“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”
Arnold Toynbee
Sometimes we need to play with our writing: give ourselves permission to mess around with it and simply see what happens. When we take a chill pill, things can really begin to open up.
Here’s what I mean by play and how it juiced up my work:
I used a bright green Jelly Roll pen, which is fun and cheerful. I read recently that green ink helps spark creativity, so I decided, what the hey, why not give it a try?
I used large index cards instead of a full sheet of paper to write my latest set of changes to my novel draft. Using cards that are about half a page in size always encourages me to focus on my work paragraph by paragraph. Somehow, breaking it down in this way makes a rewrite seem less intimidating and more manageable.
Index cards always make me think of mapping something out roughly, which takes a lot of the pressure off and makes me feel looser.
I made a decision to blow through the latest redraft of my first chapter quickly. This forced me to move along with some vim and vigor, and made me feel more energetic and committed. And when I came up with a new idea, I acted on it right away, which helped me build some momentum.
I took a break after a few hours of work and went for a walk. Being outside helped recharge my batteries.
The end result: I’ll have to keep you posted, but things seem to be moving in the right direction. And equally important, I’m feeling more hopeful. Write on!