Wednesday, April 23, 2014

12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Writer

“Simple is good.”
              -  Jim Henson

I am not a Zen monk. I am not posting this blog from a monastery perched atop a remote, cloud-
shrouded mountain. But I recently read an article that shared “12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk” and I thought that these rules translated well to the writing life.

Barefoot and breathing and listening to the sound of one hand clapping, I give you…

12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk Writer:

1. Write one project at a time. Find your main project and focus on it. It is easy to collect new ideas, to become infatuated with the potential new story. However, a dozen started projects is easily a dozen unfinished projects. For every project you are simultaneously working on, you are slowing down every other project you are trying to juggle. And not only that, each of these other projects takes creative energy and focus that could be better spent fueling your novel-in-progress. Write them down. Record those ideas. File them away and come back to them...but stay focused on one primary project. If you need a creative break, allow yourself a small side project, but keep it as that; a side project. 

2. Write it with determination and deliberation. Write like a shark. Keep moving forward. Be determined to finish that draft. Be deliberate in your actions, letting every word, every sentence, serve your story. Know your characters, believe in yourself, shrug off doubt, duct tape your internal editor and write your way to your goals.

3. Write it completely. DO NOT edit along the way. A well polished first 50 pages is just that...50 pages, not a book. Write through (not necessarily in linear fashion) to the end. Complete the draft, and then ride into the magic of revision on the backs of rainbow unicorns. And while you're writing your way through the entire draft, be completely IN each scene. Be in that moment...don't worry about the entire forest. Focus on that one tree you are hugging...and then move on to the next and do the same. Be IN that scene, be on THAT page and eventually you'll string together a story, page by page, scene by scene. Otherwise it gets pretty darn scary.

4. Do less. That's right. Say "No" to things. What's that? Nope, can't mow the lawn. Novel to write. Sister's wedding? No. Cricket tournament. No. Call of Duty 17 for the Xbox? Nope. Ok, occasionally you are allowed to take a break and get to do something with other humans...but stop watching television every night, or tricking yourself into feeling obligated to attend every social event. But it's National Canned Peaches Day next Wednesday and everyone is getting together at Sven Jorgenstein's to make Peach Syrup Margaritas!! Um.....no. Write your novel.

5. Put space between things. Make time to step away from your story. I believe that we have creative batteries and that they are rechargeable. But they need time to recharge. So maybe step away and take a nice walk (while talking to your character in your head. See multitasking?). Or throw a Frisbee with the kids. Or lie on the grass and watch the clouds. Or read a book. But hey! You just said no breaks! No, I said "Don't go to Sven Jorgenstein's for Peach Syrup Margaritas." At least these breaks recharge your creative batteries and don't end with you suffering a severe fructose syrup hangover.

6. Develop writing rituals. Establish routine. Are you a night writer? A morning writer? A coffee shop writer? Do you need to write barefoot or on a unicycle or on a typewriter or with Scandinavian Yodel Quartet music blasting? Find what works for you and make these your rituals. Own your process.

7. Designate time for distractions. Facebook, Twitter, checking emails, etc., etc....all those wonderful little interwebs distractions right at our fingertips. Don't tell yourself "no," tell yourself "not yet." Write for 50 minutes and then take 10 for social media. Wash, rinse and repeat. Use them as rewards.

8. Devote time to sitting. That's right: BIC (Butt In Chair). MAKE the time to write. Nobody is going to do it for you. Sure, it'd be easy to just plop down on the couch and make origami penguins. And yes, you're tired from sitting through classes or a day at work. Sure, there's laundry and the living room needs to be vacuumed. But you know what? Making origami penguins is hard...and those other things can wait. Maybe until tomorrow. Maybe for an hour. Excuses collect entirely too easily and the next thing you know a week, a month, a year has passed. And you're no further along in your novel.

9. Smile and serve your characters. This means knowing your characters. Follow them through the story. Listen to them. Trust them. Ask them what they want, all of them, from the protagonist to the secondary character in chapter eleven who surprises the heck out of you and reveals a side of your antagonist you never knew existed! What!? Yep. Serve your characters and they'll serve you.

10. Make research and revision become meditation. When it is time to embrace these processes, be mindful of where you are and what you are doing. Do not be afraid to make the tough cuts. Know your purpose in research and what your research goals are, lest you fall into the trap of becoming lost or encumbered. Be mindful and embrace these roles. They are vital pieces of the Zen writing process. 

11. Think about what is necessary. Does everything in your story serve a purpose? Put nothing in your story for its own sake; not for shock, not as a gimmick, not because it's cool. It all must move the story forward, it all must have a purpose. If not, it is your job to remove it. Be strong.


12. Write simply. Don't overcomplicate your story. Rita Williams-Garcia, author of P.S. Be Eleven, One Crazy Summer, et. al, once told me that I had "too many things in the lifeboat. Start throwing some of them overboard." It's easy to start adding in all kinds of ingredients to the soup, but then you get some kind of convoluted inedible jumbo. No. Keep it simple. Simple, straightforward...a story that your readers can follow. No, that they are eager and anxious to follow. Be a storyteller. Just like Jim Henson said up there at the beginning of this post: "Simple is good."

While I cannot promise you enlightenment, or the path to publication, I can offer you this:
"Listening is the first step and the last step." - Cantus Fraggle

21 comments:

  1. Excellent advice- thank you!

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    1. Absolutely! You are welcome, Marcia. :)

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  2. Excellent and timely advice. You got me from the first one, as I am currently jack of all projects and master of none. Thank you!

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    1. Very welcome, M-G-G...MG squared. Glad to help! ;)

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  3. I'd really love to embrace #1, but it's not always possible. I've found it pretty difficult (and stressful) to juggle two novels this past year. While I've gotten better at it, and I'm truly only working on one at at time (I pick up the other when the first is back with my editor), it's been a tricky mind game.

    I think this is why I like writing picture books, too. In the past I've gone to picture books while my novels have been elsewhere. It's enough of a shift that the pressure isn't there.

    As for rituals, I got to interview the Fierce Reads authors when they passed through Albuquerque last fall. They had some fun rituals. Leigh Bardugo eats pot roast for breakfast every morning before writing!

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    1. Caroline, picture books are my "other outlets" as well...for me, they are very playful and liberating (not that novel writing is not, but it's a very different process...you know that).

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  4. Very good advice, especially #1 and #6. My mind is all over the place lately. Thanks for reminding me to remain focused.

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    1. You are very welcome, Annie! Focus, focus, focus.... :)

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  5. Great list, Joe. #6 is my challenge right now.

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    1. Thanks, Paul! I recommend Scandinavian Yodel Quartet. ;)

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    2. I used to use a treadmill desk but now I'm thinking unicycle...gotta try the unicycle!

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    3. It's not for the faint of heart! But I'm sure you can handle it, lol...

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  6. Very inspiring. #4 DO LESS is huge for me. I typically write on Saturdays, which, of course is a prime day for getting together with friends, errands, all sorts of things. I found that I used to slide my writing aside unless I was under a deadline and, what do you know?, I rarely made any progress. Own the magical power of the word "NO."

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    1. Marissa, that's great: "Own the magical power of the word 'NO.'" Perfect...

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  7. This is a very interesting post, but I've got to admit, there are a few I disagree with strongly. Which is not to say that they're wrong--only that every writer is different and each has his or her individual needs.

    1. Write one project at a time.

    Some incredibly imaginative writers are deluged at all times by any number of ideas, so that focus--choosing one and sticking with it--is just what they need. But others work better balancing two or three, the reason being that, if you're blocked on one project, you may not be blocked on another. Discovering this was, for me, a huge and important revelation that made me a more productive writer.

    3. Write it completely. DO NOT edit along the way.

    Again, depends on the writer. I'm a book editor. The editor inside me is always on. So I edit as I go, and I don't move on until I'm satisfied. It takes me longer to complete a first draft, but that first draft is usually in pretty good shape.

    12. Write simply.
    It's definitely good not to overcomplicate things, and a lot of authors do, either because they can't imagine leaving something out or because they want to appear literary. But other writers genuinely do have complex styles for which simplicity would be a complication rather than an advantage.

    I think every writer needs to discover for themselves what works best for them. Advice like that above is so incredibly helpful in that respect, because there may be an approach or idea that this or that writer has never considered that would be the perfect match for their imagination in their brain. But there aren't many absolutes. There are few definite DOs and DO NOTs. Our brains are too different and interesting for that.

    But the ones about setting time aside to write? Making it routine? Saying no to other obligations? Those are crucial no matter who you are. There may be endless different approaches to writing, but if you don't actually sit down and do it, you'll never get anything done.

    Harrison Demchick
    Ambitious Enterprises

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    1. Harrison,

      Thank you so much for your reply! And you are absolutely right, this is not a be-all, end-all, works absolutely for everyone kind of post..more food for thought and take what you can/what works for you individually. We are all different writers and if there were simply a Do or DO NOT list, I guess that everyone would be able to just plug in words and make a story, right? Plus, it's hard to write a post offering suggestions and advice if you try to cater to absolutely every blend of writer. We take what works for us and what does not and that's the intent. Use what works for you.

      But I will add this, in reply to your feedback:

      1. I AM that balancing two or three or seven projects guy you mention (HYPOCRITE, right?) but I don't broadcast that because generally I've found that that is something of an anomaly (as far as successfully and productively finishing them is concerned). But the math is the math: You work on six things, you have to split your time and concentration between six things.

      3. I've found that a lot of people struggle with finishing a project (especially through conversations I've had with college writers). It always comes down to them editing themselves and seeking first draft perfection. Hence my advice to ditch that editor the first time around. But yes, we are all different.

      12. I don't mean to dumb things down or NOT write a complex plot with subplots and multiple arcs. I mean, be aware of what you are doing. Streamline how and when you can. Your story will be better for it.

      But you are right, there are no absolutes. This is food for thought, to process and consider. Some things may work for you, some may not...

      Thank you so much for taking the time to weigh in and reply. I hope to hear more of your thoughts and insight in the future! :)

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    2. Definitely definitely definitely to all of that. Writing advice of all sorts needs to be out there for writers to discover--even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff. The more possibilities you discover for improving your writing, the likelier you are to find out exactly the right bits of advice for you.

      And numbers four, six, and eight are so crucial. And worth repeating endlessly. Because we all know we need to make the time to write, but so few of us actually do it.

      Harrison Demchick
      Ambitious Enterprises

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  8. It's so hard not to edit while writing. In fact, I'll bet it wouldn't have taken me two years to finish my dang book if I hadn't edited the entire time. Oh, that and been full of self doubt too. Great ideas. Thank you for sharing them!

    Elsie
    AJ's wHooligan in the A-Z Challenge

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    1. You are welcome! We are always learning and growing, right?

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  9. Being truly in the scene as you describe in number 3 can be elusive at times, but when it really flows, that's when the magic happens (for me at least).

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    1. Amen to that, Matthew. Being truly in that scene and that scene only, understanding the pure quintessence of what its purpose is and what is going on...like you said, "that's when the magic happens."

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!