Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Jotter - Writing

Hiiiiiii. 

Let me explain my history with writing. I've always been writing something of some sort - be it journals, essays, stories or a pretend wildlife magazine that I would produce for myself to read (true story). This by no means imply that I'm a good writer; only that its a hobby that I'm very familiar with and enjoy doing.


The following suggestions came in a sudden burst of inspiration in the middle of the night (as they usually do) and I thought that I would share them with you. Hopefully, they'll help you in any form of writing that you're in!


 source


1. Write When You're Inspired

There will be moments when your mind just lights up with a flow of creativity or ideas - do not let those moments merely pass by. We're only human after all and we tend to forget things. Be sure to note things and ideas down, on your phone or jotter.Don't filter anything out as well! Make little bullet points; you can form proper sentences later when you do your actual writing. This prevents you from hitting a writer's block further on and creating a merely average piece.


2.Brainstorm

Writing isn't always like how they show it in the movies - no one creates a great piece of work by just writing page after page for hours (cue time lapse scene). Sometimes, you have to set aside time to connect the dots. Brainstorming helps you to link ideas and to create a writing plan later on. I would usually come up with ideas first, filter through them and arrange them to form a plan that would best suit the flow of my writing.  



3. Don't Force Yourself

Writer's block is a real thing and can induce panic when you're rushing to meet a deadline. When you're stuck on an unfinished paragraph, sometimes the best thing to do for the moment is to distract yourself for a while. Writing is like flexing a mental muscle; if you're out of practice and flex it for too long, you'll get a cramp. Take a break for 15 minutes; make a mug cake (like this one here), watch some tv and come back to your writing. I realize that this isn't always an option (you can't really walk out to grab a cup of tea in the middle of an exam) but if you have the luxury of doing so, then I would recommend it. 



4. Set Up Your Writing Space

When you're in the flow of writing, you don't want to constantly interrupt your thoughts by having to get up and grab something that you need. Keep everything that you'll need around you - pens, notebooks, a cup of tea. Make your writing space conducive for you! One of the things that I find helpful when I write is listening to instrumental music. This has been a lifesaver on many occasions, especially in essay writing or studying.

Here are some playlists that I would recommend:


That's all that I have for now. Have a happy Easter and stay inspired :)

Cheryl x

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