So…should you use a pen name?

Barb   a.k.a.  Angelina Jolly

January 19, 2010

The Tao of Creativity

Filed under: Motivations,Writing — Lisa Nowak @ 12:33 am
Tags: creativity, doing without doing, P'u, self-acceptance, the uncarved block, wei wu wei, Writing

I posted this on my personal blog about two weeks ago and had such great feedback from other writers that I thought I’d share it with the Chrysalis crowd.

From The Tao of Webfoot, January 7, 2010

As I peruse blogs and read other people’s books, I struggle daily with a list of shoulds. I should strike every “was” and adverb from my prose. I should add a bunch of controversial subject matter to my stories. I should enter every writing contest that I can. I should build a huge web presence. I should come up with some brilliant ploy to drive rush-hour volume traffic to my blog.

Or should I? Let’s face it—my voice wants to come out more conversational than literary. Edginess is not something that feels natural to my stories, and I don’t think my target audience would like it. I’m not a contest person; words don’t immediately drip from my fingers. In fact, for me, initial ideas are the hardest part of being creative. I am not a daily blogger. Marketing doesn’t come as naturally to me as breathing, the way it does for Shelli Johannes-Wells, and I haven’t been blindsided by any genius inspirations, like Casey McCormick’s Agent Spotlight.

I don’t think I can change these things. Not easily. And the fact is, I shouldn’t. While the writing process takes dedication and hard work, it should also be organic to who you are. If you’re doing what you’re meant to be doing, the creativity will flow. The work won’t seem like work, because your passion and talent will carry you. All these people who I envy and admire aren’t finding their success because they’re trying to be something they’re not. They’re finding it because they’re following their true nature.

The philosophy of Taoism has a name for this: Wei wu wei, “doing without doing”. If you can’t wrap your mind around that, think of water, which is soft and weak, yet can wear away stone. A second concept goes hand in hand with this: P’u, the Uncarved Block. P’u, is a person’s natural state, their innate self, free of prejudices and misconceptions. The idea is that things are most perfect in this state. When you put these concepts together you come up with the following philosophy: By being true to ourselves, rather than striving to be something we’re not, things will come with less effort, and we will be happier. The uncarved block

A lot of envy and self-doubt comes with writing. Not just for the un-published crowd, but for established, award-winning authors. These feelings are a fallacy. A time sink that robs our creativity and distracts us from our work.  We all have our unique strengths, and that’s how it should be. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted from your path by the glitter of someone else’s gifts. Your own are just as dazzling.

Comments (5)

January 12, 2010

The First Step of a Novel: Get ‘Er Down Welcome to the new writers who have joined our group.

My basic goal is to get the story down on paper.

Now for the different approaches:

Let ‘er Rip:

Let ‘er Flow(chart)

Let ‘er Be Plotted

YOu may even break chapters into scene notecards.

That’s okay. I’ve accomplished my basic goal. Little steps.

Get ‘er Down on Paper.

November 11, 2009

From the Beginning…

Okay,  Put your thinking caps on.

Have fun. Get Creative. July 8, 2009

When Did It Pay to Sing in The Rain?

Filed under: Free Lance,Resources,Writing — Barb @ 11:41 pm
Tags: freelance writing, Resources, Writing, writing for pay In a chapter that I’m writing, I have  2 characters gazing at  Orion at 2 in the morning.

Wait a minute.

Is Orion still overhead at that time?

I’d better go to:     http://www.wolframalpha.com/    and check it out.

This is a computational website. It gives you encyclopedic details that a writer would love to have, without spending hours in research.

No more plotting on old calendars. Now you know if April 14, 1982 was on a Wednesday or a Thursday. It will also tell you the weather on that day.

Do you need a growth chart for a child? Want to know the signal for “G” in morse code? Compare an SAT score?

How about some data on deaths for that murder mystery you’re concocting?

Need some research info for the freelance article you’re putting together?

Give it a try. It’ll have you “Singing in the Rain.” [ by Adlolph Green and Betty Comden; released 1952.  The Movie made $120,420]

Wolframalpha told me that computes to 235.1 million in today’s dollars (in case you wanted to know).

June 26, 2009

Information for Writers gadl's thesis

Hi lady writers,

I’m copying and pasting some important information from Sweating the Details Before You Get to An Agent. For Anagram Bookshop in Prague (by Kaspen)

June 3, 2009

YooHoo! There’s a Contest Over Here by athena

Is it worthwhile to enter contests?

April 23, 2009

Finding Your Creep Factor "Grow on You" by lucy and bart

factor than “spiders on the wall.”

Which picture creeps you out more?   And why? "exploded view" by lucy and bart
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