Writing is a dream career in many ways, but it’s not without its challenges. Somewhere between creativity and perfection lies a huge tree stump. For some people, this looks like hitting the backspace every other sentence. For others, it involves spending an excessive amount of time planning and research. This is often followed by consistently breaking flow to scan research. Writer flow, however, doesn’t jive well with tree stumps, backspace buttons and excessive planning.
Being a better writer isn’t always about perfection. Of course, eventually, you need to run your stuff through a grammar check and do a few rounds of editing and proofreading. First, though, you need to flow.
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What Is Writer Flow?
If you’ve ever been in a “zone” where the words ran straight through your fingertips and onto the screen, you’ve experienced flow. This is when you don’t pause to think about the best way to say something or think about how your idea will fit into your plot. Instead, you’re intensely focused on transferring your thought processes into a physical reality. There’s a sense of deep immersion. Distractions evaporate.
Nothing stands between you and your story. You’re not worried about perfection or trying to fit all of the pieces of your plot together. You don’t concern yourself with trying to develop your characters. Instead, you essentially become one with your story, and you let it develop as naturally as thoughts run through your head.
Why You Need to Find Your Flow
If you haven’t found your flow yet, it may seem counterintuitive. After all, you don’t want to just throw gobbledy goo on the screen. You want to create something that you’re proud to put your name in. Letting words flow without intention can seem like it would just put garbage on the screen, but this isn’t actually the case.
You have a great story already in your head. When you flow, you let that story come to life without inhibitions. What happens then?
- Your story comes to life naturally.
- Your creativity comes to life.
- You write more efficiently.
- Your inhibitions fade away.
- You immerse yourself in your created world.
- You work more efficiently.
Often, writers who produce in a flow state ultimately create better work. You can’t expect your first draft to be ready for the presses, so it’s important to have realistic expectations. You may be pleasantly surprised by just how amazing your first draft is when you get into your groove. However, editing remains an essential part of the writing process.
How to Harness Your Flow
Some writers wait for that magic moment when they find themselves in a flow, but you can actually set the stage and create your own groove in a few steps.
- Create the Right Environment. The space where you write plays a key role in both finding and staying in your flow. The ideal environment is one where you’re comfortable – comfortable enough to lose yourself in your work for hours at a time. The temperature and lighting are perfectly suitable rather than irritating. Your chair is supportive yet not so comfortable that you’ll fall asleep. The room is quiet. If you prefer, a cup of your favorite beverage is within arm’s reach.
- Eliminate Distractions. If anything can prevent you from finding your zone or pull you out of it, it’s distractions. When you think about a distraction, the first thing that may come to mind is your phone. Simply put your phone in a drawer with the ringer off. There are other common distractions as well, such as the Amazon guy ringing your doorbell, the neighbors stopping by, the dog barking or even birds fluttering outside your window. You know what your distractions are, so take every step possible to eliminate them.
- Meditate. Even when you’re in a distraction-free, suitable environment to get into your groove, you may still need an extra push in the right direction. Often, your internal compass can prevent you from immersing yourself in your work. Meditation allows you to achieve mental clarity. It also establishes a state of calmness. Meditation is a practice. It’s not something that you simply do one day and get it right on the first go. To get started, spend just 10 minutes a day sitting in a quiet room. Breathe deeply, and focus on one thing. For example, focus on simply listening to your breathing sounds. You can find numerous meditation apps to guide you through the process.
- Know What You Want. Before you sit down to write, have an idea of what you want to accomplish. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a full outline. Even having something as simple as a general concept in your head of what the plot entails is enough to get you started. For some people, having too much of an outline or feeling that they must stick to their outline can impede flow.
Finding your writer flow and being able to enter your flow with only a little effort can dramatically change your career. It can make writing more enjoyable and help you produce better work. Check it out, and see what a difference it makes for you.