work the work

Write It Down To Make It Happen!

There is no book that has been created that was not written, but there are many a book which has been lost because they were not written down. There is a wisdom in writing down your thoughts, even if you are unsure as to how the rest of the words will come about. Yet, they have to be written! Why would you cheat yourself out of your own creativity? Why would you decide to quit before you even start?

As a writer, you must decide what you want–do you want to wonder, or do you want to write? Do you want to create or do you want to fear creating? Both things cannot exist in the room of your imagination:  one will starve and die, and the other will blossom and grow! The simplest thing to do write down what is you want to create–even as simple as a title, a character name, or a place.

Don’t ignore those nudges to write down a piece of what your story requires! Be brave enough to catch the pieces as they come! Save them to your phone, text them to yourself or leave yourself a voice message! The crucial thing to remember is to not lose the pieces! These are pieces to what it is you desire to do. Do not neglect the pieces! It is due to and because of these pieces which make the worlds we create possible!

Catch the pieces, keep the pieces–start your worlds over again. I believe in you.

Encouragement Pages: 07/06/2020

Think about what you’re thinking about.

Writing will always involve you being aware of what you have put your imagination to work on. This type of focus will either free your or paralyze you.

Take the limits off your imagination.

Think about what would happen if you just…believed in yourself–and wrote. Just wrote…

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-04/08/2020

As a writer, you are going to become familiar with what I call ‘The Exchange.’ This is how you pay for the talent, the gift, and your humility to the pursuit of this craft.

The Exchange is this:

Life happens in three ways: to you, through you, and around you. It your job as the writer to record, decode and make sense of what seems to not make sense. As a writer, you constantly exchange time for talent, work for experience, heartbreak for word count.

The Exchange is constant…and worth it.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-03/09/2020

Even the hardest work is done one word at a time.

Even work you delay is written one word at a time.

In finding the bravery to keep going to complete your work, understand the doubts will come. They will try and root. They will whisper to you. They will discourage you. But have courage, fellow oracle. Have courage!

Continue the work. Finish the work–one word at a time.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-03/06/2020

Writing isn’t easy.

I mean, why should it be?

You are creating worlds, people and scenarios! Why would the process of creation be easy? Why would that process be easy? For some, it is easy! But sometimes that journey back to creativity and creation of the worlds in your head take detours. There are road blocks. There are apprehensions! But as a writer, they may always come–like the tides.

The thing you will learn is how to push back with the waves come to overtake. The thing that pushes the waves back the quickest–a pen.

Pick it up.

Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages/03/02/2020

What’s stopping you?

What are the things that are scaring you from picking up the pen again? Opening the draft-drawer again? From believing you can do the thing you haven’t done in so long?

Do you think that gift, that talent is gone?

It isn’t.

I promise you it isn’t! But you are going to have to work those atrophied artistic muscles, beloved. And that may be the scariest part. Scary? Yes. Impossible? No.

Writers don’t do well with impossible things…that’s why we write.

Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-02/17/2020

Embrace that which is uncomfortable. Sometimes to get at what it is you want from a work, you have to wrestle with it. You have to be both writer and reader!

Answer the questions that need to be answered. Veil the things you want your readers to sit with. But wrestle, my dear ones. Be prepared to wrestle. The writing will be fun, the ride will be wild. Just beware of the curves.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Find Where Your Heart Is

“You only fail if you stop writing.” -Ray Bradury

The question most often fielded by writers is, “What are you working on?” From that picture, enter the WIP (Work In Progress). There is a pleasure that comes from discussing the new work–its like talking about a crush.

Or a new love, that loves you back–just as much as you do.

All these gorgeous blank pages waiting on the stroke of your hand, the sparks of your imagination. With this steady seduction, I want you to imagine the work you want to create. What you want the reader to see, feel, imagine or experience.

I want you to fall in love with the work first. If you have not fallen in love with what you are creating…no one else will.

Write what you love–love what you write.

Image

Pulling Up The Weeds: Get Rid Of Fear With These Steps.

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real.

This acronym is something which I think applies to writers. Moreover, this acronym can be constructed this way as well.

FEAR: False Energy Against Reality.

For writers, with writing, FEAR in both forms are eventual enemies of any creative person. However, there are three ways to combat these.

1.) Writing schedule. There is a portion of work, of writing work, which is demanding. It is rigorous. It is disciplined. When the Grand Dame Octavia Butler said, sometimes as a writer, you would rather clean toilets than write (this is true, but I digress). But having a set time, a schedule, will help you organize your thoughts and help you through the tough times of your works in progress.

*Note: I know life is hard, and scheduled time to write can be a dream. But you, as the writer, you have to make time. Even if it’s ten minutes a day. Or for that week. At least write the idea down, don’t lose it!

YOU MAY NOT GET IT BACK!

2.) Frequent reading. Writers are readers. It is in the pace and peace of reading that can prepare you to write. Or to continue to write. Reading allows the mind freedom to wander, to know, to question. Reading gives connections, fuels imagination and allows growth and space to write–in another voice, vantage point or genre.

If you can’t write, read.

3.) Step away from the work when needed. Sometimes the writing is hard. Sometimes the words don’t come, or come as you want. But what I want you to know if that if you need to walk away from the work, you can. You should. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a break and regroup!

The regrouping can be a quick as a walk outside, a drive around your block or a binging on your streaming service of choice. Having your mind occupying another space or place, can relax you–even help you to examine what hang up you have about what you’re working on. Never dismiss the rest you need as a writer. It doesn’t deter from your talent to rest.

Writing is like traveling through a forest. There is a trail, and you must find it. The great thing is, the comforting thing is, as a writer you can make one. Or another. You are never trapped.

Here Is A Mystery: The Power Of The Continued Yes

I never set out to be a blogger.

I thought since I considered myself writer, most writers didn’t become bloggers. I think that is a little elitist looking back on it. The steady quote I ground myself with is by Christopher Priest:

“A real writer can write anything.”

It wasn’t until a recently as 2 years ago, that I finally was brave enough to call myself a real writer. I was afraid if I did, that I would be adrift in the creative world around me. However, in reclaiming my talent, and being confident in what I knew I could do. I was a writer. In being a writer, I could write anything. No topic is strange. No idea too far. I could even start a blog.

I said ‘yes’ to my talent. I said ‘yes’ to projects, and being a part of creative spaces. Saying ‘yes’ allowed me to own all I would create. I was free to develop my craft and voice. I reclaimed my artistic self. It is from, for and because of that reclamation, that you have found a space here, dear Writer-Scribe-Oracle.

You don’t know how far you will go if you never go.

All work starts with a yes. No matter the size, topic, width and breadth of the work, all starts with a yes. Here is what you say yes to.

YES I will:

-claim the title of writer.

-write this story/essay/post.

-write about new topics.

– be confident in my imagination.

-follow my imagination to its conclusion.

Becoming a writer, holding that title, is incredible. The mystery lies in you and your ability to give weight to what it is you create. Or desire to create. Give yourself credit and appreciate the progress as you go.

Writing, like life, is a journey.

I believe in you. Take your pens, your cache of paper, and full imagination and create. Go solve your own mystery of the talent you hold. One word at a time. But go.