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:
Yes - change of air, scenery, muscle movement. Great post.
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.
Indeed. I also appreciate living in a climate conducive to walks much of the year.
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.
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