Tuesday, December 9, 2014

I’m Stuck; Let’s Take a Walk by Andy Scheer

When my wife got home from teaching, she asked how my writing day had gone.

I’d finished five of seven daily devotions. But I had no idea what I’d write for the final two.

With a few days to meet my deadline, I knew what to do. I suggested we take a walk.

As we headed on a loop that takes forty-five minutes, we discussed her day, what I’d written, and our weekend plans. Much of the time we simply walked.

All the while, my subconscious considered my writing project.

Halfway through the walk, the first concept came. I silently worked through how I’d develop the illustration and tried several lead sentences. One down, one to go.

Ten minutes later, the second idea came. I repeated the process, reviewed the earlier idea, then described them both to Carol. If the ideas were too far astray, she’d tell me. And describing them relieved my fear of forgetting before I could commit them to writing.

A few minutes later we returned home and I headed for my computer. I’d gotten some exercise, reconnected with my spouse, and planned my next day’s writing. Pretty good for a short walk.

4 comments:

Davalyn Spencer said...

Yes - change of air, scenery, muscle movement. Great post.

Diana Flegal said...

All writers need to leave their desk from time to time. It is super that you have the terrific support of Carol to bounce things off of. You are blessed indeed.

Andy Scheer, Hartline Literary said...

Indeed. I also appreciate living in a climate conducive to walks much of the year.

Anonymous said...

Writers often hear of "putting one's seat in the chair," which goes a long way toward reaching a writing goal. But sometimes, the writer needs to get the seat out of the chair and do something else for awhile. A walk is a great way of clearing one's overworked mind.