The Writers Coin

Writing that title made me feel like I was penning the sequel to The Secret or something. Like I was going to write something akin to “Just follow this simple formula and all your writing block problems will be forever solved!”

Which isn’t what I’m saying but I am saying that it’ll definitely help you the way it’s helped me. But just like exercising to lose weight, it’s not about whether it works or not—it’s about us actually doing it consistently. That it works is a given.

The other day M and I were driving to her hometown, as we do so often leading up to the big day we get married. Only this time her friend was in the car because we were giving her a ride. So I took the back seat and they chatted away. I’m used to being a good co-pilot (no reading, no falling asleep) so this was the first time I could really do whatever I wanted to while M drove.

It was fantastic.

I had forgotten why I like riding the train so much (the bus is OK too)—simply staring out the window and letting my mind run free is something that feels good to me. Weird, maybe, but good. So I did that and I did my fair share of reading (catching up on those accumulating issues of The New Yorker). And after all that navel gazing and stewing in my head (total of around nine 4.5 hours), here’s my formula that I came up with:

Reading + “Quiet Time” = Creative Writing Ideas

And these are all directly proportional to each other so the more time you spend reading and thinking, the deeper you’ll get into the “writing mindset.”

Reading: Read all kinds of different things, but make sure you’re liking it and it’s stimulating. On this particular drive I read a fantastic short story (which is rare in the NYer) and a couple interesting non-fiction articles. I devoured three or four of the magazines and then when I was done I put them away and stared out the window.

Quiet Time: A good analogy here is cooking. Reading is the preparation: cutting up the peppers, seasoning the meat, boiling the water, etc. Once all the “work” is done, you throw it into the oven, the grill, whatever, and just kind of wait. Quiet time is simply letting your mind process and run free with all the “stuff” you’ve given it from reading. It’s hard to describe (and understand) because it isn’t a conscious process. And when you’re talking about the unconscious things can get vague in a hurry. But you have to trust the process and let your brain do the work without you getting in the way. A watched pot never boils.

I wasn’t following this “formula” on purpose by the way, I came up with all this afterwards. Why? Because as I was staring out the window watching the trees and fields whizz by, my mind started percolating and ideas started to come. I let my mind wander and the ideas started getting larger and better defined. This is all basic “creativity” stuff, but it felt like I hadn’t done it in a while.

So I pulled out my trusty Moleskine notebook and started scribbling away. Two short-story ideas came to fruition and I scribbled out all the framework for them as the light started to fade in the car. I actually wrote a couple of pages in the dark hoping I would be able to decipher them when I got back home. I was able to and the story’s first draft is almost finished.

Why does this feel like such a big deal? I’ve been neglecting my writing for a while now and I’ve felt really guilty about it. How do I expect to get any better if I’m not actively practicing? This was the first time in a long time that I went through the whole creative process of writing something new that I was excited about.

To someone who isn’t into writing or doesn’t see the allure, this whole post may sound like a bunch of nonsense. In fact, it may remind you the crap inside The Secret. Which is fine because there are a whole bunch of things that I just don’t understand or want to understand in this world (like why people watch According to Jim). But that’s OK. If you’re curious about writing though, you could do a lot worse than my little formula—sitting in front of a piece of paper and going “What should I write about right now?” isn’t going to get you anywhere. It would be like turning the oven on to 450 degrees when there’s nothing inside and expecting a meal 40 minutes later. Not gonna happen.

So I’m excited about my writing breakthrough and now I have a good recipe for the next time I hit writer’s block or just plain stop writing altogether. Now I have to go through the toughest part: the editing and rewriting. Ugh.

Last week I posted on my schizophrenic experiences with V-Day and in the aftermath I realized I’ve learned some valuable things about that day and gift giving in general. So next time a special day comes around (anniversary, birthday, etc.), don’t forget these time-tested tips:

• Money isn’t everything: You’ve heard it a million times before and it’s still true. Money has nothing to do with how good a present is—zero. And I mean it both ways: a frugal gift isn’t any better or worse than an expensive one. So if you’re expecting a great response from someone based on how much you spend, you’re in for a rude awakening.
• Money can do some really cool things: In my V-Day post I talked about the amazing weekend I planned out for M and I, and we’ll never forget it as long as we live. It cost a lot of money, but that’s what money is for. We’ll have that weekend as long as we live.
• Money makes us lazy: I’ve done it before and I think guys in general do it a lot. We spend the money on a present and thin, “Ok, that’s done.” I understand: there isn’t a lot of time to come up with something creative or different the day before. So we order flowers online, have them delivered to her place of work. Or we buy a gadget she might like. Lets get this straight: buying is the easiest way out. And she knows that. It’s a shortcut that means we don’t have to spend any time or effort on the present. Again, SHE KNOWS THAT.
• The two most important things when giving a present are Effort and Surprise: Effort shows you put a lot of thought and work into it (irrelevant of the money spent). And people love being surprised—it’s one of those things that gets harder and harder to do and that’s why it’s so valuable. The weekend I spent so much money on was incredible because she had no idea what was going on for a whole weekend. You could tell I went through a ton of work and planning to get it all done, and that’s something that counts for a log.

The thing about these types of “lessons” is that they come to you right after the day is over and then you forget them until the next time, when it’s too late. So it’s important to recap these holidays right afterwards and try to learn something from them. Writing about them also helps keep them in your head.

The bottom line is if you don’t want to spend a ton of money during holidays or anniversaries, you don’t have to. If you put a lot of work into it and surprise the other person, he/she could care less how much money went into the endeavor. But it also doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend a lot of money on it—that’s what money is for. Just make sure you aren’t spending a lot of money in the hopes that the other person will enjoy the gift/day in proportion with how much you spent. That is lazy and most people (unless you are buying an island or a fancy car) will see right through it.

Life is busy and crazy and unpredictable and so is our unconscious, so it’s no surprise how difficult it is to keep all of it straight and organized. I want to share a few tools I use every day that really help get me through the days as efficiently as possible while always keeping the door open to good ideas, be they for writing about finances, ads, or stories.

The Notebook:
I used to have a series of bigger notebooks that had really nice paper and were craftsy on the outside. Pretty to look at, romantic to write in, but not easy to carry or whip out on the spot. Now I use a Moleskin reporter’s notebook with blank pages. It’s small, it’s sturdy, and it has detachable pages I can tear off and insert in the back pouch (which also fits standard note cards). Why this notebook when I can easily buy a similar-sized one for less? Hemingway, that’s why. I’m a sucker for anything Hemingway related, so even if the legend isn’t true, I buy into the whole thing. It’s mental but it works for me.

I use it to jot down any ideas I get at any time. As any writer or creative knows, these come at the most unexpected times so you have to be prepared to receive them all and not forget them.

Cheap Alternative: A blank sheet of paper folded up in your pocket.
Really Cheap Alternative: Write it on your hand (I still do this sometimes but it’s sloppy)

Yahoo Notepad:
I use Yahoo Mail so Yahoo Notepad is one tab click away, making it easy and quick to get to. It’s perfect for pasting in links to interesting articles or blogs that I want to comment on, read later, or think about some more, especially when I’m at work and can’t blatantly take out my notebook and jot stuff down. It’s also a great holding area for ideas that you can save and flesh out later.

Cheap Alternative: None, it’s free.

Yahoo Calendar:
This one is perfect because, while I may have some short-term memory skills, over the long term I really can’t remember things (by long term I’m talking a week). With Yahoo Calendar you are one click away from checking out when you have an appointment, a hot date with the Missus, or when your parents’ anniversary is. Birthdays and all kinds of other dates all go in here. The useful part is you can set Yahoo to send you a reminder (as an email) before the day comes or even on the day (you have full control of all this) of the event. So if you need to get someone a gift or flowers a day or two before the “special” day, you’ll get an email and you’ll have plenty of time: Never forgetting another birthday/anniversary . . . Priceless.

Cheap Alternative: None, it’s free.

Mnemonics:
You probably already use a mnemonic device even if you’ve never heard this word before. You know when you don’t have a piece of paper and you need to memorize a number? So you start repeating it over and over, maybe to a certain beat or tune? And then when you finally get some paper and a pen you repeat the beat and the numbers are still there? It’s called a mnemonic device and it’s basically just a way to remember things, typically lists.

Whenever I’m in a crowded bus/train, a meeting filled with people, or at a party chatting with someone about something inane, my brain likes to churn out some decent ideas. Thanks brain, great job. What to do though? You either can’t get to your notebook or you’ll look insane scribbling something on your hand. Mnemonics have helped me many a times to remember things until I get to safe quarters, especially when it comes to lists of things.

Typically I’ll have one thing in mind and I can remember it. But then another hits and now my mind is juggling. This is tough and it makes it hard to relax. So lets say for this article, I was sitting at work and it hit me. So I just kept kind of repeating to myself, “Organization, tools, NB, Yahoos, this list.”

Once I got Yahoo Notepad open I could flesh that out a little so I would know what the heck I was thinking: NB for notebook, Yahoos plural to indicate Notebook and Calendar, and then this list as a stand in for mnemonics. Boom, the idea has been saved and I can move on/relax.

But try to get it down on paper as soon as possible. Many a times I find random pieces of paper strewn about with incoherent scratches on them. Readable, but nonsensical. It’s easy to forget the connections you created to those mnemonic devices. This is more of a temporary bridge until you can jot it down in a more reliable place.

Cheap Alternative: None. Again, this is free.

Do you have any tips that help keep your life in order?

Here are a couple articles that bring up an interesting way of generating ideas.

They both come down to the same thing: for every idea you’re ultimately trying to come up with, create a list that is 100 concepts long.

So you want to create a hip Netflix ad? Come up with 100 and then go back and pick one of them. How about an edgy ad for the only “Tequila” made in the USA? Again, 100 concepts before you pick one.

Why this masochism?

According to the site, the first 30 entries or so are simply to get all the crap out of your system. Some people call it pre-writing. The next 40 are where you start to stretch your creativity a bit, and the last 30 are “where the gems are.”

I don’t know about that breakdown—it seems kind of specific for something as fuzzy as creativity, but I think it’s a good point. When coming up with ads, I’m constantly telling myself to push myself further. Take an idea and run with it. Be more creative.

Sure, one way to do this is to just sit there and see what your mind comes up with. And then you hit upon the idea you like best, you get a little excited, and boom! You’re done. I haven’t put down 100 ideas for any concept yet, but I agree that coming up with that much quality will inevitably yield good results. It’s something I/we do already, kind of unconsciously and quickly in our minds.