From Katie: My Writing Process
I won’t lie to you… the idea of talking about “my writing process” makes me laugh a little. It implies that I’m a writer.
Are you sensing a common theme in these posts so far? Yes, imposter syndrome is a real thing and yes, I experience it frequently. I promise all my posts won’t be so self deprecating. But let’s be real, I AM a writer. Anyone can be a writer/storyteller, and I believe I technically fall under the category of “anyone.” So hey. Go me! And go you, all you writers out there! Especially the ones who think they aren’t.
Okay, back to the topic here: my writing process.
First and foremost, I think I have to start by discussing ideation. For me, stories can come from anywhere and everywhere. A feeling, an emotion, a picture, a smell, a taste, a memory, some rando walking down the street. It’s not until you start to deliberately open your eyes to the stories unfolding in front of you that you realize stories can legit be found everywhere.
A great practice that I started a few years ago was journaling. Do I keep up with it consistently? Habitually? Hell no. Hence the feeling of being an imposter. If I took my writing more seriously, I imagine that I would bring my journal everywhere with me and record every fascinating thing I see. Instead, it mostly translates to “oh, that’s interesting” and out pops my iPhone to capture the moment. Other times, it’s a sticky note on my desktop. These are just my quick and easy ways to catch moments and ideas.
On occasion, I revisit these recorded thoughts and images in order to explore an idea more thoroughly. Frankly, this in and of itself is a great creative exercise, one that I wish I would play with more often.
#newyearsgoals
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about this topic in great detail in her book, Big Magic. (Big Magic has made 2 for 2 posts now, would you just read the book already?).
What I love about her descriptions of ideation is that she believes every idea is a living, breathing, and often fleeting thing. You have to see them, capture them, and nurture them.
Once I’ve snagged an idea, I start thinking about molding it into a concept. If my idea is something that I want to translate into a script specifically, I start with all the standard practices that they tell you about in writing classes and composition books. I put the idea down and start exploring paths that the story could take. A step-outline, a treatment, etc. But that’s not always as straightforward as I’ve made it sound.
Sometimes the ideas come out fully formed and very quickly. In a way, they’re already written and you just have to breathe air into them. Other times, it’s a sweet little nugget of inspiration. If that’s the case, I try to take time to either logically mind map the shit out of the little bugger (a topic for another post), or straight up daydream about it.
Once it’s time to start putting pen to paper and creating a narrative, writing out the themes, the descriptions, and dialogue, etc. etc., I have to get myself into “the zone.” No, not the Twilight Zone... although now that I say that…
But honestly, “the zone” is a fairly elusive thing for me. It’s the place (both physically and mentally) that I need to be in, so I can roll with the idea and make something of it. Sometimes, the idea puts me right there. Other times I have to find it, and boy can it be an awfully sensitive thing. Sometimes I need noise, sounds, music. Other times, I need it to be dead silent (save for the keys clicking). Occasionally, I desire a good alcoholic beverage to loosen myself up. But more often, simple meditation has been a fantastic way to start.
Meditation?
Oh, here goes the California local with her hippy dippy notions again. But I beg you to pause for a moment and consider the plain and simple science of meditation. There’s a reason that practices such as prayer are so widespread. The act of pausing, reflecting, and calming yourself is fucking powerful, friends. It comes in many forms for people, be it listening to music, going for a run, or something as simple as napping. All these things function as distractions, focuses, and methods of relaxation. So meditation? Give it a serious try.
After a long day of work or even first thing in the morning, a 10-20 minute meditation can help me both clear my mind and focus it. I frequently use this as a tool to put myself in the present moment with a specific goal. If you’re new to meditation, I recommend downloading the app Headspace and giving it a go. Or if you prefer to read, check out Search Inside Yourself written by Chade-Meng Tan, an engineer at Google.
Aaaaanyways.
This is how are start my process of writing. It’s like a weird dance with my brain, luring it into the creative zone. What are some of your own ways that you start your creative process?
-Katie