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We’ve been working our way through DIY MFA and suddenly it has occurred to me that this is our the last week of April (and therefore also the last week of DIY MFA 2.O).  I have to admit, I panicked a little.

 

“OMG, what am I going to do in May?” I thought as I hyperventilated and gasped for air.  And then I remembered: there is no one finish line in writing.  You finish one phase and you start a new one.  Once one goal is met, you move on to the next one.  There are small victories along the way, of course–and we should definitely celebrate those–but ultimately there is no finish.

 

This news might be hard for some of us to hear.  After all, it can be nice to think of one writing project as this big goal and once we finish it, we’re done.  It’s the same way with traditional MFA programs.  Some students focus on the thesis and the program as the end-all-and-be-all, but it doesn’t work that way.  You need to see beyond that finish line to the millions of projects that come after.  It can be overwhelming, to say the least.

Ultimately, I like to look one or two steps ahead.  If you look at all the millions of possibilities, it can make you freeze up.  I prefer to look at just the next step.  Here are a few quotes that have always inspired me:

 “My idea of life is the next page.  The next paragraph.  The next sentence.”
~Charles Bukowski

“Writing is like driving a car at night.  You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
~E.L. Doctorow

Homework:  Go to a writing space that’s comforting to you.  Bring a beverage or snack that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  The point is to coddle your inner writer a little today because you’ll be doing some hard work.

 

Before you start your sprint, take 10-15 minutes and think about the next step.  This is not a time for stressing, but a time for dreaming.  Let yourself imagine the possibilities of what could be next after your current project.  Once you’ve finished brainstorming, bring yourself back to the present, set the dreams aside and do your sprint for today.  (Sprint badges are posted in the photos section of our Facebook page.)

Here in NYC it’s rainy and disgusting so I thought it would be a nice day to write “in.”  I’ll be curling up with my notebook and a pot of hot vanilla-coconut tea and will be brainstorming what’s next after this round of DIY MFA.  I promise to fill you in on the details once I’ve figured it out!

Would anyone like to share what they think their next step is?  I know I’d love to hear it!

This past week we’ve discussed how to set the mood for writing through reading, collage, color theory and writing rituals.  Today I want to talk about music.

I’ve played the violin on and off since I was four years old, and music has been a central part of my life for even longer than that.  I love music that tells a story.  Here’s a list of the essentials in my music library.

• The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.
  This classic piece of music sets the tone for each of the four seasons.  For a different take on this piece, check out the recording by Il Giardino Armonico, where the orchestra plays entirely on period instruments but give the piece a contemporary, edgy feel. 
• The Planets by Holst.
  In this piece, each movement represents one of the planets.  The music captures the personality and sets the mood for each planet.  
• Such Sweet Thunder by Duke Ellington.
  This jazz suite is based on various plays by William Shakespeare.  Each track represents one play or one set of characters from Shakespeare’s plays.  My favorite is “Up and Down” where the different pairs of instruments are supposed to depict the different couple pairings in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
• Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” by Beethoven
  In my opinion the most beautiful piece of music ever written, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony captures the mood of a day in the countryside, complete with waterfalls and streams, a country village and a thunderstorm.
•  Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens
  A great piece–especially for introducing newcomers to classical music–the Carnival of the Animals captures the feeling of being in a carnival.  From the lion to the aquarium to the aviary, each movement of the piece represents one group of animals in the carnival.  A great recording of this is the one conducted and narrated by Bernstein where he explains each of the movements and what to listen for (a great recording for introducing kids to classical music).

If I had to limit my inspirational writing music to just five albums, these would be the ones I’d choose (and it would be a tough choice because I left off some of my absolute favorite pieces).  I chose these five because I feel like they give me the most mileage for my writing.

Homework: Today I’d like you to choose a piece of music and listen–really listen–for at least one track.  Try to hear the story being told in the music.  If you’re not sure of a piece to choose, feel free to borrow one of my selections above.  After listening, jot down a few notes so you remember the story you heard in the music.

Then tell me how it went.  What piece did you choose?  What did you hear in the music?  What story did it tell you?

Today, I’d like to talk about writing rituals–you know, those little things we all do to get us in that writing mood.

What are writing rituals?  They can be anything, as long is it sets the mood for writing.  I read once about a writer who literally wears different hats when she’s writing or editing.  Another writer I’ve heard of lights a candle when it’s writing time.  The writing rituals can be as simple as a turning on your iPod or using a specific pen or notebook.

My writing ritual is that I always use an unlined notebook and a fountain pen.  Something about writing with a fountain pen makes me feel like I’m channeling the great women writers of old, like Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters.  I also have certain playlists I listen to for different projects.  Right now I’m listening to the GLEE soundtracks because I can always use more glee in my life.

Why are rituals important?  Rituals signal to your brain “OK it’s writing time now.”  Just like having a bedtime routine can help kids get in the mindset of going to sleep, writing rituals tell your inner writer that it’s time to get in that writing frame of mind.  Writing rituals are also a great way to pamper your inner writer a little bit.  Scented lotion can be soothing, a pretty potted plant on the window sill can make you smile, a favorite poem or reading passage can inspire the writer within.  Whatever you choose, having a small writing ritual can help set the mood for writing.

What if your ritual becomes too routine?  Every so often, it’s good to shake things up.  Break your routines and do the exact opposite of your writing ritual.  This can be a challenge, because stepping outside our comfort zones can be uncomfortable and scary.  But a healthy dose of fear can be energizing–exciting even–so don’t shy away from breaking your rituals now and again.  Take a risk!

Why it works:  All writing is the act of making rules, then shaking them up.  When we write, we establish rules for our readers and the reader gets lulled into a comfort zone with the story.  When we shake up those rules (give the story structure a twist, introduce a new character, add a new plot element) it gets the readers’ attention.  They sit up and start listening again.  The same is true for our inner writers.  When we shake up our writing “rules” it grabs our inner writer’s attention and helps it engage with the work again.

Homework: If you don’t already have a writing ritual, think of something that would help get you in the writing mood and do it today.  Establish a ritual so that in a couple of weeks, when you break it, your writer will respond.

If you do have a ritual already, I want you to break it today.  Do something outside your routine, something exciting and maybe a little bit daring.  (I know some of you already did this for the first writing sprint, but that was weeks ago and it’s time to shake things up again.)  Remember, it doesn’t have to be a huge change; it can be just one small, meaningful thing.

Please share in the comments because I’m dying to know: Do you have a writing ritual? What is it?  What small thing did you do to break out of your comfort zone today?

Sometimes we need a little R&R, and I don’t mean “rest and relaxation,” I mean “reading and recharging.” Of course, writing is important because if we’re writers and we’re not actually doing any writing, then there’s something seriously wrong with the equation.  At the same time, if all we do is write and we don’t stop to read what else is out there in the world, then we’re living in a vacuum and that can be very lonely.

Yesterday in #DIYMFA chat, the subject came up of reading as a warm-up to writing and the idea really seemed to resonate with a lot of people in the chat.  With that in mind, I thought today we could talk about literature that inspires us and puts us in that writing mood.

But first, I wanted to tell you all of a great tool I’ve been learning about.  It’s called Goodreads.  Sort of like Facebook–but a lot cooler–Goodreads allows you to follow friends and get updates on what they’re reading, what they thought about it and what books they recommend.

Personally, I haven’t really started to scratch the surface of what Goodreads offers, but I Love reading list function.  You can put books on your to-be-read list and mark them off as you read them.  There’s even a 2011 reading challenge (for which I’m totally behind schedule!) that tracks how many books you read this year.  If anyone happens to be a Goodreads expert, please feel free to add more tips in the comments because I feel like this is such a great online community but I’ve only begun to explore its many benefits.

If you are on Goodreads (or you happen to join), please feel free to friend me (Gabriela Pereira–you’ll recognize me because I’m the only person on Goodreads with an iggi as a profile pic).

As for today, I’d like to hear about what you read.  What snippet of literature puts you in the mood to write?  For me, it’s a poem.  In fact, this poem always helps me see the lighter side of writing (and receiving criticism) so I like to read it as a warm-up when I’m feeling stressed-out by a writing project.  This poem makes me giggle and helps me not take myself too seriously.  After all, writing should be fun or else why do it, right?

Here’s the poem that inspires me: Workshop by Billy Collins

Homework: Please share in the comments a snippet of something you’ve read that has inspired you or helped put you in the writing mood.  Let’s inspire one another to write by sharing the literature that we love.  If it’s a short quote, you can tweet it too. Because literature that awesome can’t be kept to oneself; you have to share it with the world.  Write on!