Love

Love is in the air this season. Spicy love. Chocolatey love. Familial love. Literary love. All the loves.

I was reminded of (potential) writing love when I suggested to a composition writing student that he connect the essay topic to his major or intended profession. By finding a "way into" the essay, he can focus on the ideas and facts: presenting the main one, supporting it with smaller ones and working to craft each word, sentence and paragraph into a strong, well-defined essay. This approach pulls him away from being bored by the subject.

This is really our goal with everything we do. We have to figure out how to make mundane, time consuming and annoying tasks more interesting by connecting them to something that interests us. Annoyed by folding laundry? Listen to a podcast or focus on the tactile experience as you manipulate the material. Bored by having to cook another dinner? Give yourself a theme or challenge for each meal to entertain yourself as you're doing it. Or stream a movie to keep your mind off of things and allow yourself to take a break. 

Keep love in the air between you and your intended, the little ones at home, your chores, your paid work and, quite importantly, your written words. Be kind to your writing. Give it a treat this weekend - maybe a new, shiny verb tense - or even a break. 

And remember that not everyone is as free to create and make choices as you might be. Do you have financial love available to help another writer in need? PEN American Center is a global community of writers working to promote literature and to defend free expression. They advocate for writers across the globe who risk their lives to write. Donate here. 

To love! All finding a "way into" your day and all of its parts.