Happy Monday!
I wish I had some big exciting things to report from my last week. But the truth is I’ve entered a season of consistency. Most days, I wake up and answer email or meet with my writing friend to discuss our projects. Then I go to they gym, knock out some writing for about an hour and then work out. I head home around 3 or 4, shower, do some chores and then make dinner. I listen to audiobooks while I workout and sometimes also read before bed. But that’s the bulk of my time.
Things are about to pick up a bit with work as the semester begins at Seton Hill. This will add a few hours of work on reading submissions or overseeing lessons in the class I’m teaching online.
But mostly I’ll be doing this work out and write routine.
A lot of people think the writing life is glamorous, but the truth is it mostly looks like what I’m describing. To the observer, it looks boring. Wake, write, repeat. But inside, it’s extremely busy. My brain is constantly spinning through the story, mentally reviewing scenes I’ve written, planning new ones. Think of it like the duck sitting calmly on the water while its little webbed feet churn below.
That’s why the routine is key. Having a set schedule allows more bandwidth in the brain. If I don’t have to decide what to do today, I have more mental energy for the creative bits. Because it takes an enormous amount of focus and ideating to see a book through to the end.
I am happy to report that this routine is netting some great results. Yesterday, I passed the 60k word mark on this romantasy. That’s about the halfway mark. Usually, things pick up quickly here because I’ve figured out the basic shape of the story and I just have to get all the scenes down. If I’m consistent, then the words begin to pile up faster as the finish line starts to appear in the distance and I get more eager to finish the draft.
I’m also seeing my energy levels increase from all the exercise, which only benefits the writing. My mind is sharp and it’s easier to focus, which is a miracle for a perimenopausal ADHD lady.
This is not to say that I don’t have any fun. The consistency means that once my work for the day is done I can do what I want with no guilt. But the next day, I’m back at the keyboard in my workout clothes.
I think of it less as being boring as being in the zone. I’ve missed the zone. It’s good to be back.
Tarot Prompt: The Hierophant
Key words: Tradition, education, conventional wisdom.
Sometimes this figure is also called “the High Priest” or the “Pope”—archetypes of patriarchal spiritual traditions, as opposed to the more intuitive, feminine spiritual wisdom of the High Priestess card.
The Hierophant is inviting you to embrace well-established, orthodox approaches. Perhaps you should join an institution or group that teaches traditional lessons in what you’re hoping to learn. As writer, for example, maybe you need to join a writing organization that can teach you “the rules” in order to advance your goals. Or perhaps you’ll work with a mentor who can teach you how they did things and what they learned from traditional approaches.
It’s okay to embrace tradition as a creative. After all, you need to understand the rules in order to know how to break them. You also can bypass a lot of painful lessons by learning how others have approached problems and by having a community with which to discuss challenges. This is a natural step in everyone’s growth as they find their individual voice. Just be sure not to identify too devoutly to tradition lest you end up parroting what’s been done before or losing your sense of self on the altar of belonging.
Prompts:
-Journal: How has my rebellion against tradition hindered by growth as a creative person? Have I cut my nose off to spite my face simply because I haven’t wanted to rely on established systems or approaches?
-Figure out who your mentors are. Whether you interact with them directly through classes or you simply think of them as archetypes to emulate, it’s important to have role models. Which writers have forged similar paths to the one you want to take?
-Look up writing groups in your area. Is there one that might be a good source of education and community for you? If not, check out some online resources.
One last thing, allow me to help you address your biggest writing or creative living conundrums. Submit your questions and quandaries to me via email or direct message here and I’ll tackle them in a new feature called Ask the Muse. I’m here and listening.
-The Messy Muse