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Writing Routine

June 6, 2018 by Jim Potter 6 Comments

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(To listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.)


 

·  What’s Your Writing Routine?  ·

Pastel by J. Alex Potter

Do you have a routine in your writing? Do you have a specific time and place when you’re at your creative best?

I’m going to talk about my routine and how it helps me be productive. Mostly it has to do with training my brain to prepare to write daily.

As a “morning person” I like to get up before the crack of dawn, often by 5 a.m., and get to the computer so I can start writing.

Prior to sitting down at the keyboard, my brain is already urging me on with ideas. The reason my brain is impatient is that I’ve trained it. I’ve asked specific questions about my writing, maybe about a character or setting, and it has answered.

By waking up each morning about the same time, the brain knows its assignment. It’s eager to get started.

Often I can’t get to the keyboard fast enough. That’s why index cards and pens are my closest friends. Whether it’s the middle of the night, or when I’m out doing yard work, I try to be prepared for fleeting ideas that can easily disappear into thin air.

Writing first thing in the morning allows me to benefit from my relaxed state. If I’ve planted a question or topic in my brain prior to going to bed, then it’s often answered by morning.

I don’t know if I’m using my dreams or just using the calm to think more clearly. I know that being relaxed and having a designated time and place to write is vital to my productivity.

I start writing in the morning before I’ve had a bite to eat. Then I use food as an incentive. I promise myself I’ll get some toast once I get into the story. Cereal with fruit is another reward.

Usually, once I’m on fire, it’s difficult for me to stop. Sometimes I actually choose breaks when I’m on a roll, but other times, if I’m stumped, I clear my head with some fresh air.

Maybe you’re a nighthawk writer. Do your ideas simmer throughout the day and explode at night? Or, maybe it has to do with uninterrupted time. Time and place for writing allows you to give time and place to your stories. In college, late at night was my uninterrupted time. That was my opportunity to become my characters.

Whether you write in the morning, evening, or in-between, keep writing! Once I’m away from it for a few days it takes longer to get back in the groove. Writing is a habit I don’t want to forget!

It’s interesting for me to hear how some people can write anywhere, anytime. It’s like they’re transcribing!

Then there are others who must have the stars and the moon lined up perfectly before their first word is written.

For some people who are having trouble getting started, it might be that they don’t know where to start.

My advice is to start anywhere. Some people keep a journal of their thoughts, ideas, and activities. If so, the journal can be used as a reference for your creative writing. Others find websites that offer questions or prompts as self-starters for composing.

Promise yourself you’ll start. Commit to two minutes. See what happens.

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, it’s important to feel an urgency to tell your story. This can occur if you’re sharing writing with a friend or group, or trying to beat a deadline in a competition.

Another possibility for why people can’t seem to write, is the fear factor. Does that sound like you?

If you were to make a real choice, a commitment, then your world would change, and change can be scary.

But, I’ll save fear, doubt, and self-esteem for another blog.

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

 

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Comments

  1. Beverly says

    You hit the nail on the head when you said, the longer you’re away from it the harder it is to get back to it.
    Everyday life can be a challenge.
    Beverly

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Beverly, thanks for your comment. For me, it helps to become one of the fictional characters. Once I’ve done that, then my thoughts are a driving force for creating and writing. Jim

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    Now that’s a profound statement, Jim. You can’t finish something until you start. Does that mean my dishes aren’t getting done until I start them? Linda

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Linda, exactly! You got it! Since you write poetry, how about a poem about dirty dishes? But keep it clean! Jim

      Reply
  3. Linda says

    Jim, I’ll work on that. Maybe a short story from the dishes point of view. Linda

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Linda, I like this! You can publish it right here if you don’t have an agent. Free! Jim

      Reply

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Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Larry Kruckman, anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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