My Writer's Toolbox

I have made a quasi-commitment not to complain, in the hopes that pretending to go with the flow might result in actually learning to go with the flow.

The weekend was rough (that is an observation, not a complaint). I had to go through the requisite meltdown that appears to have to precede the possibility of getting started on MFA writing. It's all part of the ritual - the knot in the stomach, the random and unpredictable spells of weeping, the low-level sense of dread, the strong desire to hide under the covers when morning comes. Thankfully, I am through it now. I have reclaimed all of the wonderful tools that I used to keep me on track last time:

1. the unschedule
2. the reverse calendar
3. yoga
4. using my timer (I don't think I've talked about that one)
5. early mornings
6. morning pages
7. tea
8. meditation
9. knitting (for breaks)
10. regular reminders to myself that all is well
11. Other writer bloggers (e.g. Bug, My Basement Years)
12. R when he's not in fix-it mode

Tonight I've actually made some progress on the writing portion of my next submission. And that feels really good. And I'm making a bit of headway with the craft essay outline, or at least I've got some ideas for it and I've been bouncing them off my mentor, who is open to correspondence between submissions and is full of wonderful writerly wisdom that he disperses with generosity.