We all have them little ticks or totems that we can’t write without.  Whether it’s a cinnamon latte or a special notebook or a favorite writing spot, these things shackle us and limit how we do our writing.  Sure, some rituals can be helpful sometimes because they tell our brains “OK, it’s writing time.”  The trick is not to become so attached to these rituals that they become crutches.

All you need to do is write.  Today is our first Writing Sprint.  There is no assignment or prompt today.  Instead, I want you to write for a chunk of time and focus on breaking away from crutches that shackle your writing.  Don’t overturn your writing habits altogether, just make one small change.

Examples: If you’re used to writing on the computer, use a paper and pen.  If you prefer a noisy coffee shop, go to a library.  If your favorite spot is your own desk, try writing outside.  If you can only write for long chunks of time, force yourself to write in the nooks and crannies of your day.

Tell us on Twitter: How are you shaking up your writing rituals today?

When you’re done, tell us how you did!  Post one of these badges on your blog, tweet your word count or share your writing sprint experience in the comments.

Dearest friends of iggi,

How glad I am that we’re embarking on another adventure together!  This afternoon’s post will be a short one just to remind you of some iggilicious things that are coming your way.  I also wanted to explain how DIY MFA works for anyone who is new to the program.

Registration: is open and will be throughout the month of April.  Just go to this post, fill out the form and you’ll get a free eWorkbook (please allow 1-2 weeks).  You’ll also be entered to win an iggi journal that looks like this:

How DIY MFA Works: All you need to do is check in every day and read the daily post.  If you miss a day or want to review something that already passed, don’t worry.  Just go to the iggi U tab at the top and you’ll find a list of links to all the past posts.

In addition, you’ll also find a list of links for the first round of DIY MFA which took place in September 2010.  The material this time around will be all new, so if at the end of April you’re still craving more, you might enjoy looking over the past course as well.

Important Note: if you didn’t do DIY MFA the first time it’s OK.  You can jump right in with 2.O and you won’t be behind at all.  If you have done DIY MFA in the past, don’t you worry either because the material this time will be mostly new (and any review material we’ll approach from a new direction.)

DIY MFA Chats and Sprints: Don’t forget that on Sunday we’ll have our first #diymfa Twitter Chat from 5-6pm EDT.  We’ll also be doing writing sprints on Saturdays so set aside a chunk of time to get those words down, then tweet your progress using our #diymfa hashtag.  If you don’t do twitter, you can use the comments on Saturday’s post to check in.

And that’s all there is to it!  I’m looking forward to this month and can’t wait to hear what you all have to say about creativity!

…or is it?

Welcome Back to YA Cafe, where book lovers can gather and chat about teen literature.  I’m your barista, along with Ghenet from All About Them Words.

Each Friday we pick from a menu of topics and share our thoughts on our respective blogs.  We’ve also got plans brewing for interviews, events and even some exciting giveaways, so stay tuned!  Join the discussion by responding in the comments, on your own blogs or on twitter using the hash tag #yacafe.

Ha ha, fooled ya!  In honor of April Fools Day, YA Cafe is doing another giveaway!  This time it’s a joke contest!

Today’s Special: If your favorite YA character had a theme song, what would it be?

Examples:

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games — “I Will Survive”
Mia from If I Stay — “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
Edward from Twilight — “Another One Bites the Dust”

Tell us your favorite YA characters and their theme songs in the comments (here or at All About Them Words) and Random.org will pick a winner.  If you give us multiple jokes, you get multiple entries.  It’s that simple.  Contest is open until 11:59pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 6th.

One lucky winner will get a SIGNED copy of R.L. Stine’s Bitten (which is actually two books in one: Dangerous Girls & The Taste of Night).

Ghenet and I got a chance to meet Mr. Stine at SCBWI and he’s super-nice, not to mention really funny!  Here’s a picture of the two of us with him.

Want to see more April Fools jokes?  Fellow barista, Ghenet is co-hosting this same contest at her blog: All About Them Words.  Check it out, then join the fun by entering the contest!

One of the fundamental concepts behind DIY MFA is that the program starts with you.  All the creativity, effort and success comes from and goes back to you.  Sure, I can show you some options or suggest some places to start, but ultimately, you are the driving force behind your DIY MFA.  All I’m doing is helping you get started; the rest is up to you.

And that can be kind of scary.

After all, it’s easy to follow instructions and work within an established framework, but do-it-yourself isn’t like that.  It can be terrifying to forge your own path, and sometimes structure can be comforting, even for us free-spirited creative types. 

So what do we do when there is no structure?  We develop a writing habit.  And how exactly do we develop and nurture this habit?  Here are some easy tips.

1) Take baby steps.  Try not to push yourself too hard at first because if you do, you’ll be more likely to face burnout later on.  The goal is for your writing habit to be sustainable in the long run, so don’t go for a huge overhaul.  Instead try to make a handful of small, significant changes that will make a big impact on your writing down the road.

2) Give yourself permission to make mistakes.  Building a habit is like being a constant newbie at something.  After all, as soon as you get comfortable, you take another baby step toward your goal.  This means resting on your laurels is never an option, which is why it’s so important to allow yourself the freedom to make mistakes.  Remember that mistakes are inevitable; you might as well learn how to bounce back.

3) It’s OK to have fun.  Many of us have had the idea that writing is “work” rammed into our heads.  This is why when we start having fun with writing it’s hard to believe we’re actually working.  But we are; we’re just having fun at it.  It’s OK for writing to be fun and just because it feels more like play than work doesn’t make it any less worthy.

4) Real writers write when it’s hard.  Writing when it’s easy is, well… easy, but when it stops being fun, you still need to write.  The thing that separates true writers from the wannabes is what happens when the writing becomes tough.  Wannabes quit when it stops being fun, true writers work through the pain.
 
5) When you fall off the horse, dust yourself off and try again.  Don’t waste precious energy beating yourself up for missing a few days of writing.  Just tell yourself “it’s a new day” and start fresh.

6) Find out what’s causing writer’s block.  If have a string of bad writing days, take a few moments to reevaluate and figure out why that might be happening.  Maybe you’ve been over-stressed or over-tired.  Maybe you’ve got a lot on your plate right now.  Think about how you can adjust your writing habit to account for the hurdles you’re facing.  Once you’ve come up with a plan, let go of the past and move forward toward your goals.

7) Take the day off, now and then.  And when you do, don’t spend the whole time feeling guilty because you’re not writing.  If you need a day off, make a conscious decision not to write, then go about your life.

In the end, it’s all about being a more mindful writer.  Don’t let the past and future moments dictate whether you’re able to write in the present.  Learn from past experiences or mistakes but don’t let them haunt you.  When you’re writing, write.  When you’re not writing, live your life.