Pages

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Feeding the Muse


On any given day online, there are hundreds of posts, tweets and blogs about the art of marketing your writing. And it seems to me they all reach one conclusion: No one knows what, or even if,anything works.

So if all the hours of promotion have questionable results, what's a writer to do? I beleive that the only thing we can do is to capitalize on the core of success: writing a wonderful story. If that's correct, then the building of a writer's creativity becomes critical.
And yes, I believe creativity can be nurtured.
Below are my suggestions. Some I've tried, some are still on my writer's bucket list.

* Take one session of acting classes a year. It'll teach you the basics of that art and give you insight into your own character portrayal.
* Take one session of visual art classes a year, i.e.: painting, drawing, sculpting etc. Concentrate on the act of creating and how it transfers to writing.
* If you can afford it, pay a counselor or therapist for a series of six sessions, once a month for six months. Your goal is to get help in accessing your buried uniqueness that is uninfluenced by media and curltural expectations.
* Pledge to yourself to have a weekly art date, time alone to experience something new and different. (This is from Julia Cameron) Use your insights for writing.
* One week a year, do your own writer's retreat. Not a conference with networking and seminars. And not a week long get-away where you finish up that novel that's on a tight deadline. What I mean is to retreat from the world and renew. Go to someplace where you are ALONE and you actually use the time to let your mind to explore and foster your creativity. (Did you know there are monasteries that offer this for a very reasonable price? Search online to find one in your area.)
* Learn to meditate and practice it daily. Yoga teaches meditation techniques. Transcendental meditation is good. That quiet time is like letting the well fill from a silent, underground stream.
Who knows what masterpiece will emerge?

6 comments:

Jacqueline Seewald said...

I don't have the secret to successfully promoting novels either. Wish I did! The blogging is simply to get our names out there
as writers. Of course, as Drue observes, it's important not to spend all our time on promotion, otherwise, we won't spend enough time writing. Balance is so important!

Jacqueline Seewald
TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS, a new release from
Five Star/Gale

Anonymous said...

I agree, Jacqueline, balance is important. That, and loving the process of creating.

Joyce Elson Moore said...

Rebbie: One summer I went to Hambidge. It's an artists' residency program, for any creative artist, writers included. It's in N. Georgia Mts. We ate together, but each had our own cabin (very nice one) in the woods. Lots of quiet and time to think. I did my yoga, and wrote when I had inspiration. I imagine a monastery stay would be about the same. There are writers retreats listed, I think, in the back of Poets and Writers. Maybe that's where I found it. Anyway, thanks for giving us something to think about. Very timely, too, with what's going on in our industry.

Roz Morris aka @Roz_Morris . Blog: Nail Your Novel said...

I really like your suggestions of regrouping by flexing different creative muscles. I took some improvisational drama classes and the effects are still resonating with my writing. I hadn't thought of trying art - maybe that's next. Useful post - I'm off to tweet.

Unknown said...

We are uhe solid first platform for modeling newcomers to achieve there new dreams. The first to train and promote out models at our expense to avoid burden on them. Join the most popular agency if you modelling jobs in Delhi for female freshers, models, students, housewives aiming to start there modeling career. We are top modelling agency in Delhi offering modelling jobs in Delhi for upcoming female freshers or experienced models who want to join lingerie modeling agencies.


modeling agencies in Delhi
modeling agencies
modeling jobs
modeling auditions
model coordinators
modeling jobs in Delhi

Unknown said...

We are specialized in Mechanised cleaning of Underground and Overhead Water Tanks of all sizes. Door Step services across Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad.


Water tank cleaning services in Noida
Water tank cleaning services in Ghaziabad
Water tank cleaning services in Delhi

Drain cleaning services in Noida

Drain cleaning services in Ghaziabad
Drain cleaning services in Delhi
Pipeline Cleaning Service in Noida


Pipeline cleaning services in Ghaziabad
Pipeline cleaning services in Delhi


Tank cleaning services in Noida

Tank cleaning services in Ghaziabad
Tank cleaning services in Delhi