Writing Tip: Writing as Meditation

Writing as Meditation

Why Meditate?

SCENE: I am standing here lecturing you on writing meditation (you're awed by my average looks), holding a lighter and a sheaf of papers in my hand. I begin to explain myself as a flick the lighter on and dangle my papers above the flame...

via GIPHY

So why do you need to meditate? Because you are fucking stressed to the gills with life's bullshit and are on the verge of punching an old lady in the grocery store because she asked for extra thinly sliced deli meat and you don't give a rat's ass about your meat thickness.   

Ha. Ha. Wow. Ok, I may need to meditate every time I come home from Wal-Mart.

Meditation. At least he doesn't have a man bun.

Meditation is method of achieving focus through un-focusing. Good definition, I know. Most people's minds conjure up images of the enlightened yogi-douche with a man bun sitting with their legs crossed and their hands resting on their knees in a tranquil room surrounded by candles or something like that (they're not douches because they are yogis, but because of their man buns).

You close your eyes and focus on something; it could be anything. The points on a star. A candle flame. A red dot. Whatever you want. Then your mind will keep trying to veer off and every possible subject will pop into your head and try to distract you. 

Why am I doing this? This doesn't work.

Did I leave the stove on?

I have to finish my TPS reports at work.

What will I make for dinner?

Do these yoga pants make me look fat?

Do I look like a yogi-douche with a man bun? 

Meditation takes practice, but its results are mostly unquestionable. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and to enhance mindfulness and awareness. I am not an expert or even a journeyman in meditation, but I have tried it or else I would not be writing about it. 

The traditional method of meditation is what I call passive meditation. You just sit there and do your breathing thing, focus, and clear your mind. Then there is active meditation. My active meditation is exercise. Cardio and weightlifting. Even taking a walk-in nature. When I do these things, my mind is mostly focused just on the exercise, and I purge all of my stressful thoughts and anxiety for the duration. Ever wonder why you feel so good after a good sweat session? You actively meditated and maybe didn't even know it.

But this blog isn't about exercise, even though I will mention it a lot. It's one way I relate. 

Writing for Meditation

What about writing for meditation?

You're probably thinking about how you stress over details like what kind of tree grows in the southern Alps or the caliber of bullet used in a particular gun. Did I use the correct spelling of that word? Should I write in first person or third person?

Writing your magnum opus is stressful, it is not meditation. It doesn't calm you down for the most part, even if you enjoy it. 

So how can writing be a form of active meditation?

It is similar to exercise as a form of active meditation. You just do it and get lost in the process. 

Step 1.

Sit down at your favorite writing medium (typewriter, notepad, PC, fuck Apple...I'm sure all of you trendy hipsters are using a Mac, so I included it). 

Step 2. 

Rid yourself of distraction. Shut off your T.V., your cell phone, your internet. Shoot your loud ass neighbor with a tranquilizer dart. Whatever you have to do. If you can't do absolute silence, put on some white noise like a thunderstorm or ocean waves. Classical music works too. 

Isolate yourself. Lock your doors if you have to.

Step 3.

Write. Just write. Let everything else in the world go.

It is a free writing session not tied to any project you are working on. You can find meditation writing prompts online and select one for any session. 

Write a letter to one of your ancestors.

Write a background story for one of your characters.

Put one of your characters in a weird situation and see how they would react.

Write a list of crap you're grateful for.

It doesn't really matter. Just write. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation. Screw sentence structure. Screw synonyms. Do something and stop being useless. I am working on following my own advice too.

Remember to breath, deep breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Slowly. Center yourself. Everything else can wait.

Notebook, laptop, typewriter. Don't stress over where you write.

Step 4.

Success. 

This shit works. Trust me. (Even though I am a complete stranger with unverified credentials). Your mind and body will thank you. Your writing skills will improve. Your draft will improve. 

All thoughts of lighting your manuscript on fire will float away like ash on the wind. Speaking of ash, where's that coming from? Oh crap...