by Theresa Garee | Jun 3, 2015 | Blog
“Every exceptional writer holds a Master of Arts in Daydreaming.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
Daydreaming gets a bad rap. In our culture, if your mind wanders, you are labeled lazy and unproductive, two of the worst things you can be called.
In her Tedx Talk Rosanne Bane, author of Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance, explains the importance of daydreaming.
Bane confirms that writers and other creative types need to daydream. Daydreaming is a different mind process from focusing on tasks. Daydreaming allows parts of the brain to connect that don’t normally talk to each other during a task-oriented focus.
Bane suggests allowing yourself to daydream while you’re standing in line at a store or other times when you might normally stare at your smartphone. I’d add meditation and writing practice to the mix.
In meditation, while sitting quietly attempting to focus on your breath, the mind is bound to wander because that’s what minds do. They generate thoughts. Meditation is inherently creative. Ideas pop into the mind and solutions arise that can’t be force by trying to focus on the problem.
Writing practice produces similar results. If you keep the hand moving and write down whatever thoughts arise, that too feels like daydreaming except the hand is recording it as it flows. Many conclusions come during writing practice.
Do you allow yourself to daydream? As writers, we owe ourselves what some might call this “guilty pleasure.” If someone says you’re dawdling, direct him to Rosanne Bane’s Tedx Talk. Explain how deep daydreaming leads to realizations. Daydreaming is part of the writer’s job!
by Theresa Garee | Sep 3, 2013 | Blog
“Run the mile you’re in.” – Ryan Hall
I am forever trying to run the last mile. Sometimes that motivates me. I think about what it will feel like to cross the finish line. I think about how good it will feel to run the final 100 yards. But usually it just depresses me.
It’s better for me to keep my mind in the present and focus on my current surroundings. “Stay here!” I tell myself. Just run this mile. I look around and see the trees. If we’re on the Olentangy Trail I look at the river or Antrim Lake. In my neighborhood I notice the color of a roof or the shape of a window. I see when a neighbor has planted a new tree or flowers. I notice whether a car is parked in the usual spot. I do my best to stay in my senses and see what’s actually around me.
I try this practice in writing as well. Still, I often catch myself thinking ahead to the end of the book and imagine myself typing the last few words. Or sometimes I think way beyond that and image holding the finished book in my hands. I used to imagine handing it to my mother or father. There are times when this is helpful. Sometimes it is motivating to imagine the final product or think about getting an agent or an editor and even a royalty check.
However, I do better by sticking with the scene I’m writing. Where am I in the book? I stay there. I write that next line, the next word. Frankly, all the rest is daydreaming. I’m not there yet. I’m not meeting with the agent or feeling the spine of the book. I’m in the scene and I need to give it my full attention. This is the way the work gets done.
Do you daydream about finishing your book? Do you find it helpful? I’d love to hear about your process.
