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Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Monday 15 February 2016

Head space

One of my best thumbed writing guides is Simon Whaley's The Positively Productive Writer packed with top tips and sensible advice on How to Reject Rejection and Enjoy Positive Steps to Publication. Simon also writes regularly for Writing Magazine and his feature Productivity Leap in the February issue really resonated with me. He quotes from author David Allen's bestselling book Getting Things Done: How To Achieve Stress-free Productivity and I picked up how  one of the biggest blocks to writing is overloading our brains with too much information. Simon writes: 'Our brain is not designed to be a filing cabinet. It quickly becomes cluttered and confusion sets in.' He then goes on to advise: 'Clear the brain of the clutter and you give it the space in which to be creative, and therefore more productive.'

Six years ago my head was chock full of clutter, work clutter, and I wasn't writing anything because there simply wasn't any room in my head for creative thinking. I made a life changing decision to leave my job, end my twenty year career and become a stay-at-home mum. A wonderful side affect of this decision was that suddenly my head emptied of those buzzing, nagging thoughts that once clogged it (and kept me awake most nights). I began to daydream again. I had head space to think creatively and story ideas flooded in. That's when my writing career seriously began.

Six years on I'm still writing but I do need to consciously give myself head space to think creatively. My favourite day is Monday as I go for a lunchtime swim (1 hour) where I just allow my thoughts to wander. This is the time of the week when I can plot and plan out storylines. I've recently started working on a second novel and my weekly swim is the time when I work through what I'm going to write for the rest of the week. Walking and running also help, along with gardening and washing the dishes, as these activities all seem to clear head space giving me that valuable creative thinking time. But swimming is definitely the most productivity activity I can do to help kick start my writing each week.

What do you do to create head space? Please share your top tips?
 
As you can see LitPig highly recommends Simon Whaley's The Positively Productive Writer. If you haven't got a copy then do check it out.
 


14 comments:

  1. I walk Bonnie and try and work out plot problems in between making sure she doesn't eat any other dogs!

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    1. I think Bonnie ends up in a few of your plots too, Wendy :)

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  2. So true, hate that 'head is going to explode' feeling. I take Henry the spaniel for a walk. He's slow and arthritic and not always keen to get out of his warm bed for a walk in the cold, but it does help me to clear my head, so a-walking he has to go.

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    1. That's good to hear, Beatrice. Though I feel for poor Henry in this chilly weather!

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  3. I'm joining the Gym, but walking and ironing do it for me! Simon and yourself are right, clear headedness is so important.

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    1. I tried the Gym but found it far too noisy a place to think, Ingrid. Swimming is more my pace. Agree about ironing - another activity that lets your head wander.

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  4. When I'm overly mithered I feel as though the walls are closing in. The best way I have found to push them back and let the light in is meditation. Even just five minutes is enough to give me some breathing space.

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    1. Sounds perfect, Julia. I used to meditate every day, but got out the habit. You've reminded me how it helped with that essential 'breathing space'.

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  5. I've been swimming today too, Tracy but I don't often manage to think about story ideas when I'm in the water - I'm too busy counting lengths (and I can't multitask!). Actually I find the best place for getting 'head space' is the shower, or pootling around in the garden. Walking the dog should be good too but I'm always on 'high alert' with my Bonnie too but not for the same reasons as Wendy: I just have to make sure she doesn't start chasing pheasants, or squirrels or rabbits.. or anything, really!

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    1. Have to confess I didn't go for my usual swim yesterday, Helen, as got to the pool and discovered it was Half Term -eek. Pool full of floats! Love to know why all these Bonnie dogs are so naughty, is it something in the name? Or the owners...

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  6. I find swimming helpful Tracy but don't always find time to go I do however do yoga every week which helps to slow me down and clear my head.

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    1. I can imagine yoga is terrific for decluttering, Susan. Though I fell over far too much when I tried yoga, so think I'll stick with swimming.

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  7. Anything which involves getting away from the desk and moving a bit seems to help - walking, gardening, cycling, even being a passenger in a vehicle.

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    1. Definitely agree, Patsy. I get a lot of good ideas when a passenger on long car journeys.

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