De-Stress Yourself before You Write

Funny... I wrote the title of this week's blog and shook my head in disbelief. Look who's talking!.  I write my stories and blogs at my desk while waiting for reply emails or for telephone calls, and I can assure you that it doesn't work well. 

Then I look at my desk and groan. What do I see on it? Piles of papers, folders, pens (the same ones that I cannot find when I look for them), and many other items that form the clutter I hate. Sometimes I say that I must clean my desk so I remember the color of the wood it's made of...

First.  If I lived in an ideal world, my desk would be completely clear of clutter, with my computer and my glass of water handy, and all the reference books would be neatly tucked in the bookcase at my back.  I'd find the right picture and place right in front of me. That picture would be a photograph taken at some unforgettable place when I was visibly happy and relaxed. I'd want to trigger my memory of that experience on my subconscious mind, breaking the circle of stressful thoughts.

Second.  I'd add a living thing to my desk. A flower in a cute little vase, a small plant, such as a miniature ivy, or a goldfish.  Just looking at any of those living creations can be effective and subtly override a stressful mind. 

Third.  I'd have handy a meaningful souvenir. An item like a rock, a crystal, some small item purchased during a significant visit to some place that has remained in your mind, or an item given to you by someone wonderful.

Fourth.  Try your best to clear your mind of other stressful thoughts and just concentrate on your writing. Try to BE there at the scene with the characters; try to picture in your mind their surroundings during the scene being written; focus on their dialogue so that it sounds realistic and not artificial; and most of all, re-read after you write.  It may happen to you as well, but when I write what I'm thinking I sometimes skip a word if I'm going too fast therefore I have to go over and see that the idea is complete before I move to the next paragraph.

Of course, the above works for me and I cannot assume that it will work for you as well. Maybe I should add a fifth point... I need silence when I write. Sometimes I can't even have music playing (soft, 'elevator' music, never the noisy kind), but not every one is like me, obviously.  Like those teenagers who need a blasting stereo to do their homework, some grown ups fit that category – but that's something that I cannot understand.  Do whatever YOU feel to make yourself at home writing and creating... but DO IT!  Don't wait for a miracle to see your novel finished because, trust me on this one... it ain't going to happen.

One more point:  don't copy my English grammar either...