Sitting down to start a piece of work, no matter if it’s an essay, a blog post or a book can either be bliss, like starting a new post-apocalyptic series on Netflix (shout out to The Colony) or sheer horror like watching a horrible remake of a classic, like 2005’s The Honeymooners.
But it doesn’t have to be a crapshoot. You can create ways to get into the zone or tap into your writing mojo.
1.Clean Up Yo’ Crap
A cluttered desk is equivalent to a cluttered mind. It’s hard to focus when the cable bill is staring you in the face, and you’re wondering which one of your kids ordered Guardians of the Galaxy three times last month. Do yourself a favor, before you sit down to write, clean up your desk. I suggest doing this the night before.
Why? Because if you have two hours of precious writing time, you SHOULD NOT waste 20 minutes of it shredding Discover card bills or alphabetizing the bookshelf for no damn reason. Cleaning clutter is good for the brain, you remove some mental junk and possibly a few writing blocks, but it can also become a way to procrastinate. The goal is to eliminate the distractions—bills, wedding invites, or grocery lists—out of your writing space so that you can focus on the story.
2.Talk to Yourself—or God—In the Shower
God is probably sick of hearing from me every day. But as the supreme and powerful being that created me, Earth and plot twists, he isn’t allowed to turn his back on me. And I take full advantage of this during my daily showers. I start with an attitude of gratitude and thank him for my blessings: health, media career, supportive family, jokes that make me laugh with my mouth wide open. I do all of this BEFORE launching into what I need help with such as the winning numbers for the Powerball, ways to talk to the No. 1 Son without it ending in a misunderstanding and an easy way to outline my YA novel. (I am so serious about the Powerball.)
Most creatives are sensitive, and we have a thing about not showing drafts or sneak peeks to anyone. But if you lather up in the shower and start talking to yourself (or God) about the two main points you want to tackle in your sexual abuse essay, it eliminates the problem of staring at a blank screen and wondering: Where the hell do I start?
Oh, and it never hurts to start the day with a word of thanks.
3. Read Something That’s Similar to What You’re Writing
Sometimes when I need to get my head right (i.e. out of the fog), I read a piece that is either:
1) the total opposite of what I’m about to compose
2) very similar to what I’m writing
3) or inspirational (Auntie Oprah didn’t have all of those aha moments for me not to learn a life lesson or two.)
Yes, some writers don’t like to read a piece that similar to theirs for fear of copying what that writer did. But that’s nonsense to me. I can read Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down and never, ever write like him. I can be inspired by his work. I can love his wordplay. I can envy the way Reynolds’ handled the idea of placing Will, who is ready for revenge after the death of his brother, in an elevator with a series of people who will influence his next move. But I cannot tell this story the way he does.
More often than not, another writer’s work will serve as inspiration for your own story. There’s a spark that happens when you read something and think, what if I did X?
4.Set the Mood With a Playlist
If I hear the No. 1 Son blasting ’90s R&B, one thing is for sure. He has 99 problems and a girl is definitely one. As writers, we are charged with setting the mood for our readers and ourselves. Some writers use music as background noise or something to give them good vibes—maybe it’s Cassandra Wilson singing a jazzy tune about moments so precious and rare. Others need a curated playlist to put them in the mindset for what they are about to achieve. Think of it this way: It’s similar to the way the music changes in a scary movie right before the college cutie next door gets gutted like a fish.
Try this: Curate a 10-song playlist based on the mood you are attempting to convey in your piece. Romantic or sex scenes may call for slow jams. A car chase may call for trap rap. When I wrote this post, I listened to Black Thought’s 10-minute freestyle on Hot 97. Thought’s line: “I barbwire my wrists and let it fill the page” seemed fitting for this blog, plus I was in beast mode. #issamood
5. Create a Ritual
Most people at the top of their field have a pre-game ritual. Athletes. Comedians. Writers. These rituals get your mind and body mentally prepared for what’s about to go down. Think of it this way, when you go to the movies, your ritual is to send Bae to snag the best seats, while you get the large popcorn with extra butter. The same rule applies here.
Maya Angelou wrote in a hotel room with a bottle of sherry some legal pads and a Bible. Steven King writes daily (even on his b’day and holidays) beginning at 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 and completes 2,000 words. Rumor has it that John Cheever wrote mostly in his underwear. I guess my writing mojo would be popping if I sat around in my Vicky Secret undies too!
The point is you cannot write when you feel inspired or when the muse strikes. If you wait for those two factors, you will never complete the first draft of anything. The muse is cute and all, but she is hella unpredictable.
But drinking green tea, reading three pages of from a Danielle LaPorte book and jotting down a single word about how you want to feel after completing the day’s writing task (look at that I made a three-part writing ritual!) is something you can predict and control on a daily basis.
