KEEP YOURSELF TO YOURSELF? WELL, YES. . . .AND NO . . ! by Penny Dolan.

It’s the start of December, my head is whirling with things to do and the dire seasonal cold is underway.

Nevertheless, inspired by my own wayward Gemini star sign and by all the deals displayed at this time of year, today I offer you your very own 2-for-1 ABBA post: 

KEEP YOURSELF TO YOURSELF? WELL, YES. . . .AND NO . . !

Enjoy or ignore what you choose, but do have yourself a very merry little December.

 

OPTION ONE: KEEP YOURSELF TO YOURSELF? OH, YES! DEFINITELY!

- Focus as deeply as you can on your own writing work and don’t fret overmuch about what others are doing.

- Create and guard your own best-suited pattern of regular writing.

- Write daily morning pages or journal entries just for yourself.

-  Make a comfortable writing space or corner for you and your work.

- Get to know those small rituals that will help to you get into the writing zone.

- Look after your own health. Get up and move around every so often. Go for walks.

- Visit galleries & museums & interesting places and so on by yourself so you can listen to your own thoughts and make notes or scribble rather than having to chat.

- Don’t attend to social media overmuch.

- Don’t let your hopeful soul be disturbed too greatly – especially at certain times of the year -  when other books and writers appear, gaudied in publicity and prizes.

- Develop hobbies, activities and crafts to occupy your hands so you can let your creative mind murmur along in the background, sifting through your writing problems.

Alternatively . . .

OPTION TWO: KEEP YOURSELF TO YOURSELF? NO, NO, NO!

- Read beyond your own knowledge: in fiction, non-fiction poetry and media.

- Develop a network of work-based business contacts at all levels; a hard task when you’re shy, but hiding away never helps. There’s no such thing as a successful “unknown writer.”

- And do develop a network of trusted, real-world writing friends for your own self – and for their selves too! You will need sympathetic support.

- Investigate the writing & arts organisations out there, national, regional and local. Subscribe when it is useful or practical.

- Go to the most useful-to-you writing events, workshops & author talks, if you can.

- Keep an eye on the writing world out there, especially book genres that you could or might want to work in.

- Use social media to sustain yourself: learn to ignore the lures that cause you stress.

- Speak – real words not email! - to someone other than yourself often.  Develop non-writing topics of conversation.

- Get involved in a project close to your heart – libraries or literacy or similar topics – that will overlap with your own work but also give you a wider context.

- Go places. Do things. Meet people. Be curious about the world beyond your desk and make time to keep your well well-filled, okay?

That’s all. That’s it. You can choose exactly what you need.

Put your whole self in?

Put your whole self out?

Or just – as most of us do – keep the old writing hokey-cokey going.

Rah rah rah!

It’s a good time of year for it! 

Must add that while suffering, snottily, and feeling sorry for myself, I cheered myself up greatly by reading a bright new hardback borrowed from my local library: HOW TO HOLD A GRUDGE: From Resentment to Contentment – The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life by the crime writer Sophie Hannah. Enjoyable!

 Penny Dolan