5 ways to find The Zone – when writing.

Do you know that feeling when everything clicks? When the words flow like endless pools of serene water? When you stop thinking about writing and just…write?
It feels good, doesn’t it? And lord knows when you read it back you think, “Damn, I’m good, like I’m really good. Jesus, this is the best thing I have ever read.” Then you stop for a second and wrinkle your brow. “Wait, did I write this?” Yep. That’s the zone.

I know what you’re thinking, “Is there a magical pill for this?” A drug you would kindly pay for? Probably, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to mention drugs online so I can’t back anything publicly.

Do not fret my fellow Lions and Lionettes, for I have discovered the secrets to unlimited access to, “the zone!” Or not, maybe I’m just a crazy lion waiting for Mufasa to come back……NYLAAHH!

Disclaimer: There may or may not be a secret, I might have made that up. Ok, I’ll level with you, I definitely made that up…

Write yourself into the zone

There’s a lot of people out there that wait for inspiration to strike. Inspiration lives a fleeting existence in your life, especially when Netflix and the new season of “Stranger Things” comes out. Instead of waiting for something that might not come, just write. I’ve found that you can literally write your way into the zone. That’s right Dorothy, follow that yellow brick road all the way home. If you don’t, you might find yourself on the wrong side of a late night binge hopped up on wine and popcorn. Do right by yourself, don’t Netflix and chill.

Writing more often inexorably moves you closer to your goal, and once you start writing you will find that the ideas that were so difficult to come by, start to percolate and permeate throughout your work. Besides, the more often you write the better you get at writing. Nifty trick right?

As I mentioned in (How to get rid of writer’s block.) your subconscious already knows how the book ends, so carry on my wayward son. Before long, you will find yourself painting a beautiful scene with words so eloquent, that even George RR might have to look them up in his thesaurus (aka the bible).

Follow your excitement and just write

Write the chapter’s you are excited about. Don’t hold yourself back because you think you have to write in chronological order. Now, have a plan – sure. But, at least this way you can get your book started. Remember that scene that popped into your mind when you first got excited about this project? Why not start there?

When you are excited to write something, the best version of you leaps onto the page and becomes the most interesting protagonist of all time. So follow your excitement and make your book, well—exciting.

This goes for any piece of writing, whether it be a blog, short story or even a poem. Write about something that truly interests you and you will not only find that you write like a man/woman/lion possessed, but you will also enjoy every aspect of completing it.

Connect

To me, writing is a form of meditation. I say this because when I write, I understand that as a creator, I am merely a conduit and the words simply flow through me.

A lot of people tend to over think what they are writing and forget to actually write. This unfortunate disease is known as writers block, the bane of every writer’s existence. But it really doesn’t have to be. (Again, I have a whole blog about it.)

One of the greatest artists of all time said, “Just give me a baseline and I’ll do the rest.” After a few simple crotch grabs, a thrust and a “Teehee.” Billy Jean was born.
You can do this too. No! Why are you grabbing your crotch? Stop that….

Just clear your mind, my young apprentice and let the force flow through you. Let the zone find you! Remember, writing is the greatest thing that humanity can do, so enjoy it and write!

Scheduling

I’ve found that writing at the same time each and every day helps my loony ideas flow a bit better and makes it much easier for me to find – the zone. It’s all about synergy, whenever you have a routine, things become instinctive.

I love writing on the bus, or whenever I am in a Starbucks. If somehow Starbucks had a tour bus, I would be a best-selling author by now.

Learn to listen to your voice and find the zone

Hey, listen…

One thing that blogging has taught me is how to trust my voice and listen to what it really sounds like. Write the way you think, or the way you speak, that way its more authentic and it will flow much more naturally.

Believe in yourself, you are a great writer, and you will be someone’s favorite author one day. Have confidence in the words that you are writing and trust your voice because it is unique and it is beautiful. Everyone has something to share with the world, so get on with it already, because I’m waiting to hear what you got.

Side note: I just want to thank all the people out there who decided (or rather, I tricked) to like my blog. 1000 followers in two months has been a wild ride and is something that far exceeded my expectations, so for that, I want to thank each and every one of you, as well as the academy, my parents for giving birth to me, and this supportive community that we are able to write in.

Alright, alright, alright…..