Where has all the sexy gone??

For the past several months, I've been blogging about self-doubt, writing rituals, and the RWA National Conference. I have been properly informative and full of profound thoughts.

How very respectable of me!

Meanwhile, my work in progress was going in fits and starts. Even worse, it sounded like some sort of tight-ass had written it. Where was the spark? Where was the white-hot action I promise??

I had forgotten than I am always more creative and prolific when I am not respectable.

In an effort to charge my batteries, I opened Susie Bright's book, How to Read/Write an Erotic Story.

As one of the leaders of the modern erotic writing movement, Susie surely knew some ways to overcome inhibition!

On page 83, I found a writing game that rocked me right out of my rut. Here's the game:

Write down an erotic fantasy about a sexual experience you would have in a minute if it were offered to you, no questions asked. It should be something that you would have no reservations or conditions about doing in real life.

Write down an erotic fantasy about a sexual experience you would only have under certain circumstances. You could give yourself up wholeheartedly under these conditions, but otherwise, not at all.

Write down an erotic fantasy about a sexual experience that is completely satisfying to you in your imagination, but which you could not do because it is either physically impossible, or something you could never bring yourself to do in real life....Yet in your mind, it is completely hot and fulfilling.

The first thing I did was write down my own thoughts, then I did the exercise for each of my main characters. I had a great time, and now I know my characters much more than I did.

I'll be posting what I learned about my characters in the following entries. As for mine....We'll have to see if I can overcome my self-editing all the way!

My writing rituals, part three

My

Public Library

My last two rituals encourage silliness and concentration.

I love to listen to music while I write. Anything from classical to blues to rock to pop, I’m there.  Music distracts my critic voice and allows me to get my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard.

I can create words and not worry if they are trite or cliché or just plain stupid. The beat also encourages me to wiggle about, get up and dance, look up and away from my computer. Getting up and shaking your rear to The Archie’s will solve just about any writing problem you can come up with. Stuck? Wrote yourself into a corner? Not hearing your characters? Get up and do The Monkey and you’ll find the answer.

Yes, I mean it.

My very last ritual is the most traditional one of all. I like to write at the library. All the books surrounding me remind me that publication is possible! All the people working helps me focus on my own work. The giant windows that overlook the duck ponds let in plenty of light and create a peaceful atmosphere. I can put on my headphones, rock out, and work uninterrupted by thoughts of housework, personal anxieties, or non-writing tasks.

Exercise plus peaceful concentration plus silly equals writing that will move your readers.

Write on!

My writing rituals, part one

“Every writer needs a dog to teach her fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before she lies down.”

When I think about my writing rituals, I always mangle this quote from Roger Caras. Every writer has a ritual, a way of telling her brain that now is the time to take the ideas that swirl around and put them in a concrete form. Some of us need silence. Some need music or tea or food or warm hands. The truth is that rituals do not guarantee a good day’s writing, but they certainly up the odds in your favor. And what writer can afford to muck up her odds?

I have a couple of rituals that helps my productivity.

My truly important ritual is exercise. Physical self-care is always the first thing of my day. I roll out of bed, put on my sweats, and take my curvy backside to the gym. A bizarre combination of walking, lifting, physical therapy, belly dancing, and relaxation (not all at once) keeps me from falling into a rut.

Exercise gives me the stamina to sit at my desk and it unlocks my brain. Some of my most creative solutions have come to me during my endless laps around the track. The other regulars at the gym have frequently seen me scribbling madly on a piece of paper towel with a golf pencil. 

Hey, I'm a writer. I'm immune to embarrassment and I have no fear of looking like an idiot.