The Relaxed Writer

Replenish the Writer: Anne M. Lindbergh on Solitude

Only when one is connected to one's inner core is one connected to others. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be re-found through solitude.   --Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 Dear Reader,

As I write this, I'm steeped in silence and solitude.  My cells are nourished by this temporary lack of sound and companionship, especially because on most days my small house is populated by one vocal cat, a lively, music-loving toddler--one who's just discovered her screaming-for-joy voice, by the way--and an active, sociable husband.  It's not that I'm completely deprived of solitude, but to get the space I need, I have to be intentional and proactive.

If you're a writer, I don't have to tell you how important solitude is to your craft, but perhaps I might take this moment to remind you that time for solitude won't necessarily present itself on its own.  You  may have to actively take time and space away from your daily obligations and loved ones to make it happen.  

What does "solitude" look like for you?  I'd like to hear your ideas, and will share some of my own with you later this week.

until then, write well.
~Coach Marla

p.s. - Thanks to "akaporn" (Flickr) for the gorgeous image.

Distracted Writer's Remedy: WriteRoom

Inventory your screen's real estate right now.  Do you see some or all of the following displayed?

    * applications icons
    * date/time display
    * connectivity options
    * laptop battery life indicator
    * command menu for your internet browser

We all know how easy it is to take part in "digital fidgeting."  Given the varied colors and manifold-portals-to-elsewhere that edge our writing space, it's not difficult to understand why it can be very challenging to focus when we're writing at the computer?

The Distracted Writer's Remedy #2

Enter WriteRoom for Mac.

After I installed WriteRoom the other day, I was greeted by an inky black screen and a blocky, blinking green cursor.  The silver edges lining the screen of my G4 laptop never gleamed so beautifully.  It's weird, but when I looked at my screen, I felt suffused by peace, tranquility.  It was a magical, quiet moment.

I could think.

Wow.  I could write!

WriteRoom bills itself as a "distraction free writing environment."  I was curious but skeptical when I tried it.  But after typing just a few paragraphs, I realize that for me, visuals matter.  And by "blacking out" peripheral status bars, icons and updates, I can concentrate more easily on what I'm writing.  This "distraction free writing environment" is for me.

Try It.

Take a minute to download a trial version of WriteRoom and try it for yourself.  (PC users: you will want to check out WriteRoom's imitator, DarkRoom, instead.)

If you decide to buy it, WriteRoom's software's developer, Jesse Grosjean, has extended a generous offer to The Relaxed Writer readers.

To save 20%:

• enter discount code "therelaxedwriter" at checkout
• pay only $19.95
• offer expires April 19, 2009

More Resources

I'm always on the prowl for interesting resources for my clients and blog readers.  If you haven't bookmarked my website's "Resources" page, you might want to do so now.   I update it regularly with interesting links and tools for writers, and welcome your suggestions for items to include!

Distracted Writer's Remedy: Part 1

Are you a distracted writer?  

If you write at the computer keyboard, you're attempting to write amidst a slew of tangential demands for your attention.  Given all the information available to us in the margins (not to mention the ready-and-willing-ness of the internet just a few keystrokes away), is it any wonder it's often a challenge to get the real work of writing done?

The Distracted Writer's Remedy #1:  "Unplug"

In "Procrastination Station," today's post on the LiveWires blog, my friend and fellow writer, Emily Kischell, muses about her tendency to perceive that she's less productive when she writes despite a proliferation of productivity tools:

As writers we have so many tools of convenience now. We are able to wrangle type instantly and easily. Not that we would, but we could write a novel on our cell phone in the middle of the jungle somewhere and then email it back to our agent instantly. This is quite an evolution from ink copies made by hand in candlelight, or for that matter, from writing a college paper on a typewriter and then treking up hill both ways to a photocopy machine to create a backup. And yet where is the spare time generated by these conveniences?

Kischell attributes her diminishing productivity to a phenomenon she's coined "digital fidgeting." (I love this term.)  She's decided that, for her, the remedy is to disconnect her computer from the internet for a few hours each day.

One of my coaching clients regularly"disconnects" before his writing sessions, too. 

Next time you sit down to write, try "sealing off" your writing session by turning off the internet and writing offline.  

And please check back in a day or two for the Distracted Writer's "Remedy #2," including a special offer for you.

Confusing "Busyness" with "Business?" Two Productivity Tips for Writers

Never confuse movement with action.  --Ernest Hemingway

It is quite easy to confuse "busy-ness" with "business," especially if you begin your work session without a clear focus and intention.  Here are two productivity tips to help you focus your writing sessions.

• If your goal is to finish writing a manuscript, ask:  "What specific actions will move me forward?"

Here's an incredibly obvious but (judging from my own and my clients' experiences) oh-so-difficult concept to remember:

• In order to finish writing a piece, you must write, even if your end-product is a hole-filled "swiss-cheese draft."

• If your goal is to boost your freelancing income, ask yourself:  "Is this an income-producing activity?"

Resist the temptation to confuse these writing-related tasks with the task of writing itself:

• research
• revision
• platform-building (teaching, social networking, blogging, etc.)
• marketing (researching/approaching agents, setting up readings, etc.)
• purchasing, record-keeping and other administrative tasks

Can you relate?  What other tasks convince you that you're writing, even when you're not?

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If you struggle with staying focused and moving forward, productivity coaching can really help you stay on track. Email me at <marla@coachmarla.com> to inquire about a new and affordable 6-week coaching group starting in late-March/mid-April. 

 

Relaxation 102: List Your Open Loops (GTD)

"Open loops" describe any project or focus that's taking up space in your mind.  David Allen, who coined the term, contends that we drain our energy by subconsciously trying to track and remember all of our next actions.  Can you relate? 

Without a system to capture, store and organize my open loops (for me, this consists of project lists, to-do lists and my calendar), the narrative in my brain tends to sound something like this: 

"Take trash out tonight...gather recycling, too.  Post class reminder on Twitter.  Call mom and check in.  Draft newsletter article and find out: is X is attending the teleclass?  Is my daughter's doctor's appointment this afternoon or next week? Hmmm...where did I put the charger? (Must remember to buy a new one.)  Oh, must remember to congratulate client on his recent publication.  And what was the title of the novel my in-law mentioned?"   

Exhausting to read, isn't it?

While the details may differ, chances are good that you've got your own version of mental chatter.  You can begin to plug the energy drain caused by trying to track it all.  Here's a 10-minute exercise to get you started on Allen's path to Getting Things Done.

Try This Today:

Grab a piece of paper, set a timer for 10 minutes, and list--as quickly as you can--any and every open loop in your personal, professional and creative life.  Put everything down, no matter how trite, long-rang or irrelevant.

Getting your open loops down on paper (and out of your head) will free up mental real estate and energize you.

Bonus:  Put a small tick mark beside each action that would take you two minutes to complete.  Go through the list and do as many of these two-minute actions as you can.

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Keep your list handy and come back for a new post on "Processing Your Inputs," the important second step of Allen's productivity method. 

Until then, gather, name and list your open loops. Enjoy the freedom you'll feel when you've taken this critical first step.