Five things to do before you sit down to write

Everyone  who knows me as a writer knows I'm a pantser.  I don't plan too much; I don't outline.  I get a basic idea what I'm writing about and I just sit down to write.

Well, not exactly.  Most of my writing goes on in my head all the time.  The act of getting it on paper is more often an exercise  in typing than in creating.  However, when I do sit down at the typewriter, I do need to be in my writing zone.  It's not the same energetic state as the rest of my waking life.  I think it was Norman Mailer who said that every writer should write with a hard on--even women.  Well, I consider my normal writing state a kind of mental hard-on, a condition of controlled excitement that I need to sustain until my writing for the day is over.  Luckily, I type really, really fast when I get excited.  LOL

How to reach that state? Probably not what you'd think.  The kind of energy needed is more mental and emotional than physical.  Here's what I do: 

1.  Put all your other writing days out of your mind.  Each day you start with a clean slate (and a clean page, so to speak).  If you've been struggling with your work or whether you've had a hot streak like nobody's business, this day will be its own experience and  you don't have to carry either disappointments or raised expectations into this writing session.

2.  Take a moment to relax.  Do some deep breathing, which means breathing deep into your belly instead of your lungs.  The difference is the focus.  Let your belly expand as you breathe in cool, calming energy.  Exhale and use your solar plexus muscles to expel any residual air, stale thoughts, negativity or other emotions that may hamper your writing.

3.  Ground yourself.  We creative types are often too much in our heads or the intuitive connections we have to creativity and without grounding our thoughts can scatter all over the place and never make it onto the paper.  Close your eyes and continue your breathing.  Imagine your feet growing roots through your heels and toes, branching out and digging deep into the earth.  Send your energy down into the earth.  Draw back earth energy into your toes, up your legs, up the front of your body and returning down the back of your body and into the earth.

4. Clear your chakras.  Starting with the base chakra, visualize each of the major chakras in turn. Imagine them swirling counterclockwise (the direction of opening and awakening) with bright, the color each chakra represents.  Clearing and stimulating the chakras encourages creativity and productivity.  Similarly, when you want to stop working for the night, visualize your chakras circling clockwise (the direction of closing and rest).

5.  Call in your muse.  We each have our own muse, an energetic link to the creative impulse of the universe.  Without it, we'd all probably be plumbers.  Whether you see your muse as some sort of anthromorphication, as a voice in your head that encourages (or complains) or some other form, ask your muse to visit you with only usable thoughts, ideas, and insight.  Breathe deeply until you feel the connection or until inspiration strikes.