Step Away From the Keyboard and Improve Your Writing by Raima Larter

When I was a new writer, I thought the best way to improve my writing was to log as much time as possible in my chair, at my computer, typing away on my manuscript. I went so far as to keep track of the amount of time I spent doing this (I've always been motivated by numerical goals) and made graphs of my so-called "seat time," with the intent of increasing it, thus improving my writing.

In mathematics, there is an idea that what is necessary is not always sufficient, and this is the case for "seat time." While sitting in your chair typing is certainly necessary for getting any writing done, it is not always sufficient. As a more experienced writer, I have found that both writing quality and quantity can be improved by frequently stepping away from the keyboard.

I've developed a sequence of writing steps for working on either a first draft or a revision that involve a great deal of work away from the keyboard, and I'm not talking about doing research. It is, of course, important to do research before you begin to write anything. This is especially important for those of us who are writing historical fiction, but research is necessary for any kind of fiction or nonfiction.

After the research is at least started, I invest in some periods of free writing, following the exercises in Natalie Goldberg's book "Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life." My favorite exercise from Goldberg's book is this one: set a timer for ten minutes, then write freely, beginning each sentence with "I'm thinking about..." Then get up, walk around for a minute or two without talking to anybody, then sit down and do ten more minutes, beginning each sentence with "I'm not thinking about..."

I generally do these free writing exercises with a pen in a spiral notebook, but you could use your computer if that's easier for you. The notebook is handy, though, for finding stuff later, especially if you remember to date the pages. When I'm writing a novel or short story, I bring the character or scenario I'm working on into my mind first before I hit the start button on my timer. After that, though, I just let my mind go where it goes. The second half of the exercise, which involves sentences beginning with "I'm not thinking about..." is surprisingly effective in bringing up stuff that gets to the core of the scene I am trying to write or revise.

After the timed writing step, which rarely takes more than twenty to thirty minutes, I read the free-writing out loud (this is important), then immediately go for a walk or do some other physical activity that will engage my body without requiring too much brain work. Gardening is good, as is laundry or cleaning, but walks seem to work the best. I don't deliberately think about the free writing I've just done or the piece I'm working on. If fact, I don't try to think about anything at all, but sometimes I get back from the walk and realize I've been off with my characters for awhile.

It's interesting how many writing books recommend walking as a writing tool. Brenda Ueland, in her classic "If You Want to Write," says:

I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long five or six mile walk helps. And one must go alone and every day. I have done this for many years. It is at these times I seem to get re-charged. If I do not walk one day, I seem to have on the next what Van Gogh calls "the meagerness."

I have found that by the time I return from my walk, the words I've been waiting for are already crowding into my mind, along with vivid images of the scene I want to write, and all I have to do is sit at the keyboard and get it all down.

I follow these steps for every first draft, but it works for revisions, too. For those, I add a new initial step: read the scene as I've currently written it (no editing allowed at this stage!) then begin with free-writing or timed-writing. This is followed by a walk, and, finally, I make my way to the keyboard. Alternatively, for revisions, I sometimes go back to the manuscript with a pen to mark it up with the edits I have just figured out.

So, if you want to improve your writing, step away from the keyboard and spend some quality time with yourself. Your writing will improve and, after all that walking, your health and mood will be a whole lot better, too.