Lewis' Book of Reviews and Writing Advice

Get into the Writing Zone

Greetings, Ink Jars, Professor Lewis here with some new advice and thoughts. Today's lesson will be on "Getting into the Writing Zone." Basically, preparing yourself to write. This is very important because it allows you to focus on your material and what exactly you're doing, helping you produce better work.

1.) Are you inside or outside? Find your place to write. Do you like to write in places that resembles that in which your scenes are taking place? Or do you prefer to sit in your bedroom? On a bus? Well, if you like to work inside, here are some tips: (NOTE: This is assuming that you have a lap top/tablet you're working on) 

     a.) Turn your lights off. At least for me, I struggle to focus while being able to see everything around me so this step helps to eliminate distractions. Obviously, if you need to see notes and maps, you'll need some light.

     b.) Try silencing your cell phones or any other alarms that would go off. Maybe even hide them so that you can't see their flashing notification lights.

Here are some tips for working outside:

     a.) Try to pick somewhere quiet (unless perhaps you want background noise for your thought process).

     b.) Select a place where there aren't lots of bugs and isn't a ton of sap sticking to you at all time!

2.) Get everything you will need. Get a sweatshirt if you need that, a mug of coffee/tea/water, maybe bring some food. Run to the bathroom. If you have long hair, put it in a pony-tail. If you get cold feet randomly, put on socks! It's really just basically to enable you to sit at your desk for as long as you possibly can.

3.) Now, clear your mind. Everything else in your life right now is to disappear (unless you're writing about your life of course). Slowly piece your brain back together. Think of these words, popping up on an empty landscape: Beginning, hopes, excitement, concern, refuge, peril, pain, teetering, emotion, end. It doesn't have to be that particular one, but most likely something similar. Maybe these are words which you want to implement in your writing or perhaps they are just to get you hearing strong, emotion-filled words.

4.) Go to your world. Continue piecing your mind together with the appropriate landscape image. Think about your story, where are you picking up? Let's suggest your next chapter starts in the middle of a raging storm. Visualize walking through a portal--a doorway of types. What kind of doorway do you go through? Is it metal? Rock? Simply a hole melted into the wall? Think about leaving everything behind. You are now in a new planet, a new country, a new body. What has just happened in your story? What IS happening? What WILL happen? Picture that storm I mentioned a moment ago. Picture the small, wooden vessel you've crossed to from the portal--the large, waves over which the bow CRASHES, the lightening cracking and flashing across the heavy, black sky--the wind whipping rain drops harshly into your eyes where the salt burns. Basically, get into the scene.

5.) Begin to write.

EXTRA NOTE: I always set some music to have playing in the background. It helps to set the scene and me to focus. I only listen to instrumental--mostly film scores. I'll do another lesson on that soon with some suggestions.

Your faithful Writer, Professor Lewis