Novelmber Week 2.5 Write-Alongs and Doubling Down
Novelmber Week 2.5 Write-Alongs and Doubling Down
I don't know about you but I need to re-commit
I keep having ideas and then tossing them aside after anywhere from 7K-100 words which I guess is my process.
I just finished Morning Pages by Kate Feiffer. RECOMMEND. It’s a novel about a playwright (why is that spelled like that?) written through her play and the morning pages she writes while writing it and I loved it so much. Great voice, and the interplay between the morning pages and the play is simply genius. (btw if you like my book recs at all you should definitely be subscribed to #AmReading.)
I’ve fought morning pages my whole career and now I’m going to try them. Because what I’m doing now isn’t working. Or I don’t think it’s working. Or something. Anyway, I’ve decided they’re included in my writing time this month, or maybe just this week. Because I need to double down. I keep thinking well, I’m not really working on anything, I’ll just do this other thing over here or this thing someone else wants me to do or draw pictures in this notebook… something about seeing this other writer (reading. This other fictional writer but that is OKAY.) do very similar things and also do some of her thinking out of her work in the pages made me go, huh. Maybe. Maybe this thing that thousands of people do and like and recommend is a good thing?
Yeah fine okay. (Morning pages come from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and it’s possible I need to read/re-read it. Or just buy it because buying books is fun.)
ANYWAY WRITE-ALONGS. Here they are for the beginning off the week, a little weirdly scheduled because I’m traveling. There WILL be a write-along Friday, and possibly Thursday as well, but I need to confirm something so expect another email later this week.
As always, all write-alongs in my Zoom Room HERE.
Monday 11/11/24 11:45-1:15 AM EST
Wednesday 11/12/24 9:00-10:00 AM EST
I started doing morning pages late this summer after reading that part of The Artist's Way (after years of having heard about them and not embraced the idea because I write a lot already.) I'm not saying they're the magic elixir that's solved all of my writing problems, but I am feeling good about the role they play in my life. I first had to redefine morning pages as "whenever the heck I sit down to write" which means they sometimes happen late in the day, sometimes early ish in the day. Usually sometime early afternoon tbh. I also in order to not spook myself give myself permission to miss a day here and there, particularly when embroiled in some of the long details of being the parent of college-aged kids where there are long drives or times to prioritize being with them, etc.
Anyway, it's definitely worth a shot. It also has a side benefit of I realized I'm chewing through some of my extensive notebook collection! :) And using some fun pens (which are my reward to myself for, you know, like surviving a Tuesday, lol.) I use that as part of the brain candy for staying motivated. Good luck, I hope you'll report back, though I have to admit it took me a good 1-2 months before I could feel the real turn in myself around these. Like, at first I was just slogging and it felt like usual journal stuff (and still does many days, just the basic boring blah) - but the transformative thing I think is the way it lets me empty out some of that basic boring blah so I"m less tempted to write from that blah headspace.
I'm still figuring it out, but it's been a couple of months and I feel like I've integrated it into my routine and get a benefit, so that's win-win.
I'm a big believer in morning pages. It's part of my whole writing ritual, including pulling a tarot card. Not that it stops me from procrastinating, but it definitely helps me clear the throat, so to speak. Thanks for the book rec!