The single most impactful intention a writer can set isn't to work every day, or finish a draft by a circled date on the calendar, or keep submitting work in the face of editorial rejection. It's to prioritize observing the present moment above word count, above stylistic concerns, above reaching a target audience, above any other aspect of composing. From this one simple intention to remain mindful desk-side cascades a series of alterations in our approach to process that causes minor to major stressors to fall to the wayside, leading to increased verbal output and a more positive outlook toward writing. Prioritizing the writing Now annuls our fixation on product or outcome that stunts invention; it helps us better appreciate the nuances of prewriting and the nonverbal; it casts a spotlight on the chimerical nature of the audiences who constrain us; it honors our writing body and our writing emotions.
Other Mindful Resources for You from Me:
Prolific Moment: Theory and Practice of Mindfulness for Writing (Routledge 2018).
"How Mindfulness Can Transform the Way You Write," TEDx, available on YouTube
"The Role of Mindfulness in Kairos," Rhetoric Review
Mindful Writing Webinar Series for National Council of Teachers of English (scroll down): https://ncte.org/rsvp-mindful-writing-series/
Stay tuned: Mindful Writing How-To Video in conjunction with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
Online Graduate Course in Mindful Writing, Salem State University, September-December 2021 [registration closes soon] https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8298431477138846862/1285101924950942369
