Banking the Coals

Maintaining a flame can be a stressful, laborious process. I know I've tried to light a few that have taken much longer than they should have. Because of wind or bad materials or just plain incompetence I could not get a flame to catch. On a birthday cake this might not be such a big deal, but if you need a flame for warmth or life, then it can be! When cooking over a flame was in daily occurrence, you didn't want to have two light a fire from scratch every morning. Before coffee.

Enter a process called banking coals. It involves covering still hot coals with ash so that they stay warm enough to catch the next morning. They sit all night simmering, keeping the warmth alive. I think that a very similar process can be used in writing.

When I stop fighting the need for a creative hibernation, it’s time to bank the creative spark. Here are the things I'm planning to set myself up to light the fire when I'm ready again.

1. Clean Your Writing Space

If your writing space is a desk, clean and dust it. Reorganize. Get the clothes off the back of your chair. If you have an office, dust and vacuum. If you work a bit smaller and just just have a laptop, organize your files and desktop. Smaller still and work mainly from your phone? Delete old apps, transfer and back up files, clear out old photos and file to leave room for new ideas.

2. Tackle Your Writer's Notebook

Even if you compose mainly in digital format, I personally think every writer should have a notebook. The act of placing ink on a page stirs a different part of your brain. It also allows you to scribble, cross out, doodle, or make mind maps. (I'll share mine in a later post.) But mine tends to get disorganized over time, so I'll take the time to organize it now. Spruce it up. Add some stickers. Whatever floats your boat. Add if you found some random scraps of ideas written on napkins and stuffed in your desk, transfer them now so you won't lose them! It will also be ready for when your brain kicks back into creative gear.

3. Minimize Distractions

Get rid of obligations if you can. Let yourself be bored.

4. Try Something New

I'm not talking something that takes up all your time and money and creativity. This isn't a substitute for writing. I'm talking a new experience that you can take with you for writing. You write fantasy? Hit a trail with epic views. Thriller? Visit a police station and ask if they do tours. Be a kid. Ask questions. Try jumping through a parkour gym. Take a boat ride. A hang gliding afternoon. Just do something that you've never done.

5. Schedule Some Fresh Air

Bonus if the fresh air happens someplace you've never been. But even if you drive somewhere, park the car, roll down the widows, and crank you seat back, that's enough. Let yourself get used to listening for sounds again. Or take the dog for a walk. Let the wind muss your hair and get the cobwebs out of your brain.

I'm planning on doing all of these pretty soon, I'll let you know how it goes! And one caveat: I'm still requiring myself to put my butt in the chair every day. I may not get much done. Three words. Three sentences. That's fine. When my brain wakes up, it will know where to find me.