My writing routine, and I use the word “routine” instead of “discipline” because it’s nowhere close to a discipline, is to read a short section from a book about writing, and then do “Morning Pages,” a few pages of free-writing in a spiral notebook. I begin each entry with “Morning Pages,” followed by the date, the time of day, and the location, usually Starbucks on S. 14th. Then I just start writing whatever comes to mind. This routine gets the juices started for more intentional writing.
For the past two years the book that has kept me going is Walking on Alligators: a book of meditations for writers. The small paperback contains 200 single-page meditations for writers. Each page begins with a quote from a writer followed by the author’s thought-provoking commentary on the quote. The fact that I have used this book for two years and it has only 200 pages gives you an indication of my “discipline.”
I finished the book a couple of days ago and was sad to do so, because it has been quite a companion on many early morning writing ventures. The author, Susan Shaughnessy, knows writing, and she is a good writer as well. Her commentary always seemed to hit home for that day. She clearly knew the frustration, fear, exhilaration, and all the other states of mind and body that go with writing.
I have on occasions written a short letter or an email to an author whose book was particularly meaningful to me. To my delight, some have written back to thank me. Susan deserved a letter.
I went to find her on-line only to discover that she died a few years ago at the age of 71. I never met her, but I felt a loss. Her ideas and words had been important companions to me. Sometimes, perhaps, that’s all we can hope for when we put ourselves out in the world, to companion someone else on the same journey. I am grateful she put herself out there, and I hope I can do the same.
“The writing you don’t do today is lost forever. Tomorrow’s may be better, but it may depend on the less exciting groundwork you can lay today.”
–Susan Shaughnessy
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