Dorky title for a blog post I know, but I didn’t know how else to describe the feeling that came over me when I was trying to explain to a friend my writing process. One of the questions he asked was, “So, do you have a set time to write?” I’ve been writing for a while and this answer will evolve, but at the time of this blog post, my answer is “Nope. I don’t have a set time.” I’ve read the articles that say that a writer should put aside 2-3 hours in the morning before emails. Heck, I’ve even set aside complete days, usually on the weekends, as my writing days, “Nobody bother me! I’m writing!” And for the most part that’s my routine still. Either on a Saturday or Sunday, I’ll find a cafe (I have 2-3) that I know work as my muses.
But on this particular occasion, when I was explaining to him my process, something came over me. I described the incident that’s connected with the photo above. I worked on a play at a tea place (Happy Lemon in San Leandro, CA) from 10am through 7pm. The BEST part of being an artist for me is to work on a project when it’s daylight and once you look up, darkness fills the land past the windows in front of you. Those hours are spent locking and unlocking, discovering and rediscovering parts of a person’s character, movement, motivations and dialogue. It’s my Happy Place.
I remember when I was describing this place in my process, I felt in love. It’s a feeling where there wasn’t anything else I would rather do. Nowhere else, I’d rather be than in the world I CREATED with characters trying to get what they want and those trying to stop them while pushing the story forward. It’s a game. It’s a chess match. It’s magic.
So, no, I wouldn’t say I have a set process, but I know when I’m in my sweet spot where time stands still, that’s where and when my process is most effective… and that should be for any artist.