New article from ManuscriptRX
Sep. 15th, 2008 07:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ostarellaLucia Zimmitti
www.ManuscriptRx.com
Writing is an intensely individual, personal pursuit. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Often writers are stymied by trying to squeeze their own quirky processes into someone else's template. However, it can be worthwhile to try things that have benefited others (even just with an experimental mindset). You might end up crossing another "trick of the trade" off your list, or you just might find a practice that helps you become efficient and inspired.
Remember that writing isn't some mystical, bolt-of-lightning event (even in those fleeting, almost magical moments when it feels like it): it's a habit. Those a-ha moments only happen after you've been working at or thinking about something for a while. And habits need to be nurtured to be maintained.
This month we're looking at one method that many creative artists are using to get more work done, and more inspired work at that:
Meditation.
Don't worry. Even if you've never imagined yourself trying it, if you've thought of it as new-agey or impossible for high-strung, on-the-go people, you can reap the benefits of just dabbling in it.
You don't need a special pillow or a room painted pale yellow or chanty background music. I pooh-poohed meditation for the longest time and actually tricked myself into believing it was a good thing to have a nonstop mind, a ceaseless stream of ideas and partial thoughts, like a school of fish swimming past that I could dip my hand into and pull a wriggling specimen out of. But it doesn't work that way. Skimming the surface of those shiny, passing ideas can only get us so far. We need to immerse ourselves into a few workable ideas and build them into sustainable worlds. We must learn to go deeper.
But first you need to train your mind to do this (to attend), an increasingly difficult task in our multi-media, high-tech, noisy world.
Is your brain being programmed to stop listening to your muse?
Neuroscientists are speculating that ongoing exposure to the Internet (which equates to being inundated with multiple streams of information) may actually alter the wiring of people's brains.
Great...that makes us multi-taskers, right? We'll be able to write that much more, right? Not exactly.
Think back to the pre-computer age (yes, you can do it if you try). Do you think you had an easier time focusing on and becoming deeply immersed in intellectual tasks? Many of the people I posed this question to agreed that they can't focus nearly as well today as they did back then, when TV was the only image-bombarding culprit out there. Also, according to my informal survey, it seems that writers who spend several hours a day surfing the Web have more trouble focusing on tasks that require sustained concentration.
Don't get me wrong: the Internet is a splendid miracle (permit me to gush, please). For one thing, it allows me to work with writers scattered across the globe (and for that I am eternally grateful). And writers often need to be on the Web (research, blogs, keeping up on changes in the marketplace, submitting to all those editors/agents who more and more want submissions by e-mail). But, in order to achieve quality writing, you need to learn to undo the potentially damaging effects the Internet can have on your ability to focus--an ability essential for high-level writing. Just as we need physical exercise to undo the effects of a writer's (necessarily) sedentary workday, we need practices that stretch attention spans in order to reverse the impact of our modern information age.
Without a functioning attention span, you cannot be attentive to your writing self
If the information age is creating brains that are best able to absorb small, varied bits of information, more and more writers will fall prey to attention problems. But you absolutely can retrain your brain. (If you're willing to take the time and make the commitment, that is.)
Focused attention: The antidote for 21st century info-bombardment
If exposure to thousands of quick, alternating bits of information is re-programming the concentration centers of your brain (which is great for multitasking, but terrible for long, meaningful explorations of your creative self), wouldn't it make sense that tasks that require you to steady your focus would do the opposite and end up boosting your concentration?
Research shows that different meditative practices offer numerous health benefits, including improved concentration (not to mention a higher stress tolerance and a healthier response to stress). Part of the meditative practice involves learning to focus your attention; for instance, by narrowing your awareness on the rhythms of your breathing. In a sense, you're retraining the muscle of attention to focus rather than remain pummeled by fleeting sensations around you.
This has direct implications for writers who struggle with information overload and are now having difficulty slowing down to concentrate on large tasks that require focus and depth to complete. And relax: you don't have to commit to a full-blown meditative practice to reap the benefits of improved concentration.
The concentration challenge: Retrain your focus and become a better writer
Hectic schedules, information overload, conflicting priorities and multiple obligations are the new norm for many people. If this is your situation, clearing your cluttered mind so you can focus on one task and immerse yourself in an ongoing creative effort may be the most unnatural part of your day.
In order to keep your brain primed for those quiet, creatively intimate moments, you may need to rework your attention patterns through concentration exercises. To counter the adverse effects of continuous multitasking and sensory overload, practice spending ten minutes a day training your attention to focus on one object or task (oh, come on, you can spare ten measly minutes!).
For those of you now used to doing a thousand things at once, ten minutes can feel like a lifetime. So you may need to work up to ten minutes (start with just two or three minutes). Find a quiet spot (a real challenge for many) and pick something, anything, you'd like to focus your attention on--whatever you focus on, it should not be associated with anything stressful. The object of your focus can be your breath, a spot on the wall, a picture, a pleasant mental image, a repetitive thought...it's your call.
Try not to think about writing, your current project, your mother-in-law who's coming to visit even though you may have fibbed and warned her the children had lice and you had a rare but vicious strain of a virulent, highly contagious, yet-to-be named disease...don't think about anything. Try to empty your mind. It's very easy to say, but very hard to do. It requires practice and persistence (the same qualities successful writing requires), especially in the case of writers who, as a species, tend to have minds crammed with characters and plots and settings). It's hard to force yourself to temporarily forget about your craft; to ignore the ping of a new e-mail in your in-box and not wonder if it's the editor finally getting back to you; to hear the "Raindrops Keep Falling on Your Head" jangle of your cell phone from deep within the confines of your purse and not wonder if it's the school nurse.
Once you've picked something to focus on, turn your attention and awareness toward it. It's that simple. Sit quietly for ten minutes and concentrate on one thing. Don't fret if your attention starts to wander within a few seconds or a few minutes--it's just your brain doing what it's become accustomed to: meandering, seeking constant stimulation, looking for new information, or perhaps, wondering what you've done with the mouse and keyboard...
When your mind wanders (which it will), simply start again. Reorient yourself to the object of your focus and sit quietly as you bring all of your focus toward that object. And please suspend judgment and self-criticism when you find your mind traveling to every place except your desired destination. Be patient. Give yourself several weeks of practice and before you know it, concentrating for ten minutes will feel as natural as Googling.
The goal of this concentration exercise is to help your writing practice (but there will be added benefits, too)--once you're able to focus for sustained periods, you'll become more attentive to your own ideas. Make a conscious effort to transfer the skills you are learning in the ten-minute exercise into your writing process. Again, don't try to rush this gradual growth--patience will pay off in the form of a more harmonious relationship with your muse (which of course is really your brain in moments of inspiration).
Just a note: People often mistakenly think of meditation as a passive pursuit. It's quite the opposite. Quieting all the clutter zinging around in your head so you can hear nothing is the start of really hearing yourself, which is the most important part of being intellectually active.
A meditation habit (or "concentration habit," if you prefer) will expand into a better, stronger writing habit. If you learn how to sit still (and think still), you are more apt to glue yourself at your desk for a chunk of time and not jump up when the ideas won't flow or when the sentences are stubborn. You'll be able to sit and wait and sit and ponder. Remember that writing doesn't get done on the run. Jotted ideas, yes, but real, substantial, high-quality writing, no.
So pick a spot, make a promise to yourself, and start spending quiet, quality time with yourself. You'll be amazed how quieting your mind ultimately wakes up your stories. Inspiration is just a steady habit away.
www.ManuscriptRx.com
Writing is an intensely individual, personal pursuit. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Often writers are stymied by trying to squeeze their own quirky processes into someone else's template. However, it can be worthwhile to try things that have benefited others (even just with an experimental mindset). You might end up crossing another "trick of the trade" off your list, or you just might find a practice that helps you become efficient and inspired.
Remember that writing isn't some mystical, bolt-of-lightning event (even in those fleeting, almost magical moments when it feels like it): it's a habit. Those a-ha moments only happen after you've been working at or thinking about something for a while. And habits need to be nurtured to be maintained.
This month we're looking at one method that many creative artists are using to get more work done, and more inspired work at that:
Meditation.
Don't worry. Even if you've never imagined yourself trying it, if you've thought of it as new-agey or impossible for high-strung, on-the-go people, you can reap the benefits of just dabbling in it.
You don't need a special pillow or a room painted pale yellow or chanty background music. I pooh-poohed meditation for the longest time and actually tricked myself into believing it was a good thing to have a nonstop mind, a ceaseless stream of ideas and partial thoughts, like a school of fish swimming past that I could dip my hand into and pull a wriggling specimen out of. But it doesn't work that way. Skimming the surface of those shiny, passing ideas can only get us so far. We need to immerse ourselves into a few workable ideas and build them into sustainable worlds. We must learn to go deeper.
But first you need to train your mind to do this (to attend), an increasingly difficult task in our multi-media, high-tech, noisy world.
Is your brain being programmed to stop listening to your muse?
Neuroscientists are speculating that ongoing exposure to the Internet (which equates to being inundated with multiple streams of information) may actually alter the wiring of people's brains.
Great...that makes us multi-taskers, right? We'll be able to write that much more, right? Not exactly.
Think back to the pre-computer age (yes, you can do it if you try). Do you think you had an easier time focusing on and becoming deeply immersed in intellectual tasks? Many of the people I posed this question to agreed that they can't focus nearly as well today as they did back then, when TV was the only image-bombarding culprit out there. Also, according to my informal survey, it seems that writers who spend several hours a day surfing the Web have more trouble focusing on tasks that require sustained concentration.
Don't get me wrong: the Internet is a splendid miracle (permit me to gush, please). For one thing, it allows me to work with writers scattered across the globe (and for that I am eternally grateful). And writers often need to be on the Web (research, blogs, keeping up on changes in the marketplace, submitting to all those editors/agents who more and more want submissions by e-mail). But, in order to achieve quality writing, you need to learn to undo the potentially damaging effects the Internet can have on your ability to focus--an ability essential for high-level writing. Just as we need physical exercise to undo the effects of a writer's (necessarily) sedentary workday, we need practices that stretch attention spans in order to reverse the impact of our modern information age.
Without a functioning attention span, you cannot be attentive to your writing self
If the information age is creating brains that are best able to absorb small, varied bits of information, more and more writers will fall prey to attention problems. But you absolutely can retrain your brain. (If you're willing to take the time and make the commitment, that is.)
Focused attention: The antidote for 21st century info-bombardment
If exposure to thousands of quick, alternating bits of information is re-programming the concentration centers of your brain (which is great for multitasking, but terrible for long, meaningful explorations of your creative self), wouldn't it make sense that tasks that require you to steady your focus would do the opposite and end up boosting your concentration?
Research shows that different meditative practices offer numerous health benefits, including improved concentration (not to mention a higher stress tolerance and a healthier response to stress). Part of the meditative practice involves learning to focus your attention; for instance, by narrowing your awareness on the rhythms of your breathing. In a sense, you're retraining the muscle of attention to focus rather than remain pummeled by fleeting sensations around you.
This has direct implications for writers who struggle with information overload and are now having difficulty slowing down to concentrate on large tasks that require focus and depth to complete. And relax: you don't have to commit to a full-blown meditative practice to reap the benefits of improved concentration.
The concentration challenge: Retrain your focus and become a better writer
Hectic schedules, information overload, conflicting priorities and multiple obligations are the new norm for many people. If this is your situation, clearing your cluttered mind so you can focus on one task and immerse yourself in an ongoing creative effort may be the most unnatural part of your day.
In order to keep your brain primed for those quiet, creatively intimate moments, you may need to rework your attention patterns through concentration exercises. To counter the adverse effects of continuous multitasking and sensory overload, practice spending ten minutes a day training your attention to focus on one object or task (oh, come on, you can spare ten measly minutes!).
For those of you now used to doing a thousand things at once, ten minutes can feel like a lifetime. So you may need to work up to ten minutes (start with just two or three minutes). Find a quiet spot (a real challenge for many) and pick something, anything, you'd like to focus your attention on--whatever you focus on, it should not be associated with anything stressful. The object of your focus can be your breath, a spot on the wall, a picture, a pleasant mental image, a repetitive thought...it's your call.
Try not to think about writing, your current project, your mother-in-law who's coming to visit even though you may have fibbed and warned her the children had lice and you had a rare but vicious strain of a virulent, highly contagious, yet-to-be named disease...don't think about anything. Try to empty your mind. It's very easy to say, but very hard to do. It requires practice and persistence (the same qualities successful writing requires), especially in the case of writers who, as a species, tend to have minds crammed with characters and plots and settings). It's hard to force yourself to temporarily forget about your craft; to ignore the ping of a new e-mail in your in-box and not wonder if it's the editor finally getting back to you; to hear the "Raindrops Keep Falling on Your Head" jangle of your cell phone from deep within the confines of your purse and not wonder if it's the school nurse.
Once you've picked something to focus on, turn your attention and awareness toward it. It's that simple. Sit quietly for ten minutes and concentrate on one thing. Don't fret if your attention starts to wander within a few seconds or a few minutes--it's just your brain doing what it's become accustomed to: meandering, seeking constant stimulation, looking for new information, or perhaps, wondering what you've done with the mouse and keyboard...
When your mind wanders (which it will), simply start again. Reorient yourself to the object of your focus and sit quietly as you bring all of your focus toward that object. And please suspend judgment and self-criticism when you find your mind traveling to every place except your desired destination. Be patient. Give yourself several weeks of practice and before you know it, concentrating for ten minutes will feel as natural as Googling.
The goal of this concentration exercise is to help your writing practice (but there will be added benefits, too)--once you're able to focus for sustained periods, you'll become more attentive to your own ideas. Make a conscious effort to transfer the skills you are learning in the ten-minute exercise into your writing process. Again, don't try to rush this gradual growth--patience will pay off in the form of a more harmonious relationship with your muse (which of course is really your brain in moments of inspiration).
Just a note: People often mistakenly think of meditation as a passive pursuit. It's quite the opposite. Quieting all the clutter zinging around in your head so you can hear nothing is the start of really hearing yourself, which is the most important part of being intellectually active.
A meditation habit (or "concentration habit," if you prefer) will expand into a better, stronger writing habit. If you learn how to sit still (and think still), you are more apt to glue yourself at your desk for a chunk of time and not jump up when the ideas won't flow or when the sentences are stubborn. You'll be able to sit and wait and sit and ponder. Remember that writing doesn't get done on the run. Jotted ideas, yes, but real, substantial, high-quality writing, no.
So pick a spot, make a promise to yourself, and start spending quiet, quality time with yourself. You'll be amazed how quieting your mind ultimately wakes up your stories. Inspiration is just a steady habit away.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 08:26 pm (UTC)I do take "time out" now and then, but I don't do the meditation thing. More like taking a deep breath before plunging into the chaos again :D But it sounds like something I also need to do - kinda like watching the coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the pot before having that last cup - takes some patience but the coffee's that much better for it. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 06:11 am (UTC)