"Even if you have already fired a bow several times, continue to pay attention to how you position the arrow and how you flex the string." - Lao Tzu
In the 20+ years I've been (seriously) writing, there has been a lot of attention paid to routines. When do I write? Why do I write? How often should I write? Where do I get my stories from?
These are only a few examples of questions posed to myself and posed by others as well. Answers to all have varied -- and forgotten -- over time, but usually end up funneling back to one key point: finding a routine that works for you.
This may involve getting up at the crack of dawn to write a few hours before starting with the tasks of the day. Or it might be writing in the last few hours before going to bed each evening. A routine might even be using both of these time frames to write.
For me, writing time has varied. I often find I'm most productive any time after 7 pm when it comes to writing, though this certainly doesn't stop me from writing in the morning or afternoon hours. I do think if I was able to write full-time, I'd probably devote 5-7 hours of writing per day, if not more.
Music is also a calming influence while I crank out words on novels, plays, and more. Whether it's at the desk in my living room, at a corner table in a coffee shop or in the sand down by the river, music is involved.
Even if I'm not writing, my mind is constantly churning with ideas. Or, at the very least, quietly observing the world around me. That's why I appear to be on the quiet side if you see me out and about. (Well, that, plus shyness mixed with an ounce of anxiety.) I may not be observing you but I am observing the people and situations in the vicinity.
Coffee and whiskey, not necessarily together (but you never know), are also friends of this writer.
I think the best advice is to find the routine that works for you and to find the stories you wish to tell or need to be told. And, like the quote above, no matter how much you've written, always remember the tools that help tell a story.
Writing and other updates
This time of year has often slowed down for me, but the months of May and June are doing their best to keep me occupied.
One play reading happened in early May with my latest full-length play Half Past Midnight. And another will be happening later this month, once I write the play, with HomeGrown Theatre's 'Dog Days of Summer" 10-minutes play reading festival.
Work has also been progressing on The Dragon Slayer, part two of the Magic of Crieo series. Still no estimated date of arrival, but the first draft of the first nine chapters is complete.
Also working on a handful of other stories and screenplays, plus writing about the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics so life in the writing department is rosy.
The last month I've also been dusting off the old acting chops again. I am the male lead in a short film that wraps here in a couple of weeks. Working with some fantastic people and we also shot a film for the i48 film festival this weekend here in Boise.
Around the Treasure Valley in June
- Opening June 13th, the Opal Theatre Company presents: Pluto by Steve Yockey. Six performances at the Gem Center for the Arts in Boise.
- If the Boise Music Festival is your thing, Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull, will be headlining this year's annual event on June 22.
- On June 15, Story Story Studio is hosting an event about finding your story in art.
- The Visual Arts Collective kicks off a new gallery showing on June 7 with Flint Weisser's new work "It's no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then"
As always, these are just a few of the things to see and do around the Treasure Valley.
Thanks for stopping by.
Be bold. Be kind.