Spring Writing Refresh
My affirmation of the day is “I am fueled by the energy of spring to renew my efforts toward my goals.”* It’s May first, officially the day when the golden Snowball Award is called here in New York (Syracuse won, with 115 inches this winter). Nope, we don’t think spring around here until the last possibility of snow is over.
And we’re through the first third of the year. Let that sink in. For me, it’s time to take stock of where I am, and whether I’m meeting my goals in various areas.
In writing, my main goal was to finish the mountain lion cub story I mentioned in the last post, which I did accomplish. I was also on vacation for a little over a week in April, and I confess I did very little actual writing aside from journaling and a few poems. It was wonderful to see friends and family, though, and we got in plenty of Artist Dates, through museums and exploring neighborhoods and amazing culinary experiences. Just the sort of refresh I needed after the long winter.
And now, here we are in May already. It always takes me a certain amount of time to recombobulate after being away, but now I’m ready to get back into the writing groove. The trees are beginning to sport tiny tendrils of bright green that will soon become leaves. Some trees are exploding with soft white or pink petals. New growth is poking up through the detritus of winter. The World’s Loudest Robin is singing outside my window every morning (starting as early as 3:00 am – if the early bird catches the worm, this guy is full of worms. Dude, dawn is still three hours away. Chill already, some of us are trying to sleep).
What I’m saying is, the sap is flowing and life is springing back all around us. Let that energy carry you through this next spring/summer third of the year.
It’s time to dust off those writing goals, and see where you stand. If you’ve been writing all along, making good progress – good for you! Use this spring energy to keep going.
If you haven’t been making all the progress you’d like, use this time to recommit. What project would you like to put on the front burner? I have a story I’ve set aside for long enough now that it’s time to go back to it, and see what edits I need to do to bring it to the next stage. It’s exciting but daunting. Will I still like it? How much work am I looking at?
Sometimes spring energy fuels us to write something new. That’s great too. New ideas spring forth like the green shoots unfurling from every plant and tree.
With all this new energy, we might be tempted to just plunge in and get started. That’s fine if it works for you. But if it feels a bit daunting, remember that baby steps also work. I’m going to start by just re-reading the story I want to work on. Read as a reader, as though I just picked up the book in a bookstore. Then go back and re-read, seeing what edits need to be made, using my trusty Stoplight method to determine the biggest edits (Red), the smaller edits (Yellow), and the easier edits (Green). In that way, I’ll allow myself to reinhabit the story world, without putting pressure on myself to do any major work right away.
I’ll also take plenty of time to get in Artist Dates, long walks outside, and other fun activities. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve gone to a local juried art show, a Silent Book Club, and a “talking” book club. I’m trying new baking recipes. Remember that creativity fuels creativity. What new places will you explore this spring? What new activities will you try?
*365 Daily Affirmations: Cultivating Mindfulness, Motivation, and Success, by Glenn Kennedy.
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