The Fine Art of Finding Your Own Rhythm. Some Suggestions.

This post is part of the apparently endless series entitled. “Reflections on Being A Writer In The 21st Century”. I say endless not because it’s an inexhaustible topic, but simply because I have not yet seen the end.

I have been a writing since I was 17.
Bit by bit, over the years, as I got better at it, my writing expanded. Seven years after I started writing blank verse and weird little tributes to Ogden Nash, I was a professional copywriter working at one of the hottest agencies in Canada at the time.
But I never called myself a copywriter. Just a writer. Because writing advertising copy was only one of the things I liked to write.
Every writer writes all kinds of things throughout the course of their life. Sometimes just to try them out. Other times, to add them to their skill sets if they like what can achieve.
But it’s all in aid of one overarching cause, which is the fine art of finding your own rhythm.

What Does That Really Mean?

In a superficial sense it has to do with figuring out when you feel like writing. Because even though I love it, there are times when I feel like it is consuming me and my instinct is to get the hell away from it.
So you stay very mindful of your moods, because the last thing you want to do when you are a writer is to fight with yourself.
Suggestion #1: If you don’t feel like writing, don’t do it. It will be unproductive and depressing. Go do something else. Think about something else. Get immersed in something else. All work and no play…yadda yadda.

Let’s Go Deeper

In the more esoteric sense, it’s important to teach yourself to recognize inspiration and seize the moment when that happens.
A good example of that is this post. I had just finished my breakfast and was cleaning up in the kitchen when this title popped into my head.
Obviously I was thinking about writing something original today. But I was also thinking about going for a ride, which I do at different times in the morning.
But this idea crystallized in my head and took precedence. So here I am.
So my conclusion here is that there really is no such thing as a consistent rhythm, because your mind doesn’t work that way.
Abstract and semi-formed thoughts bounce around in there all the time. And every once in a while one crystallizes, and something deep inside you tells you that’s the one you should go after. That’s the one with the legs.
Suggestion #2: Learn to identify and act on inspiration. Even if it’s just to jot down the idea and come back to it later.

The Big Issues Of When & How Much To Write

I know a lot of writers who adhere to a fairly strict schedule. These people are disciplined and know themselves well enough to understand that if they don’t have a schedule to adhere to they will simply not get things done.
Many of them give themselves quotas in terms of words or pages written. My daughter, who is a very soon to be published novelist, works this way. She is convinced that if she didn’t set deadlines and goals, she would never get anything done.
So Suggestion #3 is, quite simply, figure out how much discipline you need to get your writing done.
I personally do not adhere to a tight schedule, because I have a great deal of control over my time with the paid writing I do. But having said that, I still work as quickly and diligently as I can because in my business it’s very easy to get swamped and that makes me crazy.
But the other writing, like my self-promotion, my lyric writing and my blogging is done solely by inspiration.
So, in essence, how much discipline you need will actually depend on the kind of writing you do and the kind of person you are.

There Is No Secret Sauce

If you have read this far you will realize that no one can actually tell you what your own rhythm should be. These have just been things to consider when trying to find that rhythm.
What works for me works for me. But by thinking about it in this way, hopefully you will be able find your own unique rhythm and it will serve you well.
As Lewis Black, the inventor of standup black comedy is fond of saying…”We’re all like snowflakes, every one of us is different from the other and that’s what makes this whole fucking thing so interesting.”

Jim Murray is a marketer, communication strategist, writer, art director and blogger His partner, Charlene Norman is a business systems and operational analyst. Their collaboration is called Bullet Proof Consulting, headquartered in St Catharines, Ontario. Bullet Proof is designed to help companies change their thin king for the better, to become more productive, efficient better branded and successful in today’s highly competitive business world. You can find out more about us at: www.bulletproofconsulting.ca

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