IWSG: Retrain My Brain

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I'm participating in Story A Day, and one of the suggestions for keeping momentum going through this month of daily writing is gathering Story Sparks. Basically Story Sparks - details from the world around you, "What if?' questions, memories, etc. - spark or enrich a story. Now, as founder Julie Duffy says:

"Set yourself a goal of gathering three story sparks every day and you will find yourself seeing the world in a different way (a writer’s way). Aim to have 15 at the end of each week, but don’t collect them all on one day. By getting into the habit of observing the world around you and capturing story sparks daily, you are training your brain to see the world through an artist’s filter. This will help immeasurably when you sit down to write."

Well, I'm pretty sure my "artist's filter" looks like my dryer's lint trap - gray and fuzzy and leaving my ideas like my clothes - damp, limp and funky-smelling. The older I get, the more other stuff - fluffs of reality! bunnies of dust! - clogs my creativity, vagues my vision.  

I definitely have to clean off my imagination, but scraping my nails around my brain and throwing away the gunk isn't really an option. How do I clean up my focus, get it clear and sharp again? How do I retrain my brain to see those sparks? 

May the (Creative) Force Be With You!

Believe me, I can use all the help I can get since this May, I will be participating in Story A Day! 

Story A Day is all about promoting creativity. The goal: write - and finish! - a story every day in May.

Now, as founder Julie Duffy says, there is some flexibility:

"Since the StoryADay May challenge began in 2010 I have always said: make your own rules. For some people, the challenge of writing a story every day is the thing that excites them the most and helps them to embrace the challenge. For other people it’s unrealistic. Those writers simply decide how many days this month they’re going to write. The key is to make your own rules and then stick to them. Some years, for example, I take Sundays off."

But she is a stickler for one thing: FINISHING.

"This is the only place where I am quite strict. There is a power in finishing a story and so I encourage you to push through to the end of your story every day. This does not mean writing a brilliant draft. Sometimes you have to cheat. You can write “[something clever happens here]” and then sketch out a resolution and final paragraph if that’s what it takes to get used to the end of the story. Doing this at least teaches you to keep the mood to keep the story moving towards a place of resolution."

So, my plan for May: write and finish a story Monday through Friday with weekends off OR five stories a week, just in case I need a little wiggle room. I hope to reconnect with the core of my writing, the joy and the passion I used to feel. I'm going to have fun with my writing again, people. 

Wish me luck!

*****

Have you heard of Story A Day? Plan on giving it a try? There's still time to sign up! Are you participating in any other challenges, creative or otherwise?