Comments on: Flow to Done: Tap Into Your Creative Source

By: Dee Todd

Dee Todd — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:42:19 +0000

I guess I’m the odd duck out – at least when it comes to the value of isolating myself. I can’t think when I am all by myself. I’m much more creative and focused in a mall food-court, Starbucks, cafeteria, library, airport, airplane, train… anywhere with people, a myriad of background noises and lots of activity — then I can focus and be creative. Must be a weird gene I inherited, or perhaps a brain-virus!!

Love the post though. Flow part… not editing… great reminders.

By: Gloria Louise

Gloria Louise — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:49:23 +0000

Thanks for this article, also thanks to the person who wrote, edit your blogs 3x. I often look over my blogs once, but only see what I intended to write. When I read the blog after it is posted, it often has typos, and repeats. Take time, do it right, and transfer the message you intend. Give pleasure to the recipient’s eyes.

By: Lena

Lena — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:24:12 +0000

This so true. I particularly like the metaphor of creativity being like a river and the importance of the flow while creating.

By: Farnoosh Brock

Farnoosh Brock — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:17:51 +0000

This is so exciting – not just all the tips but that now I think my Argentine tango, which is entirely improvisational, and yoga from meditative perspective, can be helpful to my writing. I am an engineer by education and have never had a chance to take a writing class. I love to write, and these set of brilliantly packaged ideas are now with me every time I meet my keys. THANK YOU !!!!!

By: Everett Bogue

Everett Bogue — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:16:15 +0000

Thank you all for the comments.

I agree with not editing yourself, while you’re writing the initial copy. I really do stand by this rule, it’s the only way that I write.

If you’re constantly going back and fixing small mistakes, this can hold back your writing from reaching full potential, and editing white you’re writing can even stop you from finishing.

But do edit yourself! Once I’m done with a flow, I go back and organize my thoughts better. I fix all of the words I totally spelled wrong. I delete all of the paragraphs that are filled with junk.

It’s not uncommon for me to go over a blog post at least three times after a flow to finalize my ideas and my writing.

Don’t edit yourself this while you’re writing initial copy, it’s counterproductive to everything. Edit yourself after you have all your ideas on the computer/paper.

Let the ideas flow at the beginning, reign them into something that people can actually stomach later.

By: Tyrean Martinson

Tyrean Martinson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:52:19 +0000

Thanks. I completely agree with your tips, and I needed to “hear”/read them as a reminder. The one idea I love is taking the free flow writing all the way out to six hours. I’ve never been able to get past about 45 minutes, but then I’ve never really tried to build it up either.
Thank you!

By: Mike Perry

Mike Perry — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:17:30 +0000

WriteRoom provides a marvelous distraction-free writing environment. There’s even an iPhone/iPod touch version that makes excellent use of the tiny screen by letting you get rid of everything on screen but your text–no bars at the top and bottom. I use it to take on-the-go notes on writing projects. For me, the best form of distraction-free is taking a walk around a nearby lake.

When you need to work with more complex document like a novel or a non-fiction book, you might want to check out the award-winning Scrivener at:

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html

It has a full-screen mode and provides powerful organizational tools that WriteRoom lacks. The two developers work together. WriteRoom for the iPhone will sync with a webpage and Scrivener will can import from that webpage.

I use the following workflow:

* WriteRoom on an iPod touch for collecting ideas.

* Scrivener on a MacBook for creating the draft.

* InDesign on an iMac for formatting as a book or ebook.

By: Maria Brophy

Maria Brophy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:12:49 +0000

“Isolate Yourself” is the most important of all the tips you mention. It was when I started meditating and setting up a regular system for myself that my writing started to flow.

I wrote a post (just posted today, coincidentally) about Meditating and Creativity – you can see it here: http://mariabrophy.com/friday-focus/how-meditation-helps-the-creative-process.html

Having a routine without distractions is the best way to get the writing to flow.

PS: Loved Dwayne Phillips comment about Stephen King and one door that closes!

By: Eric C

Eric C — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:07:08 +0000

I agree with the don’t edit yourself. The one thing I would say is that I’ve read that one break every fifty minutes helps to recharge, relieve the mind of distraction. I know I enforce breaks, change projects, so that I can keep going for an eight or more hour day.

By: Dwayne Phillips

Dwayne Phillips — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:50:03 +0000

“isolate yourself” In his book on writing, Stephen King advises that one thing a writer needs is a room with one essential item – a door that closes.