Figuring it out
Esteemed colleagues,
We are at the end of Week 2! To be honest, this project is absolutely flying by. Whenever I think I have nothing planned in a day, it whizzes by!
This past week had a lot of different things packed into it, but at the center of it all was trying to find routine and self care to best help my writing process. Something interesting I'm discovering is that I have to figure out where I write best - I'm kind of burnt out from being at my desk, and find it hard to focus there. So, this week saw me grappling with my routine, and trying to cement it. I prioritized lots of time with my family and friends, since some exciting things were happening this week - two close friends' birthday, some end of year celebrations. I particularly enjoyed an empassioned debate I had with a friend in debate club on esteemed lyricist Taylor Swift, who endlessly inspires me. I also am scheduling in writing meetings with my dad, which look like they're going to be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with Tuesday and Thursday being our individual writing days. So, the novel is chugging along - together we're feeling good about the first 150 pages ish, which puts us squarely 1/2 way into the book 1/2 way thru my senior project! Yay!
Speaking of, I'm realizing to write well I need to read pretty consistently. This is something I already knew about myself, but something about writing a lot makes me need to read a lot of other genres. This week I read Normal People by Sally Rooney, Heaven or This by Topaz Winters, Crush by Richard Siken, Feminist Theory by Bell Hooks, the first book of the Mortal Instruments series, and I almost daily return to my favorite poetry collection of all time, Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara. I think reading other's words takes me out of my own head. Also, I've been surprised to realize I'm also more inspired with other writing besides my novel - I've been returning to my own poetry more and more.
Part of keeping inspired for me is also allotting time away from my devices, since I usually write on my laptop. I've been going on walks, playing my viola, and just trying to get my eyes to focus on something other than a screen. When I finish writing and move on to Goal 2 of researching agents, I'll have to be on my laptop even more, but that's for Week 4 Catie to deal with. Which brings me to goal 3 of my project: trying author's routines!
This week, I combined pieces of J.K. Rowling, W.H. Auden, and Dickens' routines. Rowling wrote most of the first Harry Potter book in coffee shops, taking notes by hand, so yesterday, I wrote in one for a few hours as well, editing by hand (which is actually my preferred way of writing as well - I think it helped me be productive). W.H. Auden started off his days with a crossword to wake up his mind, so I also tried the Thursday crossword before I started writing yesterday. And Dickens walked 3 hours (!!!) every day - I didn't do that, sadly, but I did do a combined couple hours of walking throughout yesterday.
The remnants of my avocado toast at the café I wrote at, the beginnings of the Thursday crossword covering up my handwritten notes on my novel.
All the love,
Catie, what a great idea to experiment with different routines, drawing inspiration from other writers! Which routines did you find helpful to your writing, and which just added to your procrastination? I can't wait to hear what Hemingway and Stein's routines were.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will post a paragraph or a page from the novel you are writing with your dad, to give us a sense of the style and substance of your novel. Wendy
Hi Wendy! I think that for me, walking was really helpful for my thinking - I'm a person who really needs time outdoors and time exercising to be at my best, so I totally get why so many writers incorporate writing into their routine. I thought the café I worked at wasn't super conducive to focus, but that's also because it didn't really have the writing vibe I was seeking. Hemingway always wrote standing up, so I'm excited to try that this week!
DeleteAnd I will absolutely post a sneak peek this week of the book! Thank you so much for keeping up with my project :)
I love hearing about the books you're reading as well. I'd be interested to know what writers most inspire you and who you come back to regularly for comfort or inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth! I think that I'm inspired by any writers who make me think about things in a different way, or capture a feeling I thought was indescribable. I mentioned Frank O'Hara, and my copy of his book is just covered in annotations and notes, all different from different points in my life because his work resonates so deeply with me. Other poets who I return to and reread for inspiration are Ocean Vuong, Tim Seibles, and Sarah Kay. I also come back a lot to Frederik Backmann's novels, especially "Us Against You", and "A Man Called Ove". James' Baldwins' work, especially "Giovanni's Room" also fundamentally shaped my thinking and changed me as a writer, and I think "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller is the most beautiful book I've ever read. Sorry, this turned into a long response, but I'm a big believer in reading as much as you write, if not more, and I have so many writers whose words just seem to define something I couldn't put a name to before :)
ReplyDeleteSelf care is super important! I hope experimenting with routines will help you not get so burnt out.
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