Meditation is the standard tool for creating calm and comfort. During COVID-19 there are so many mindfulness exercises being introduced to us, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. I realized rather quickly that meditation is not a good method for me to unplug
When I need to disconnect from stress, pandemics, or adulting in general: I write stories.
Creating an entire world of people and problems that have absolutely nothing to do with my current life is calming.
Today, I will share the five reasons writing a story calms my nerves!
1. Routine is Soothing: There’s something about knowing I am going to write every day for one-hour from 9:00-10:00 pm that makes my intense workdays easier. My manuscript feels is a lover waiting for me when I get home. I spend all day thinking about him, fantasizing about what I’m going to do to him, and jotting down love notes to share with him later.
2. I Get to play God: It feels powerful to manipulate characters and plot lines on a page. If I want two characters to fall in love, they do. If it is time for them to break-up, it happens. If someone needs to die, done! In a world that feels increasingly out of hand, writing fiction brings a sense of control.
3. I Love a Sense of Accomplishment: No matter how much you write. If you write on any sort of schedule you feel accomplished at the end of your session. I write five times a week, 2000 words a day because I have novels in a series to finish. Nothing makes me feel calmer then hitting my goal night after night. It’s simply orgasmic!
4. It’s Great Excuse for Me to Connect: Once I started writing again, I wanted to talk to other writers. Before now, I was never a big social media user. Now I am on three platforms daily having great conversations and connecting with all kinds of people. Synergy heals!
5. I get hooked on new music: I write to music. But it can’t be music I will sing along to. I need to focus. So, I pick music according to the mood of the current chapter I’m writing. Whether it be classical, jazz, or gangster rap; I always end up with some new favorites. I even make playlists that align with each manuscript I write!
To some, writing is a chore. I get it. All I'm saying is, don’t knock it until you try it! The next time you feel anxious, write down the story that resides in your head and start creating a new world.
I feel you! Take one of those ideas and commit to developing that idea for one hour a day for thirty days. You would be surprised how much you accomplish. If you start with just one week, you will either be inspired by the characters to keep going, or realize it's not ready for a full project yet. then you can try the next idea. I
I think the hardest part for me is trying not to write and edit at the same time. I love to write. I started when I was fifteen and got undergrad and MA degrees in writing. For the most part, I just jot down a short synopsis of the idea I have so I can come back to it. Now I have pages and pages of ideas and no finished pieces. I feel like the writer part of me suffers the most with having a career and maintaining health. There just never seem to be enough hours in the day.