Here are my five rules for effective morning writing–how to get myself to the page and into the zone of writing without fail.

One: Prep my coffee maker the night before. 

I wake up to the earthy scent of freshly brewed coffee. At 5:45 a.m., I walk into the kitchen, pour rich, brown coffee into my cup, add half and half, and stir. Morning coffee is a central part of my routine with or without writing, but coffee is an ally as a morning writer, bringing me warmth, comfort, and a jolt of energy to dive in. 

Two: Find a group of people to write with over Zoom.

I’ve been trying for months to get up and write. Before I found my write-in group through The Narrative Project, I’d get that cup of coffee and read…the news (I have to stay informed during a pandemic, don’t I?), a self-help book (usually about how to get my butt in the chair and write), or fiction (I can’t write if I don’t read). But when I started with the write-in group, I stepped into old, familiar skin. Writing with other people keeps me from checking email or surfing the net. Instead, I inhabit my Writer-Self.

Three: Connect with my main character. 

Whether writing memoir or fiction, I close my eyes, think of a character, and imagine myself slipping into their skin, the way I’ve seen ghosts glide into a host body in the movies. After a few beats of breathing as this character, I wait for the scene to emerge—whatever scene I that needs to be written that day. I trust the character will support me to describe the scene, evoke feelings, share inner thoughts, and pull in a thread of two that runs through the book. 

Four: Write Messy.

About ten years ago I attended a day-long writing workshop with Tara Mohr, a few years before she started her Playing Big program. While at her workshop, I discovered that I write like I cook. When I cook, I clean as I go. I put dirty dishes in the sink and put away left-over ingredients, spice jars, olive oil, or utensils that have served their purpose. While the meal is cooking, I clean the dishes. I like to write the same way: tidy. I don’t like the squiggly red line under misspelled words, unfinished thoughts, or re-reading an awkward sentence, even if it conveyed the message it needed to. I discovered this tendency to clean up and edit as I go is timewaster and bumps me out of my flow. Now, I allow my writing to be messy. There’s plenty of time to clean it up later. 

Five: Trust the Process.

I’ve worked hard at being a Planner, but I’m a Panster by nature. Writing to my outline is all well and good, but I trust whatever my character gives me. If I veer away from my outline, I trust that I need to write that. The other day I was stuck in my morning writing. I closed my eyes and asked my character for help. He told me we needed to have a conversation. I opened a bank sheet of paper and talked to him—on the page. At the end of the conversation, he outlined three new scenes he thought I should add to my outline. When I say “trust the process,” I’m really saying Trust Myself. After all, that’s where all this is coming from, isn’t it?

The Narrative Project coach, Colleen Haggerty, is the author of A Leg to Stand On, An Amputee’s Walk Into Motherhood. She is also a contributor to four anthologies: The Spirit of a Woman, He Said What, Dancing at the Shame Prom, and Beyond Belief. She is a motivational speaker who presented at TEDxBellingham. You can read her blog at www.colleenhaggerty.com.

Get your FREE gift by filling out your information.

Thank you! Your gift will be sent out shortly.

Get your FREE gift by filling out your information.

Thank you! Your gift will be sent out shortly. Please check your email.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This