In one sense, there is no such thing as a typical day for a writer, because inspiration can come from out of the blue at any point in a given day. I’ve been known to pull over on the side of the road to jot down an idea, or to excuse myself from a dinner party to flesh out a character or complete a line of verse.
Still, it’s important to have set time to focus on writing, and I like the early morning hours, before the house is awake. When the sun comes up, I take a break to walk my best friend and dog, Polly, and taking those long walks outdoors can offer tremendous perspective to figure out a tricky rhyme, or think through a character or storyline.
The best thing for writers is to “feed their brains.” For me, this means always experiencing my surroundings with an ear and an eye for content. An interesting word, a clever story, an off-handed phrase from a passerby, the brilliance of a sunrise, or the dew on grass—All of these become important detail that brings a story to life. And because most people never stop to discover these beautiful nuances, I make it my job to collect them up and present them in my work.
Another part of my writing day is research. From researching how children learn, to learning about the types of communications issues that families today are experiencing, and from technology to time-management—each insight informs my approach, not only to writing, but to how I will share a book with a class or a community in a way that will resonate best and offer the most meaning.
Follow Day 3 of Ms. Madia's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.
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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm
Hi Sherrie:
ReplyDeleteIt's a pleasure hosting you today. I am looking forward to the rest of your NWFCC tour.
Best wishes,
Donna
Sherrie,
ReplyDeleteI love your discussion about the writers' need to "feed their brains." It is the part so often neglected but yet so important. Thank you for expressing it!
Karin
Great post. It's so true that there is no typical day, but it's all so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck.
Cheryl
Her writers' morning sounds a lot like mine. Wish we were neighbors. We could walk together after all that early writing.
ReplyDeleteHi All,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. In response to Karin's note, finding new elements to inspire our writing is something we must allow time for. With the busy lives that so many of us lead, it's easy to go a day, a week, a month without stopping to think or muse or reflect upon much of anything around us. Driving our lives on autopilot can become a real danger, so it's important to simply claim time for the business of taking in new experiences, perspectives, or stimuli as the fuel we need to power creativity in our writing.
Best regards,
Sherrie
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