A creative life is a marathon, not a sprint. Please take “write book” off of your to-do list. You are not going to sit down and finish your book today, or even this week. You are going to finish a chapter, more probably a scene. 500 words is an accomplishment, 1000 words even more so. Novels, memoirs, scripts, plays, poetry collections: none of these are made in one enormous big bang, but rather, form like a mountain: through the force of friction, incrementally building itself over time.
In this, I find the distinction between “pantsers” and “plotters” to be a bit misleading. In the sense that a creative work is built over time (and often slowly), many writers can benefit from a certain amount of pre-production.
I say this as someone who, if forced, would put myself in the “pantser” category: someone who would rather write by whim than outline. I wander a lot in my writing before ever settling on a shape for a chapter, or a book, just seeing where the ideas take me. (Mercury in Sagittarius: hello.)
However. Once those initial ideas have settled, and I have a better sense of the project, I do much much better if I give myself and my work a certain amount of scaffolding every day. With permission to diverge from this scaffolding, of course. But the scaffolding is not just a word count goal. Perish the thought.
Rather, the scaffolding is an orientation toward something. I’m in this character’s head today. Or, I’m working on this major scene. I am fleshing out this relationship. I am starting this chapter, or finishing this one.
(Sometimes, I forget to give myself the scaffolding. Because I am already showing up distracted, those tend to not be great days.)
Orienting yourself to the work, to the character, can help — significantly. This is also where forms of preproduction come into play to help get you in the mood, as it were: playlists, vision boards, specific candles.
Ritualizing the process to orient yourself to the work is all part and parcel of training.
And the writers who are the most seasoned, the most able to sit down and go, are those who have spent the most time in training.
Think of pro touring artists at the top of their career like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. (Also can everyone stop comparing them! We can love both!) They don’t just show up and perform because they are inspired. Rather, they have created the ideal conditions for their creativity to flourish. (Obviously supported by enormous teams but stay with me.)
These professionals have trained their bodies for hours and hours and years and years, rigorously, specifically so that The Muse or Instinct or Whoever can show the fuck up when Invited to the Stage.
Structure does not inhibit creativity. Just because there is the constraint of a concert timing does not mean that these professionals do not surprise us, their teams, and themselves, even!, with extraordinary acts of showmanship, athleticism, musicality, and more.
Structure creates consistency which invites a flow state. Beyoncé has said on numerous occasions that she becomes someone else onstage, that she is transported. But this does not just happen. This is the result of discipline, of dedication, of showing up to the craft.
And so I invite you to show up to your work, with me.
Let’s train, together.
If you’re looking to get back in the swing of your own creative routine,
If 2023 has been highly disruptive and you want to make sure to dedicate some time to your own art before the holiday season hits,
If you’re simply longing to finally cross that finish line and write “The End” —
then join me for Showing Up to the Work: 6 Weeks to a Viable Draft:
We’ll write together on Zoom 2 hours a day, 3 days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays), for 6 weeks, October 12th through November 21st.
If you have a friend you think would be interested, feel free to send this to them!
I hope to see you there.