Write Away

I think 'busy-ness' is a common ingredient in the lives of women.  I know that most of us wear many hats daily, all of which are important, fulfilling and demanding.  As Mormons we hold callings (sometimes more than one) that occupy a good deal of our thoughts, time, efforts and creative energy.  As Mothers (and wives) we are always on call, meeting the needs of children at different developmental stages and who face different trials and challenges.  Many of us are also fully immersed in someway in the workforce (on top of the very important career of motherhood).

So sometimes, being a writer gets overlooked, shelved, or put on the back burner.  The stories and characters and worlds that beckon to us have to whisper in the quiet recesses of our mind until we have the ability to reach out and work with them.

I dedicated a lot of (okay most of) my spare time in the evenings these past few months to working on a first draft of a novel, often sacrificing sleep and staying up way too late to reach a word count goal, or flesh out a scene I desperately needed to finish.  Now that I'm done that draft, and the project has been shelved for a breather, I've turned my attention to projects and household maintenance that got somewhat neglected during that time.

Suddenly, I realize I've stopped writing altogether.  I'm not ready to start revisions, and not in the position to start a new first draft of a different project.  So, I ask myself, how do I keep the flow of writing going, when I don't have a WIP?

Here's some ideas I had (and I would love for you to share yours as well):

1. write a blog post
2. write in your journal
3. write a letter to a friend (or missionary)
4. write a short story
5. write an entry for the MMW contest
6. ask a child to tell you a story and write it down
7. empty the thoughts in your head onto paper
8. write out a prayer
9. write a letter to a politician about a cause you believe in
10. write thank you cards to friends, family, neighbors or teachers who inspire you.

One thing I know for certain - if we didn't truly love the exploration of words, and the interplay of story arc and tension - if the characters in our heads weren't as real as the flesh-and-blood friends we know and cherish - with all the other hats in our closet, we wouldn't be doing this.

So write away, dear friends, write away!