The Power of Seeing Your Writing and Goals as a River and Not a Mountain
4 ways to open your writing floodgates and get into the creative flow
“May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
A follower and friend noticed that my writing floodgates had opened and I was writing prolifically. He wasn’t even aware that I had also signed up to NaNoWriMo with the goal to complete the first draft of a novel by the end of November. And here’s the thing — so far the flow has been incredible.
I have been very conscious of not seeing this month as a mountain to climb. If I treated the task ahead as a mountain it would feel like an insurmountable task. I would be constantly focused on my goal of 60,000 words for the novel, and 30 articles published on Medium. The prospect would be too daunting, and I’d risk writer’s block looming over me like Gandalf screaming, “Thou shalt not pass!”
Instead, each day when I sit at my desk, I think of lowering myself into my kayak. I allow the flow of the water to carry me along. Yes, I have a destination, but it is out of sight. I simply deal with what is in front of me. I approach each session or article as a new section of the river.
1. Start with an idea
Every river has a source. Every article starts with an idea.
Catch any and every idea that flows through you and make a note of it. I have a running list of writing ideas and drafts I’ve started. When I start my writing session I look at my list for the one with the most energy and away I go.
Reading other writing on Medium is a great source. It’s like looking upstream and seeing what’s already flowing down. You’ll see successful writers or topics that resonate with you or other audiences. These are like accomplished kayakers enjoying the river’s majesty.
2. Set an intention
May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back. — Rilke
I have Rilke’s quote pinned in my heart (and above my computer). I use it to invite the creative river in me to flow.
3. Find the deepest section
Rivers flow fastest in their deepest waters. Avoid the shallow edges and seek out your deepest parts. Write about what you know well and go as deep as you can into the experience. The deeper it gets, the more it will flow.
“Rivers flow not past, but through us.” — John Muir.
4. Surrender the destination
Approaching a massive task like a mountain is a constant reminder of the illusion of its impossibility. River destinations are kinder and more mysterious. Allow the river to take you to wherever it wants to go.
I often find my articles, and even my novel, take me to places I didn’t plan or imagine. And these destinations are better than I ever could have dreamed of.
What metaphors or analogies do you use to think of your writing process? I would love to hear from you.
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