August Coaching Nugget

Every month, I post a nugget from one my coaching sessions.

I hope this one serves you today.

Writing students often ask me how much they should plan out their writing.

I work closely with them on articulating their core point and vision, and mastering useful structuring tools. 

But it's equally important to allow your creativity off leash to run with an idea and see where it goes. 

Creativity is a child who learns by getting messy and experimenting. 

Writing is also a craft that demands discipline and tools.

We get frustrated when we expect our finger-painting, clay-digging, sand-sifting children to produce finished work when they are at play. Their job is to provide the energetic raw material that you will then sculpt into shape when you are ready to turn artisan.

How does this work in practice? When an idea calls to you -- a character, a turn of phrase, or a situation -- play with it for a bit. Explore its possibilities, without any judgement or expectation, like a child diving into a new box of toys.

Trust that if you take play seriously, then you will be all the more ready to get serious about the raw material your play serves up.

Happy writing!

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Are you ready to talk about getting your ideas out of your head, onto the page and into the world? Contact me to schedule a complimentary 1-1 chat.