Spare Change Your Writing Schedule

Aside from the normal Monday blues, the day always brings along a bit of regret with it.  Most often from not checking off enough items on the weekend ‘to do’ list to feel as though one truly accomplished anything.

How I miss the free time of youth.

A few planned odd jobs can quickly multiply into twenty or thirty as one completed project leads to another.  I was out pulling weeds in an area beside the house yesterday.  I cleared the entire area out, laid down the black landscape fabric, and topped it off with some mulch.  I was feeling quite accomplished.  

Then I realized the outside of the house was still dirty and needs to be power washed.  The tops of the bushes are getting some new growth and should be tidied up now before they get out of control.  I was by the chimney which reminded me I should get that swept and cleaned out now so it’s ready for fall.  And on and on and on.  My list quickly morphed like Tribbles and I felt that I really hadn’t done much at all.

The trouble with Tribbles!

As a writer, it often feels like that on any given day.  You plan to glue yourself to your seat and not leave until you bang out (insert your own personal goal) number of words or pages.  More often than not, you fall short and walk away from your workstation with that nagging feeling of regret.

Here’s the thing — progress is progress.  Whether it’s that weekend ‘to do’ list or your writing, every task you complete or word you get down on the page is one step closer to your goal.  Here’s the other thing — you have to commit to writing something.  The words are not going to write themselves.

If you aren’t writing full-time, life will often attempt to get in the way.  Consider tackling it as if you are saving spare change.

Deposit your words as randomly as you would spare change.

Let’s say you’re writing a novel and shooting for 85,000 words.  Spread that out over a year and it comes out to roughly 233 words per day.  That’s far more manageable than sitting down every few weeks and feeling the pressure to pound out considerably more.

It’s like losing weight.  You want it to come off.  You want it to come off right away.  BUT that isn’t how it works.  Writing is exactly the same way.  You want your book done, but it isn’t going to be completed in a day, a week, or even a month.  I know, I know…what about NaMoWriMo?  You may get 50,000 words down, but the odds are certainly stacked against you.  It’s like binge dieting or running.  Don’t get me wrong — I love NaMoWriMo, but if you aren’t able to run a mile without stopping, it’s difficult to dive into a marathon right out of the gate.

Some of my best pieces have been written on the fly when I stole a few moments to get them down.  They didn’t come out perfect and certainly needed to be cleaned up, but they were diamonds in need of polishing.  Those diamonds came in short chunks (see previous note on 233 words a day) vs. the repeated instances I told myself I was going to sit down and write several pages in a sitting — and didn't.

Pace yourself.  100 pennies in the piggybank still equal $1.00.

The Smell of Deja Vu

Yankee Candle is having an incredible sale right now.  Up to 75% off on some items, six for $60 on large candles, and 50% off on assorted accessories.

My all time favorite scent!

No, I am not a paid spokesperson.  Yes, I do enjoy both candle and bargains.

Yankee has always been my go-to for candles, but I’ve grown a particular fondness for Mick Kitteredge and his line of Kringle Candles.  Fascinating story there that we’ll circle back to in a future post.

Mick Kitteredge III

Why all the candle talk?

There have been numerous studies on how smells are heavily tied to emotions and memories.  The emotional piece shouldn’t come as any surprise.  People have been using incense, oils, and candles for meditation and relaxation for centuries.  But memory?  That is something they continue to research.

That feeling of déjà vu you experience when walking into a place you have never been?  Sadly, it isn’t some past life or psychic event.  Most often, there’s a particular smell in the air.  It may be so subtle you aren’t even aware of it.  In your head, it’s triggering a memory, but on subconscious level.  Since you aren’t actively processing it, déjà vu kicks in.  A quick read from a Scientific American article can be found here, but any Google search of “smell” and “memory” will have you off and running.

Usually, the smell is far more pronounced, which is why the déjà vu phenomena is so rare.  The scent of suntan lotion may take you back to particular summer.  Or the heavy aroma of Thanksgiving dinner being prepared returning you to that last dinner at Grandma’s before she passed.

The links between smell, memory, and emotion are incredibly powerful.  When writing, I use candles almost every session.  Where some have cellars filled with assorted wines, I have cabinets of candles.  If I’m working on a woodland scene, I may have a pine scent burning.  Exploring a creepy attic?  Let me dig out something with cedar. Scouring a cemetery at night?  Yes, I have a candle for that, too.

The scents reach into the deep recesses of my mind.  It allows me to feel as though I am in the scene, which allows for far greater depth and realism.  Think Sherlock Holmes and his use of cocaine.  Only this habit is far less dangerous!

Love at First Sight

It isn’t all about the smell, it’s also about the packaging.  The thought that goes into the label designs isn’t all that different from the effort that goes into designing a book cover.  Whether wandering between the shelves of your favorite local bookstore or viewing the walls at Yankee, something needs to inspire you to crack open the cover and read the opening line or open a jar lid to get the cold scent.

"Autumn Lodge" pulled me in.  The wooly throw draped over the chair, the book on the table, the wooden birdhouse in the background, the checkers on the table.  I could picture a fire in the fireplace out of view.  It made me want to spend an afternoon there.

"Christmas Eve" with Santa in his sleigh.  The reindeer and snow covered rooftops.  Seeing it, I wouldn’t know what it smells like, but I get an idea in my head of what I think it would.

"Archives" from Kringle Candle.  A leather bound volume of Shakespeare on the label.  I can almost smell the yellowing pages before lifting the lid.  I picture myself being in an old library.

"Season of Peace" I find to be particularly stirring.  It reminds me of a morning after a heavy lake effect snowfall back home.  The sun would be shining bright and if you stepped outside the blanket of snow deadened any sound.

"Christmas Tree" with the father and son pulling their fresh cut tree along while the mother looks on.  The snow on the ground, their bulky coats.  I can smell the winter air mixed with the pine.

Cliffsnotes on those labels – they all invoke some sort of emotion from within.  NEVER underestimate the power of good book cover and its ability to draw a reader in.

Let me know your thoughts on incorporating scents into your writing in the comments section below.