Nova Scotia Travel, How to Get into the Mindset for Writing

Hello and welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog!

Along the Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton area of Nova Scotia

I hope you had a wonderful Canada Day or Fourth of July holiday. In my case, I was in Canada for Canada Day and home in time for the Fourth! We spent twelve jam-packed days in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. We met friendly folks, tried the local food, and saw spectacular scenery. Yes, I'll share some of the photos and stories on the Travelogue in the near future. 

Lunenberg, NS, Canada

After a vacation from the everyday routine, it takes a bit to get back into the writing process. But the break was so helpful for my writing. I was inspired by our trip and filled with new energy for writing, especially wrapping up my WIP. This week I am making a conscious decision to write, setting my mind into getting into the groove. How do I do that? Here are a few ideas you may want to try to help you focus on your writing mindset.

How to Get into the Mindset for Writing by J. Q. Rose

Mindset is an attitude about what you are going to do. It's not just for writing. You need to have a mindset to lose weight, stop smoking, cleaning the house, going on vacation, etc. The mindset determines how you approach your plan.

• Be positive about your writing. Don't second-guess about your work. Just sit down and write it. Nobody else is going to see it but you. You don't need to please anyone. Writing is like learning to ride a bike.The more you ride the better you get. The more you write, the better writer you will be.

• Believe that you do have a story to tell and one that will entertain and/or inform others. Think how much you can enrich lives with your writing. 

• Remove distractions. You know what I'm getting at here, don't you? No cell phone, no Internet, no throwing in another load of laundry. 

• Take time to breathe. Calm your mind and focus on your story or article. Don't even start a sentence until you can concentrate only at the task at hand.

• Schedule a time during the day to write. Just like keeping your doctor or dentist appointment, make a time for writing. I decided to write fiction after lunch every day and soon it became a habit. I felt cheated if I didn't get to sit down and write at that time. I don't set my mind to a fixed word count or certain amount of time for writing. I don't want to quit when I'm on a roll or feel I HAVE to fill up the time slot. 

• Say with pride and certainty, "I am a writer.

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How about you? How do you set your mind to write?

Travelogue the World from Your Desk Chair

The Travelogue will resume on Thursdays. Come back to visit more marvelous places with these authors as your tour guides: Stan Hampton, Helena Fairfax, Marsha West, Joselyn Vaughn, and Eric Price.

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