here is a picture of Sawyer in the moment at Bayswater Beach last spring
and the waves clearly in their moment of waviness!Dear Readers, One of the books I've been dipping into since the holiday influx of books is Write for Your Lives by Joseph Sestito. Joseph is a psychotherapist, writer and Buddhist - three labels that I also claim. In this book he applies his knowledge as both a cognitive therapist and a practising Buddhist to the creative act of writing. He promises that one will become 'a more liberated, effective writer with a greater capacity to benefit your readers.'
The chapter that has most affected me so far is his one titled 'Writing in the Present Moment'. I read about the notion of putting aside the mental activity of looking ahead to the goals one wishes to obtain and to just enjoy the process. Let me say that a slightly different way - I need to stop imagining accepting the Booker and relish the path of writing or revising or whatever it is that I happen to be doing in my two hours. BINGO! Today's two hours sped by. I have to go off to work now and will practice being in the now with my clients instead of hoping and wishing and fearing and dreading. After all do I only write for the product? I hope not. When I'm in the zone of whatever I'm doing - I am clearly more effective, I have more grace, more fluidity for I am present in each word.
Later dear readers.
6 comments:
I love Buddhism. I haven't done enough work to claim it as mine, but if any formal religion ever gets the claim, that will be it.
I'm not sure I've ever fantacized about prizes while writing, but I can definitely tell when i am in the moment--I think it is why I like the relaxation of writing in the bath so well. It takes me out of all the other aspects of my life and lets the water baby flow.
That sounds like an interesting book with good advice. It’s so much easier for me to get into the zone when I allow myself to relax and I don’t worry about how many words I’ll get written or if it might turn into a dead-end project.
Thanks for dropping by my blog, Jan. And thanks for recommending Write for Your Lives. I'm going from here to my library site to check on its availability. Looks like my kind of book!
How good does this sound, "just enjoy process." You know, there is joy and fun in the process. Discovering it and remembering to do it make the writing worthwhile, regardless of agents, or publishers, or any obstacles. It's just pure fun.
Best Regards, Galen.
Imagineering Fiction Blog
I was so in the zone today I felt lighter than air.
Very insightful book and author. I agree that it is important to stay and enjoy the moment. With all this push to make writers into marketers, we often forget that simple joy that comes with the magic of writing. The characters that live and breathe in the room. The dialog that pops up out of nowhere and fills page after page as your fingers trip over each other to keep up. That is one of the reasons we keep doing what we do.
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