the beautiful worst

Updates from The Writing Desk

Back To Basics: Foundations for Creative Practice 

Writing a story is, in its most boring definition, a series of decisions. What happens to these characters? What choices do they make? What’s the most exciting way to convey that to a reader? Working on the middle of the novel, it seemed like any decision would set off a chain reaction affecting all the other characters and plot points. To make the process easier, I simplified my schedule to reduce choice fatigue and focused on one project at a time, one deadline at a time, and one specific task per work session (and end each work session knowing the specific task for the next one). 

When I’m struggling to see a story clearly (a big clue is if I’m writing and re-writing the same notes without any breakthroughs) I review the rules of the 5 act structure. This format is common in TV writing, and I’ve been using it to structure my short stories and each installment of The Myth of The West. To review this structure, I get out some paper and a pen, turn on an episode of a show, and chart its storylines across 5 acts. This helps me see what needs to be revealed in each act and what questions I need to answer to finish the story. (For more info on structure, check out my craft notes on Patreon.)

I keep two journals—one for personal reflections and one for work. My work journal varies from general notes to specific projects. Keeping a work journal helps me maintain a productive inner dialogue articulating challenges and finding solutions. It’s a habit that helps remind me, there’s no final destination to creativity—there’s always more to learn. 

Creative labor is emotional labor. We need to be vulnerable as we reach inward to make art and outward to share it. When the work becomes more demanding, our self-care routines need to match the intensity of those demands. My self-care routines while working on this project have been committing to my project schedule, taking a daily walk or jog, and not getting up to write after I’ve gone to bed. 

Ultimately, with whatever medium or genre we’re working in, an artist is tasked with capturing a sense of wonder. There’s no way to sum up the techniques or philosophy on wonder in a quick blurb in an email, but the simplest route I’ve found to that feeling is as an audience member. Regularly reading, watching movies, and appreciating work by other artists is a vital foundation to my creative practice—and reminds me why I gravitated toward making art in the first place.  

Your Turn!