You can't edit a blank page
Greetings from a sunny Somerset! I escaped Yorkshire a week ago to dog and house sit for my sister who’s on her own escape to France. I had vague plans to write and do as little as possible in between dog walks, watering the garden and Netflix’s latest offerings.
The first thing I noticed was the difference between walking my dog Bella, a labrador, and Maisie, a slightly smaller cavapoo. Let’s just say my idea of a dog walk and Maisie’s are slightly different but she’s coped admirably with my route marches round the village lanes.
That said, my pace did slow to almost match the trundling tractors brushing the impossibly tall hedgerows rather than the helicopters that were whizzing overhead last weekend, transporting the rich and famous to and from Glastonbury.
Writing when there's no client or deadline or goal
The things is, when I’m not writing blogs and email newsletters and the like for clients, I write creative non-fiction and memoir. But there can be quite a mental shift going from one to the other.
Writing for clients involves taking time to really understand the audience so that I can write clear, specific messages in a certain ‘brand voice’. And the writing has a goal. A ‘call to action’ whether it’s to get in touch, make a booking, introduce a new service or demonstrate expertise.
But when I write for me, it’s different. No one has asked me to do this writing. It’s something I want to do, choose to do. There is no specific audience, and the focus is on the writing.
I love mining the memory, painting scenes and memories with words. Weaving in moments of reflection. I write not to produce a book, or even a blog. I write and see what happens. Some of the writing ends up here, other times it turns into a blog or something I read out at writing group. There’s also an increasing pile of files and folders saved on my Mac with the name Memoir, but a lot never sees the light of day.Â
I do it because I enjoy it, it's almost that simple. I enjoy pulling at the threads and blending words together to tell a story. I love days like yesterday where I started writing in my notebook in the morning, and after two solid writing stints realised I’d probably written not far off 5000 words.
But how do you motivate yourself to write when you don’t have someone giving you a deadline, and when the sun is shining, there are books to be read and there’s a bench in the orchard just begging to be sat on?
What worked?
#1000 words of summer: I signed up for this Jami Attenberg's writing sprint last summer and it worked so well, I signed up again this year. A commitment to two weeks of writing 1000 words a day in June with a massive Slack community for accountability and daily letters from Jami to keep us going. The timing was perfect and I started a few days before coming to Somerset. I tend to write every day but have been struggling to consistently put a decent number of words down. This was the nudge to get me going.
"Today you will write 1000 words. Because life is a gorgeous and whirling mixture of sounds and images and feelings, and writing these words is one of the best ways for you to access it, participate in it, contribute to that joy, joy, joy. Because you are a writer. That is what you do. That is how you connect to it all."
Jami Attenberg, #1000wordsofsummer, Day 13Â
Writing down the bones by Natalie Goldberg: This has been on my to-buy list for yonks and if you’re remotely interested in writing, putting any form of words down on paper – poems, short stories, anything – then this is a great read. I’m only a few chapters in but it already feels like Natalie is that invisible good angel on my shoulder, gently but firmly encouraging me to just get the words down and not worry if they make sense or not. The idea is to write with freedom because let's face it, you can’t edit an empty page.
"Through practice you actually do get better. You learn to trust your deep self more and not give in to your voice that wants to avoid writing. It is odd that we never question the feasibility of a football team practicing long hours for one game; yet in writing we rarely give ourselves the space for practice."
Writing down the bones, Natalie Goldberg
Written, Bec Evans & Chris Smith: By fellow Yorkshire dwellers over the way in Hebden Bridge, Written is brilliant for anyone interested in getting things done. It might be written with writers in mind, but if you’re remotely interested in starting any kind of creative hobby, project or activity and crucially, want to keep going then this is a great read.
I love the chapter that explores how people fit writing into their lives: spontaneous for people with unpredictable or packed calendars, daily writing – same time, same place as loved by lots of productivity gurus. Binge writing – rare but productive writing sessions like a retreat or sabbatical and time boxing, a very practical approach where writing is scheduled in and around life’s many demands.
It has a foreword by Oliver Burkeman of Four thousand Weeks fame and you can hear them talking about their approach to goal setting and keeping going here with London Writers Salon and here with Helen Perry. Well worth a listen.
"Noticing how you write and taking a more mindful, experimental approach to what works for you and what doesn't is the most powerful thing you can do to gain a happier, healthier and more productive relationship with writing."
Written, Bec Evans & Chris Smith
The result?
I’ve less than 24 hours left in Somerset before I start the long drive north, and it’s been a success. A combination of sheer bloody mindedness, a daily writing goal and having Writing down the bones and Written on my desk means that I’ve had a few breakthroughs. I’ve written loads of words which gives me plenty of material to work with. And I’ve had loads of time to read, rest and recharge too.
Onwards to the weekend and home in time for Ilkley Cycle Races I hope, and to see the family. I’m sure they’ve missed me, I mean, I'm sure they noticed my absence....
Til next time,
Harriet