Change : A Good Thing - Foreshadowed or Not

Change...is a good thing. You may find it hard to believe, and generally when there is a change in your life it is a hard concept to deal with, though completely important at times and very much needed in others. Whether good or not however, change can have a major affect in your writing. Now generally this could be for the good depending on what the change beholds within your mind.

Or....

If you are dealing with a potentially unwanted change or...as you might think of it as such at the time....then your writing could seriously suffer until you get back into the swing of things.

The changes within your life affect a general chunk of your writing, sometimes at key elements of your plot line or at inadequate parts in another. However, there are a few things that you can do to help the changes go smoothly from real life to the writing life.

• Depending on where you write, have something that is important to you and a source of your strength posted in front of you. Such as a picture of a family member or a picture of a pet or a letter from someone important to you. Whenever you have a change that can affect your writing and you find yourself withholding in your writing because of it, stop for a moment, look at your source of strength and regroup your thoughts. Most of the time this helps and I would suggest it as a first choice.
• However, should choice 1 fail for you, there is an alternative...or at least in my eyes. Listen to music. Music can have a nice way of helping your thoughts course along much smoother, change or not in your life.
• Look at nature. Depending on where you write, and what you write on, just glancing out a window or taking a walk could help clear your thoughts and get you back into the writing spirit and into your essential plot line or character sketch. Position your desk near a window to look out of. Or if you have a laptop or even a pencil and a piece of paper, take a walk outside, sit in a chair outside or a bench and just relax your thoughts as you watch nature and your thoughts could finally begin to take hold on your plot line, character sketch, etc.

The most important thing is that you deal with your changes affectively and positively. Writing is always a great mood lifter and can really clear your mind and help you get plot lines, dialect, or even character sketches in perspective for your story. Keep in mind, the suggestions above are just that, suggestions. Just remember to have fun with your writing and be creative :)