There are many ways to make writing fun. Tawny Weber’s suggestion to create an anchor is one wonderful way. I invited Tawny to tell us about her great tools that make writing enjoyable and an enriching experience. I hope you enjoy! ~Beth, Writer’s Fun Zone‘s chief bottle washer

Writing as Self-Hypnosis?

The writing I refer to is that wonderful creative output of imagination. The act of sitting down and putting words to the imagined story playing out in your mind. You know the one. You think about it. You talk about it. You might attend meetings to get ideas on how to tell it better. And maybe, sometimes, you actually do sit down and put fingers to the keyboard, or pen to paper, and sketch out the words.

One of the things I talk about in my upcoming online course, Courting The Muse, is how to create writing triggers. A trigger is an act, a word, a scent or action that anchors a specific reaction. It could be a time of day you sit to write a single page. It could be a chair you sit in or a program you use only for writing. The simple act of repetitively doing this same thing every time you write creates an anchor. The anchor needs a few rules to keep it in place, though. Whenever you use the anchor, you have to actually write. And the more often you use it, the stronger the anchor will be. Lighting a lavender scented candle when you write a couple paragraphs won’t create an anchor. Writing a lavender scented candle every day, five days a week while you sit down to write a minimum daily page count will create that anchor. And that anchor sends a signal to your subconscious mind to react in a specific way -the way you’ve told it to.

So by using your special pen, by lighting that specially scented candle or by booting up the laptop you only use for writing, and following through with your mental agreement with yourself to write – you’ve successfully hypnotized yourself.

Pretty cool, huh? 

For more cool ways to incorporate spiritual tools such as hypnosis, affirmations and visualizations, the tarot, with positive, success focused writing techniques, check out my April workshop, Courting The Muse: http://www.bdrwa.com/black_diamonds_chapter_of/online-classes-1.html

Tawny Weber is usually found dreaming up stories in her California home, surrounded by dogs, cats and kids. When she’s not writing hot, spicy stories for Harlequin Blaze, she’s shopping for the perfect pair of boots or drooling over Johnny Depp pictures (when her husband isn’t looking, of course). Tawny’s most recent Blazes: COMING ON STRONG and GOING DOWN HARD are out April/May of 2009. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com