As I write this we are more than halfway through the year and I wonder how your writing plans have been coming along? I know mine have gotten derailed more than once.
What's a constructive way forward in terms of our writing for the rest of the year (or any period of the next few months, whenever you are reading this)?
Poets and novelists know the power of metaphor. How we see or characterize what happens to us has a lot to do with how well we deal with it. Right now most people are experiencing (or at least fear experiencing) tough times economically. Some will consider this a trial by fire. Others will think of it as a trip through the jungle to find a greater treasure. Can you imagine how different their journeys will feel, even if exactly the same things happen to them? It can be very powerful to select a metaphor for your writing journey, too.
Decide on a metaphor for how you'd like your next few months of creative activity to be.
You can choose a song title, the name of a film or book, or your own phrase. (Hint: "Climb Every Mountain" or "Surfing the Waves" might be better than "Gone With the Wind"...).
Write this phrase or sentence somewhere that you'll see it every day or at least every week. As things happen, consider how they fit into this metaphor and what you can do next to keep the metaphor apt.
By the way, this method also can help if you encounter writer's block. What's a good metaphor for the block? Let's say the phrase that comes up is "a brick wall." What the are ways somebody can get past a brick wall? Smash it with a big hammer? Climb over it? Dig under it? Make a hole in it? Go around it? Chip away at it?
Consider how each of those could be translated into a practical action on your part. Then pick the most appealing one and act on it. If that one doesn't work, go to the next one. It may be the after you've tried one or two, the metaphor for the block may change. If so, repeat the exercise until you're on the other side.
(For practical help managing your time and making sure your environment and the people around you support your goals, see my book, "Focus: Use the Power of Targeted Thinking to Get More Done." It's available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)
