challenge. I find myself scratching notes on any available scrap of paper, the app on my phone, and trying valiantly to remember to collect them all in my central notebook. Still, I discover stray notes, forgotten at the bottom of my purse.  Separating work and play is impossible for me as they both live in the same realm. They are two sides of the same coin.

Can you separate work from play?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 23

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 297 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Small Daily Effort Propels You to the Winner’s Circle — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments
write-every-day.-dont-kill-yourself.-i-think-a-lot-of-people-think-i-have-to-write-a-chapter-a-day-and-they-cant.-they-fall-behind-and-stop-doing-it.-but-if-you-just-write-even-one-hundr.

It is easy to fall behind. You set goals, make plans, create schedules, and the world intervenes. The result is you flounder, miss the mark, call yourself a failure. Your grand plans lie in ruins. Thinking in black and white terms, in happiness or disappointments, can encourage you to forsake your dreams. Thankfully, colors have countless shades, and we can measure success in degrees.

Life ebbs and flows. A writing session may see words appear on the screen without effort. At the next scheduled session, your fingers can’t communicate with the keyboard. Consistency is the key to helping you create within the day’s constraints. If you do your best, if you compose what you can, then you are a winner.

How many words will you write today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 22

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 296 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Hiding Behind Time Blocks and the Beauty of Noise-Canceling Headphones — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
i-write-for-three-or-four-hours-and-then-hopefully-ill-have-something.-then-i-draw-for-the-rest-of-the-afternoon...-i-literally-block-out-wednesday-thursday-friday-i-more-or-less-disappe.

Carving out time for creative endeavors is a challenge. Work, family responsibilities, mundane chores, and an endless string of must-do items conspire to keep us from our goal. I have decided on a new tactic and am attempting block scheduling. It is a learning process for both me and the household. I am discovering it helps if I can disappear.

Once upon a time, my go-to escape plan was a trip to the coffee shop. Sadly, that is no longer an option. I have lost my desire to brave the outdoor patio now that the weather is cold and damp.  A locked bedroom door is a second, albeit less workable choice for an untrained family. Noses sniff, puffing at the crack at the door’s bottom as they try to see what you are doing. Grubby little paws claw the door.

Noise-canceling headphones help muffle the constant crying, sobbing, and begging on the barriers’ opposite side. If you are stalwart, they will eventually give up. That is when your pets get in on the act and launch their assault. I surrender, gather my supplies, and prepare to write in my car.

How do you block out creative time?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 21

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 295 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer