THE POWER OF POSTIVE THOUGHT

FUN.

Enjoying the journey. Taking pleasure in life. Waking up each day and being excited by what you are doing that day.

That. Is the toughest thing. You cannot buy positive, motivating energy.

We chose to be writers. We chose to spend our precious life doing this.
But why not make it exciting and invigorating? Even wonderful?

Motivational and Self-Help Books are everywhere and there is a HUGE Market. Just go into Amazon and you will see hundreds of titles, from ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’, which was published in 1952 right through to Paul McKenna in 2007.

Clever people observe the way we lead our lives in the western world, and how the people and events around us SUCK our energy and emotional power until we are drained and exhausted with nothing left to give to our creative side.

Buzz words include: ENERGY VAMPIRES [ the job or other people], TECHNODESPAIR [ the overwhelming battery of technology, TV, music, noise, emails and blogs], INFORMATION OVERLOAD [ mags, TV, How to books- there are so many people telling you HOW to live/lose weight/bring up the kids- but how do you choose which ones to believe?]

I find these depressing. Some people have found them very valuable.

All I am looking for are some techniques to help JAZZ me up.

Here are a few I have used and I make NO excuses for that fact that I am pathetic.

1. Choose to have fun. Force yourself if you have to , but say the words out loud - I am going to have the best fun in the world today with my characters and my writing.

SMILE when you say it, maybe chuckle and say it over and over until you mean it.

2. Positive affirmations do work. For example:

I am excited about my life

I love who I am

There is noone better than I am, or cleverer than I am

I cannot wait to start writing, this is so much fun

Writing is the most enjoyable thing I can do on my own [!]

3. Get outside the house and find somewhere else to work.

Laptops are good, but all you need is a blank side of junkmail and a free pen that came with the junk mail. Cafes in shops are good and cheap but there are usually loads of free public spaces you can find in winter. And they are heated.

4. Exercise can get the blood flowing to the brain, so walk if you can.

5. Write what you want to write. What chapter or scene interests you most? It helps if you have some idea where this is going to fit, but it will set the brain moving to what happened before and after that scene.

6. Forget the Target wordcount, or the deadline and just write anything you like.

Sometimes you have to accept that trying to write to a deadline when you are not in the mood is an exercise in futility and will only make you fed-up and frustrated.

Scribble about the back blurb. Work on the synopsis. OR forget the book for an hour, and write your Christmas round-robin letter, your analysis of your favourite book, an article. **

7. Set the Kitchen Timer and write under the clock. Most folk cannot study and focus for more than 30 or 40 mins tops. The brain is not geared up that way. So work with it.

8. Collect together all of the hats in the house and place them ALL on top of your head and try to type or write.

Any hat with a bird or creature on it is especially good. Think Jester hats.

If anyone sees you, tell them that these are your 'thinking caps' and they are yours and yours alone and they are precious.

Your inner child will thank you.

PS. If you have crayons and a large piece of paper/card, then writing your scene with the crayons while wearing the hats might also help.

AND - if all else fails, think about going back to your day job, for the rest of your life. Then laugh.

ACTION: Through the magic of RVWT (Ray-Anne’s Virtual Resonic-Wave)* testing of the brainwaves you are beaming out as you read this, I have been able to confirm that you are the most creative person I would ever want to meet, possibly the most creative person IN THE WORLD.

What new thing are you going to do with your amazing talent this week?

*Stolen from Jurgen Wolff who has a great site and e-bulletin. http://www.timetowrite.com/

**http://positivesharing.com/2006/09/top-10-tips-for-productive-creative-fun-writing/

What's playing on my YouTube right now? Nothing. Radio 3 in another room.