For me, the most effective writing ritual is to gather up all of my stuff-legal pad and pencil, notes dictionary, and thesaurus- and get on my bike, ride to campus, and set myself up in the art lounge in the students center. During the week, I'll do this in the evening after dinner. On a weekend, I go any time from 10 AM to midnight. I don't write effectively at home because there are always distractions. Some people are moving around and I'll go see who they are and what they are doing. or I'll go get a cup of coffee or a piece of toast, or I'll snap on the TV, ignoring the tiny voice saying,. "Get busy-you have to get this done!" So what makes the art lounge better? Simple---no distractions. I can lay out all of my stuff, get a cup of coffee. and go to work. All around me people are doing the same thing, and all of those are hardworking people are an encouragement. The art lounge is always quit, too--quieter then the library--and it doesn't smell like the library.
" A writer is someone who writes, that's all."--Gore Vidal
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" I've always disliked words like inspiration. Writing is probably like a scientist thinking about some scientific problem or an engineer about an engineering problem."--Doris Lessing
"I always worked until I had something done and I always stopped when I knew what was going to happen next. That way I could be sure of going on the next day."--Ernest Hemingway
One myth about writing I have believed my whole life is that " good writers are born, not made." My attitude when beginning this writing course was one of apprehension and dread. I wondered if I could improve my writing, or if I was destined to receive B's and C's on every essay for the rest of my life. This writing class has given me concrete examples and suggestions for improvements--not just grammar or essay maps. The free-writing is such a great help that whenever I'm stuck , I immediately turn to my ten-minute free-writing to open up blocked passages. Once I get pass my writer's block, I see that I can be a good writer.
Thanks,
