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More than anything, I think writing is about visualizing. Even before it becomes storytelling, writing comes from an idea that needs somewhere to play itself out; somewhere safe, where it can flourish and transform into the awe that is your creative writing.
I don’t have a degree in journalism (it’s in English and Communications) and I wouldn’t dare say I’m an expert on writing, but I write enough to know what has helped me tremendously these last few years. And visualizing the story, as you want it to play out on the page, helps.
What helps you write the best stories? Email me – sandybmedia (at) gmail (.) com, because I love to know stuff like this.
-sandy.
No two days are alike for me lately. That’s always been the goal, I guess. To have a lifestyle that allowed me to start working at 7 a.m. if I wanted to, so that quietly enjoying breakfast at a restaurant at 9 a.m. didn’t feel like a crime. Something small, maybe not that important, but to me, it was something to work towards.
At office jobs, coming in late five minutes felt like a sin. I’d always be that girl – the one who’d slink into her cubicle at 9:05 a.m., hoping to go unnoticed. Why was I always late by 5 minutes? Coffee. It was a happy ritual I wasn’t willing to give up. And yet, enjoying it felt wicked because I was five minutes late because of it.
Yes, I could have been “on time” every day, I get that. But life happens. Traffic happens. Cats puking right before you leave the house, happens. Snoozing too much because your bed is warm and your husband’s chest feels cozy and the cat is purring something extra, happens. Because you need to enjoy a little bit of coffee when you’re editing all day, happens.
Working for others, I wasn’t getting my needs met; wasn’t getting what I wanted. Cool work, yes. A lifestyle I felt in control of? Big no.
So. Lifestyle: when you’re thinking about the grand scheme of your life (and work), try and think about what you want your ideal day to look like. For me, the ideal was having no two days feel the same and not feeling anxious and guilty about the extra five minutes it takes me to drink my coffee.
I started somewhere there, thinking about the ideal workday, and then I worked backwards.
-sandy.
(this video is a much watch, via kickstarter.com – and sums up a lot. enjoy your weekend)
(With my friend, Stu, at Top Ten Event 2011 after party, waving my hands to get the message across, as usual. And my husband, there in the back, kind of having a laugh at my enthusiasm…as usual:)
This was one of the best events I went to last year – The Top 10 Event is the passion project of my friend Stuart. He’s a successful motivational speaker and entrepreneur who has come up with a smart, simple idea to help answer the big questions about life he so often gets from his audience members and fans.
This year, he’s done it again: 10 inspiring Canadians telling their version of the thing you should know before die, on one stage. It’s on the evening of May 10, in Toronto, and all of the details and tickets are available here.
The commercial for the event is below. It has a fun, spoofy quality to it, but very much gets the message across about what a great night this is going to be.
Oh, and if you’re there and see me, please do say hi.
-sandy.
