Submission 1:

Other writer’s rituals

“What rituals and methods do other writers use? Some of these might be of benefit to you.

Listen to these novelists talk about the methods and practices they find useful, including the writer’s notebook, and morning pages. The writers are Michèle Roberts, Monique Roffey and Alex Garland.

As you listen, think about the following questions, and note your answers down.

What approaches are most suited to you?

Which approaches are least suited?”

Submission 1 Answer:

Which approaches are most suited to you?

I’m an early bird and night owl when needed. Let’s call it “adaptable”. Tapping into your unconscious mind in the early hours of the morning, is real to me. I have my notebook and it gets filled with random thoughts, and insights… before I get on with the rest of my day. I also enjoy working in the evening. Making sense of it all, putting together my dreamstate and my daily actions, I come up with answers for all the imagined questions posed by life. 

Which approaches are least suited to you?

The word “habit” and all like flavoured words.

Submission 2:

“What works best for you?

There’s no right way to write; only the one that’s best for you. This will be a matter of trial and error.

• Do you work best late at night, or early in the morning?
• Do you prefer silence or does music help?
• Do you need coffee?
• Would you want to write in bed (some writers do)?
• Would a café or library be better for you?

Experiment to find out what works for you. Use your writer’s notebook when trying these methods. Reflect on what suits you best. You may find that you are quite fussy and need special conditions. Or you may find that you are suited to more than one situation or approach.

As you’ve heard from Roberts, Roffey and Garland, everyone is different and it is up to you to discover the conditions that suit you best.

© The Open University”

Submission 2 Answer:

Conscious action! That’s my thing. It’s a looser, more fluid routine versus a clockwork habit. Opting to prioritise my actions for the day, and being satisfied when I’ve met them in my own way. It is actively finding the mood for the thing you’re aiming to do versus doing something because you happen to now be in the mood. I consider myself even more disciplined because of this guidepost. When I’m routinely doing something, I regularly check-in to see if it is still serving me. If it isn’t then I’ll opt for alternatives that will help me get to where I want to be. 

Submission 3:

Imagining writing spaces

Trying to picture the worst place for you to try to write can help you realise what your best venue might be.

Imagine two different venues for writing – one that seems most suited to you, and one that you would find bizarre or too difficult. Write a paragraph describing two writers at work, one in each of the venues.

Post your paragraph as a comment below for discussion and read and discuss what your fellow writers have posted. Showing your work to others and discussing it is an important part of the writing process.

Remember:

• Sharing your work with fellow writers is essential. You need to know how your work comes across to others.
• You also need to develop the skill of reading your own work critically; looking at the writing of others can help you to do that.
• We can all see more easily what works and what doesn’t in work that isn’t our own.
• Start to get used to making helpful comments to your fellow writers in which you tell them what you like about their writing, but also what you think could be improved. Gradually, you will find you can start to do this with your own writing too.
• In this instance you can comment on how vividly you saw the writers at work in the various settings. Could you picture the scenarios?
• This is only a paragraph – you will soon be commenting on longer pieces of writing. Take a look at the Feedback guidance PDF for information about how to go about discussing the work of your fellow writers.

© The Open University”

Attempts!

Second Best:

I once lived down the road from Sandton City Shopping Mall Complex. The Michelangelo hotel restaurant in Sandton has a view that overlooks the square. Children and birds play in fountains while I watch from above. Once, “The Theatre On The Square” arranged for ballroom dancers to move to classical music and I got to see some of it. For a tiny overpriced pizza and pot of tea, I spent hours there, eyes on my laptop screen.  When looking up and getting a breather – another patron would exchange banter and pleasantries enough with me – the politeness of strangers. I paid for my meals, my parking, my extras with a black platinum card. Stopped being polite to strangers when I realised they were possibly all looking for female adult company. 

Best:

JHB CBD apartment – an apartment with space. I worked from home, in my office setup on the landing of my apartment – a double storey with massive windows on the top floor of the building – looking at a city emptied out for the night. Calm, still – no stalkers ever dared stay around in the JHB CBD, it was actually the safest I’ve ever been in Johannesburg. 

Worst:

In front of the tv! My tiny little 1 bedroom apartment in Rivonia! So small, I once fled it – littered with my notes and scribbles I couldn’t even fall asleep there, the letters in the alphabet’s characters were all shouting at me. Stayed over at my sister’s.