Any writer has experienced two different modes. Grinding and Flowing.
Grinding is where you sit at the computer and just force each word out, one by one until you hit your quota, or finish the scene. It’s rarely fun. Sometimes it’s painful. Sure, it gets the work done, but you, as the writer, don’t enjoy the process.
However, Flowing is where the words slip out almost so fast that you can’t catch them. You feel a rush of energy and inspiration. This is when those amazing plot twists often come out and your characters gain depth to their dialogue and emotions. It’s one of the most fulfilling parts of writing, this period of flow.
Now, you’re always going to shift back and forth between the two of these. I’ve experienced both, and while I can certainly get the job done by grinding it out, I, and I assume you all as well, would much rather be in the flowing mode most of the time, if not all of it.
So how do we train ourselves to shift into the flow?
It doesn’t have to be a surprise or accident. Flow can be something you become skilled at achieving, according to the article above.
Here are some exercises to try:
First, train your ability to concentrate. We writers are a distractable lot, and things like email, conversation, and cell phones can be deadly to our focus. Being able to stay “in the moment” while writing, instead of going on autopilot is key, because this gets you fully engaged with your work and creativity. Then you are more likely to develop new themes, ideas and those clever solutions to plot twists…because you are totally committed to what is going on instead of giving it a half-hearted effort.
Second, engineer your circumstances and environment to allow for flow. This involves nine different components that you can reach for at any time. The more you experience, the closer you are to flow. Check out the article for all of them, but here’s a sample–
- Clear goals.
- Distorted sense of time. (it is said it takes 15 uninterrupted minutes to enter a state of flow)
- A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
With all this in hand, you are better equipped to engaging that part of the actual writing that makes it so much fun and fulfilling. It doesn’t have to be a word count grind, day after day. We write because we enjoy it, yeah? While sometimes the brain just doesn’t want to kick in, by training a little, we can at least give ourselves a higher chance of experiencing this state.
I see that smile.