Statistically, most New Year’s resolutions expire early. Dealing with everyday tasks like baking lasagna or rotting in standstill traffic erode our idealistic vows of self improvement. In light of this, writers must orient their craft around habits that sustain writing throughout the year.
In this month’s Third Thursday, authors discussed their methods for transitioning resolutions into daily routines. Led by WLT’s Program Director Sarah Renee Beach, a panel of writers shared the ways that they source inspiration and maintain motivation. Authors Charlotte Gullick, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, and James Wade drew on their wealth of experience to expound on the practices that have nourished their writing.
For these authors, framing their perspectives about time helped to propel their writing. To begin with, Mouton tries to transcend time, refusing to let arbitrary dates trap or limit her writing. For Gullick, the new year provides a springboard for taking risks. Thinking about time also reminds Gullick about her gratitude for being able to write, which serves as a wellspring for her craft. Like Gullick, time motivates Wade to make the most of the gift of writing. He recommended that writers investigate and articulate why they write because these reasons will motivate writers to return to the page.
On a more tangible level, the authors offered their habits and hacks for sustaining a writing lifestyle. Glancing at the white board hanging over her desk for plotting, Mouton argued for working on multiple stories simultaneously. Project polyamory provides a place to flee and find rejuvenation when a certain project feels exhausting. The authors each used physical signals to catalyze writing. Gullick enjoys the organic process of writing on paper. Training his nose, Wade lights a candle to mark the time that he wants to spend writing. Mouton cordons off her office as an uncontaminated space for creativity. Throughout the panel, the authors reminded writers that these tricks are not one-size-fits all. People should embrace the practices that work best for them. Although the practice of consistently writing may not furnish writers with the knowledge of every literary reference, or automatically perfect your writing, Mouton promises that “you will start to know your craft.”
The New Year does offer a time for inspiration and goal setting. Although inspiration appears to writers in different forms, the authors attested that writers must show up with a pen regardless of the muse’s presence. Gullick reminds authors that, “the muse is more likely to show up if you’re there.” Wade offered the insight that not all ideas should be pursued to fruition. He sifts through his inspiration at the outset and weighs which project will interest him throughout the process. Similarly, Mouton sources inspiration everywhere by listening and observing her surroundings. To determine which ideas to pursue, she waits to see which characters “haunt” her.
Often, writers must ferociously protect their writing time. As parents, the panelists addressed the difficulties of preserving time to write. Wade confessed feelings of guilt for withdrawing from his family, but he encouraged writers that their tasks are worthwhile. Mouton capitalizes on spare moments: writing in the carpool line or at 3 a.m. Although the writers balked at claiming time for themselves, each writer agreed that writing helped to make them better versions of themselves.
Despite the need to defend writing time, engaging with literary communities also sustains writers. Gullick said that stories serve as a common denominator between people that connect us to our primal need for community. In addition to swapping drafts and sharing feedback, Mouton and Wade emphasized strengthening the literary community by writing book reviews or sending thank-you letters to authors. The writing wisdom shared this Third Thursday exemplifies how authors can provide a source of inspiration for other writers.
For continuing inspiration, join The Writers’ League for February Third Thursday: “The Ties that Bind Us: Writing Complicated Relationships.”