WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Dear Friend,
Welcome to my WriteSpa letter.
Most of us write either because we’re under deadline or because we’ve been struck by a thunderbolt of inspiration. This pressure creates, at best, a stormy relationship with Writing. But the decision to write is a commitment as important as marriage. Writing needs nurturing, sustenance, and, I’ve discovered, daily practice. Deadlines and inspiration just don’t cut it, just as they don’t in a relationship. A pianist practices every day. A painter sketches every day. A lover pays tender attention to the beloved every day.
So I decided I would give Writing all the honor and affection it was due, and see if I could lift it into a daily practice that brought us both happiness.
In the years that followed this decision I’ve discovered that Writing is not something to wrestle with, or long for, or something that makes me giddy with excitement, or throws me into the bleakest despair imaginable. It’s actually something that is always there for me, and I am always there for it. Since I began writing as a daily practice our bond has become indissoluble.
My hope is that the exercises, experiences, and encouragement I offer here will nourish and revitalize your relationship with Writing.
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Writing Practice
Stimulating memory is similar to stimulating dream life. By tapping into deeply subconscious realms, we release thoughts and feelings we may be hardly aware we even have. Writing about dreams and memories is like a magic key to a kingdom. Here’s the first key: Write your very first memory in the third person. Try to remember sounds, tastes, touch, and smells, as well as the usual visual images.
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Daily Happinesses
- Guessing the answer to a riddle
- A thunderstorm at dawn
- A gift of French perfume
- Mont St. Michel
- Morning glories
- A Rumi poem
- Composting with worms