Blog 12-31-23

Blog 12-31-23

Blog: A bit late this week. And now I’ll recycle last year’s Blog, which I’ve just reread and which again fits so well with this year – I hope you can stand it.

And which again comes with a warning – you may not be interested in my writing process!
Last year I was studying a book I looked at a long time ago, and dismissed. Now, I’m not dismissing but looking again at why I was so eager to forget Julia Cameron and “The Sound of Paper”.
I said, “Forget it,” because I didn’t need “Morning Pages.” Morning Pages is Julia Cameron’s main claim to fame as an artist (first thing, you write three Morning Pages about whatever. I dismissed doing that. Even thought it was kind of silly.)
I have 26 (27 now) books listed on Amazon: All written without Morning Pages. But none written without a Schedule.
Schedules have varied from 1) so many pages a day, to (2) so many words a day, 5 days a week. Currently my best ever schedule (which I haven’t been doing and will beginning again in 2024) starting with 2 hours writing work each day, 5 days a week.
So why isn’t my wonderful schedule working as it should and has in the past?
Because after my quite taxing “Age Into Beauty: Checklist for Aging”, I took time off. That time off has grown morphing into a lot of reading time! And more reading and wasting time. And not doing work or writing, as I should. (Remember this is written for 2022 – And “Collected Poems” was put together and published during this past year.)
Time for experimentation, I wrote then. I love experiments. As soon as I thought of this one, I climbed on board. For the last three working days of 2022 I’ll try my old schedule of three hours a day writing, with my caveat of after three hours, I’m free to do whatever I want for the rest of day! How terrific is that!
First day goes great. I already have a book in mind. (I’m just not sure I can write it!) Second day: this is agony. 100’s of thoughts and ideas jam my mind. Too much. After a few squiggles, I can’t write anything.
Enter – Julia Cameron and Morning Pages. I try Morning Pages – which let me get this clutter out of my head! And actually I don’t even do a formal Morning Pages; I just begin listing – mostly stuff I need to do, want to do, will be in big trouble if I don’t do.
I write, putting myself in order so I can do some real work.
This 3-day experiment of my 3 hours work, 5 days a week lets me learn that Yes, I have good hopes of writing another book. Will I live long enough to finish this book?
Who knows – not my problem! I just have to keep my schedule.
Hooray for all of us! And for whatever schedules we set for ourselves. Hooray for a wonderful New Year!
This is the end of last year’s Blog for 2022.
As an ending for 2023, I’ll add that at this time of so much darkness in our world I’m making a Gratitude list – along with my new schedule.
I am so grateful for so many wonderful blessings. Think about your Blessings.
Take a few moments and make your own Gratitude list.
JoAnnLordahl.com

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