How to Write

I have often been amazed by artists who preach certain methods as the ultimate way to success. Having studied creative writing for years, I have read many interviews and essays about writing written by commercially successful authors from the 19th century to present day. So many authors insist that they have discovered the only ways to come up with a good plot, to plan and execute their project, and even to live their lives in accordance with their writing. (Stephen King, for example, believes that television poisons the literary mind.)

I have learned to take these advices with a grain of salt. I don't think there is only one way for me to write. Over the past couple of months I have written a few stories, and each time I approach the project with a new method. I listened to my head and my heart and let them conduct my action. Sometimes I outline my project before I begin writing; sometimes I start writing and see where the pen takes me. Flexibility is important. A certain degree of discipline is helpful, but aren't artists meant to be temperamental? I find it helpful to make writing in the morning a routine. My entire body responds well to the schedule and I became more productive than ever. However, I don't think it does me any good to tie myself to the desk if I feel utterly dreadful. I get out and do other things when I need to. Sometimes a break is exactly what you need to recharge and come back a better writer.

What improv helps me most in my writing is teaching me the value of being in the moment and being spontaneous. Everyday before I begin writing, I ask myself what I need and what the story needs, and I begin from there. It keeps me from falling into a hole. And when I do fall into a hole, I realize that I'm not in the moment, I'm not responding to what I need, and the only way to climb out is just to tend to my own present need.