One thing I’ve been thinking about today is what I call The Purge. If you are only reminded of the horror movie and hate the name, pick one of your choosing:
The Great Cleansing.
Taking the Tweedle Dum out of my Tweedle Dee.
Writing.
Or, make up you own encouraging name.
I named mine The Purge long before I knew about the movie so please bear with me on the name. The Purge is simply what is it–PURGING all those plot lines, quotes, difficult situations, saucy one liners, characters who show up while you are daydreaming while washing the dishes who need to be put on the page so they will stop talking. A writer will know exactly what I mean.
Rules to The Purge (in caps because of their importance):
1. JUST WRITE – self explanatory
2. NO SELF EDITING (See #1)
Editing is for later. Get it out. Write. Write. Write. Or, Type. Type. Type.
3. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE SQUIGGLY RED LINES
This goes along with self editing. I know. Seeing those lines is like an OCD nightmare, but ignore them until you are finished writing.
4. If it helps, SET A TIMER
Five minutes. Ten minutes. Three hours. Writing — even for only a few treasured moments — brings you closer to your goal. For me, setting the timer turns off that part of my brain that constantly likes to check the time to distract me from the important thing I am doing. Am I the only one who does that?
5. REWARD YOURSELF
What makes you feel like you are a writer? Successful? Creative? I like coffee…a lot. I have my reward.
Trust me. Try it! Get it out. Vomit those loosey goosey words onto the page and watch them form into beautiful triumphs you will share with the world!
For another great article on this topic check out
https://cristianmihai.net/2018/10/02/how-to-write-5000-words-in-an-hour/
~DMM
