Post by Jenny
If you’re “lucky” enough
to live in a part of the world that experiences snow and ice this time of year,
you know that they present particular challenges for drivers. Whether braving
the interstate or getting going at a four-way stop, traction is a real issue.
Slippery roads aside, ‘traction’ is used in other contexts, too. Medically, it
is a pulling force exerted on a skeletal structure. And in more general terms,
‘traction’ can refer to an idea or project generating sufficient momentum to
move forward.
Having gotten new tires
last fall, I feel confident in my car’s traction this season. Not so with my
writing. I can’t tell you how many times my writing plans slid off into the
ditch last year. If there were such a thing as AAA for writers, I’d be on a
first-name basis with the tow truck driver. (“Hey, it’s me. My manuscript went
flat, and I’m stranded. Yes, again.”) So I thought I’d look to some winter
driving tips for a little help.
Make sure you have the
necessary equipment before starting out. Chocolate, tea, an inspirational book
or two, and a few great ideas. Your outline is your road map.
Decrease your speed. Well,
I’m a pretty slow writer, but for those of you who zoom from one project to the
next, finished or not, maybe try to ease up on your accelerator a bit. Decaf
helps.
Turn on your lights to
increase your visibility. Visibility? I fly so far under the radar that the Pentagon
couldn’t find me, let alone a literary agent.
Keep your windshield
clean. It always helps to see where you’re going—in driving, in writing, and in
life.
If you start to slide,
steer in the direction of the skid. When our writing is headed in a direction
we hadn’t intended, it’s natural to want to turn back the other way. But maybe
we should go with it and see where it takes us.
Use a shovel to clear away
snow—or that giant drift on your desk that prevents you from focusing on your
writing.
If stuck, don’t spin your
wheels. It only makes things worse. Try a quick walk, making soup, a hot shower…anything
that acts as ice-melt on your brain freeze.
What’s your favorite winter
tip to keep your writing moving?
5 comments :
Love the image of steering into the skid! Guess I'd have to say that being patient enough to allow the defroster to do its work is my biggest winter challenge. I just want to drive!
Applicability to writing? Well, being patient enough to allow an idea to become clearer - yeah, that fits.
Thanks!
Great post, Jenny! My driving/writing tip would be: There's no shame in turning around and trying again another day if it just isn't working for you. Some days are just better than others. :)
I tend to overstock on the supplies/equipment (#1) and then let go of the wheel.
I, too, am slow so I don't fear what I'll bump in to on the way, but watch with curiosity the world sliding by, knowing it neither cares or worries of what I'll become.
That part is up to me, and my writing will be the map of my journey home.
Thanks for the comments! These are all great tips. I'm cracking up about Dean's mention of letting go of the wheel. Definitely not recommended for winter driving, but I do it all the time with my writing.
Man, my writing plans slide off into the ditch just about every day. I enjoyed this metaphor. I must say writing is more pleasant than driving in the snow once you've gotten in the groove of it. But sometimes the idea of writing sounds about as fun as heading out into the snow.
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