You may already be familiar with Morning Pages, one of the writing tools prescribed by Julia Cameron in her now famous book, The Artist’s Way. For those who haven’t heard of them, Morning Pages are simply: “…three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream of consciousness” (from Julia Cameron’s ‘Basic Tools’ found here). You write these three pages (you guessed it) first thing every morning.
There are only two ‘rules’ for writing Morning Pages: you need to write freehand (rather than on your computer), and you should aim for three full pages. You can check out the following interview with Julia Cameron to get the full scoop on how she writes her Morning Pages (it’s over 8 minutes, so you may want to start it when you have some time to spare):
My Experience with Morning Pages:
I’ve been playing around with Morning Pages since I read The Artist’s Way late last year, and am now, quite frankly, hooked. Despite being hooked I find it hard to articulate how Morning Pages have helped me. I think Morning Pages work for me because I’m able to clear my brain out before I begin my day, and occasionally this ‘clearing’ results in a good idea or two that I can use in my writing later on. If I miss my Morning Pages, I find myself antsy and unfocused, and eventually need to take a break, sit down with my notebook, and pour all of those thoughts onto the page before I can get back to my day. I recently read a post from the Procrastinating Writers blog that attributes success with Morning Pages to one word: Clarity. I think I can agree with this. Writing Morning Pages does clear you mind and allow you to start your day with a sense of clarity and focus (at least for me they do).
Another Morning Pages bonus: it’s a great excuse to buy another notebook.
Do you write Morning Pages? Have they helped you with your writing practice? Has anyone tried writing Morning Pages and not enjoyed it?
I have never done that. But—I will try. Usually, my moments of genius come at all times of the day. Which could be a drag if you’re trying on something and need to make notes.
I’m willing to do anything that will get me in front of the PC.
Thanks for the tip
Jaye
Hello Jaye,
Glad to hear you found the tip useful. Julia Cameron suggests writing your Morning Pages by hand (rather that at your PC), but I think as long as you’re writing, it can’t hurt to do it the way you’re most comfortable. Let me know how well Morning Pages work for you!
just started writing morning pages. 1st morning wrote 5 sides. this morning only 1 side. very enjoyable though!
Congrats on starting, Ruth! My output for morning pages varies from day to day. I usually aim for three pages (or six in a smaller notebook), but on days that I’m running late, I sometimes only get as far as one page. I tell myself that’s ok because at least I wrote something :)
Good luck with your pages – I hope they are useful for your writing practice.
I wrote morning pages for about a month or two, when I first discovered The Artist’s Way. However, I had the opposite experience to you: I became confused and unfocused during my day, and found that my thoughts kept revolving around what I had written in the morning, rather than on tackling what’s at hand. Now, I prefer to do several creative activities a day, which act as an expression of my thoughts of the moment.
It’s so interesting to hear from someone who had a poor experience with Morning Pages! I’m glad that even though Morning Pages weren’t your cup of tea, you were able to find other activities that increase your creativity. Completing creative exercises throughout the day sounds like a very balanced way to approach it. Thanks so much for your comment!
That sounds like a great idea, as the morning is when I like to sit in the still of the house and ponder life’s complexities. I also catch myself jotting down ideas for writing, or phrases that I want to use in those writings while I’m doing what I like to refer as my “Cinderella chores”. It seems that when I’m doing a mundane task, such as ironing, my mind is more apt to allow the creativity to work freely.
I like mornings too, Carol. Perhaps this is why I have had so much success with Morning Pages. I love how you have coined your chores as your “Cinderella chores”. It makes them sound a lot more fun :) Happy writing!
I’ve not heard about the Morning Pages idea. I’d like to give it a try. The idea really appeals to me of getting my ideas out first thing in the morning and they don’t have to be perfect. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome – thanks for stopping by!
I’m more of a night person. My ideas and story lines come at night. If I write in the morning it would be at 3 or 4a in the morning. I write in a notebook anyway so that aspect won’t bother me. I also have three children and a husband so writing in the morning would end up being the afternoon by the time I get through my morning routine anyhow.
I do recall reading something in Julia Cameron’s book ‘The Artist’s Way’ about writing before you go to bed at night (I think it was something about writing down the things you accomplished that day). If it works for you, writing ‘Morning’ Pages in the evening could be a great idea! As long as you’re writing, it can’t be bad :)
I’ve heard of this writing stream of conscience before, but never the Morning Pages concept. I really like this idea! I was lamenting the other day that if I want more writing time, I may need to wake up earlier and do it. This may be a good way to start that (since I’m not a morning person). Three pages sounds daunting (although it’s probably not as you get going). Maybe I’ll try one and see how it goes. Thanks for opening my mind to this idea!
Hello Leah! I had a hard time fitting in Morning Pages at first too, but now they’ve become part of my morning routine. I do still miss them some days though, and sometimes I don’t have time to finish a full three pages. I try not to be TOO strict with myself though, to make sure I still enjoy them. Let me know how the pages work out for you – and good luck with your writing!
In principle this is a fine idea, although the stress on free-hand seems bizarre. If you’re a tortuously slow one-finger typer I could see the logic, but otherwise it would actually slow down your thoughts-to-written word ratio, not enhance it.
Three pages before you actually start writing properly? Just how much time do these people have on their hands?!
My recommmendation is an ultra-flash-fiction approach if you need kick-starting. Especially if you have a WIP and a deadline. Deadlines are also essential, or procrastination will win the day and you’ll end up reading and commentating on somene else’s blog instead of getting your own work done. A bit like I’m doing now, in fact!
Actually both are good ways to kick-start yourself. I wake up and browse my regular blog fixes. It helps clear the ,and commenting like this warms the fingers up.
Then to the WIP.
Take a key character in need of work. Take an everyday object they are likely to come in contact with. A cup of coffee, a nuclear bomb, a unicorn, a new born baby. Be daring.
Obviously a nuclear bomb won’t fit snugly into your swords and sorcery epic, nor a unicorn in your serial killer novel, but a new born baby would, because unless your characters are locked in a spaceship then babies exist all around us. Your character’s reaction to the baby will help us understand him / her as a reader.
Has the serial killer got a soft side? Will Griblord the Dragon Slayer risk laying his sword down a minute to hold that baby and savour the innocence? Is the baby’s mother about to become a new character? Griblord’s new mistress? The serial killer’s next victim?
Put the two together and just start writing anything that connects them. Yes, go with the stream of consciousness, but keep it tied in some way to your WIP. Make that time count in your favour.
Nine times out of ten you’ll find within a few lines you’ll be racking up the word count with usable material for your blockbuster, and the tenth time you’ll probably have some great material to cannibalise for a later scene or another WIP down the line.
Hello Mark!
I think the stress on handwriting is because there are some schools of thought that say you are more connected to writing if it’s coming directly from your hand to paper, without a PC in between. Having been typing since I was quite young, I sometimes debate this with myself as well. I’ve never tried writing my Morning Pages on my PC, but that’s mainly because it takes so long to boot up, I’m able to write a good portion of my pages while waiting for my computer to start.
I love your suggestion to include aspects of your WIP in your Morning Pages (or as your morning brainstorm). Often I find that ideas for my WIP slip out onto the page during my Morning Pages.
Thanks again for a fantastic comment!
Hey “carrie m”, how are you doing?
Let me ask you something off this post, I noticed that your blog has a great audience, I measure that by the amount of comments. I have to beg for people to comment on my posts. What do you do to dig these types of readers?
Do you publish your blog on one of those “publish your link” websites, or something? you got a tip for me?
Thanks!
Hello Gabriel! Great to hear from you again.
I am relatively new to blogging, so it’s very flattering to hear you say that this site has a great audience! I think that being Freshly Pressed a few weeks ago was a huge help; I know a lot of people who are commenting on this site now found out about it from the day that my ‘Can you write in coffee shops?” post was on the WordPress homepage. I have also listed my blog on Technorati, but I don’t think a ton of people are finding me through that site.
In my limited experience I have also found that when I ask a question (like “Can you write in coffee shops?”), it makes it easier for people to share their opinions. Asking questions has also allowed me to learn a lot about the world of writing, so it’s been a great experience thus far!
I wish I could read Portuguese so I could comment on your blog (or perhaps give you some other ideas)! I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
Good luck and happy blogging :)
Hey blogging friend!
That’s so great to see the importance you give to the comments on your blog! such a fast answer!
Well, I also think that “Can you write in coffee shops” really made your blog a little bit famous. The people that got to know your blog that day… well, I was one of them.
That’s interesting when you said about questioning the reader right in the title of the post, that probably digs a few comments!
About reading in Portuguese, well, at least until Brazil is not inserted into the list of the most important countries, as USA or China, I can’t ask you to learn that… hahaha.
Anyway, translating one of my posts so you can read will be such a pleasure. This way, I will have an international opinion about my writing skills!
Let you know when I got something for you to read!
Thanks a lot!
I have to agree this sounds like a slow process, although many of us could use an opportunity to get off the fast lane. Yet I’m not sure I could fit this into an already crammed day. I envy those of you who write freelance full-time — although I’m sure that many of your days are equally hectic, with all the hustling you must do to keep the work coming.
Hello Kate! I too envy those writers who have managed a freelance career. I work full time as an online marketer, so squeeze in my writing between work and life. We can dream of the day when we might be able to live the busy life of the freelance writer though, where we’ll squeeze our writing in in between assignments. Happy writing!
Really interesting idea – especially since I’ve just recently started up “journaling” again. (“Journaling” in quotation marks, because for me that’s a mix of a diary/stream-of-consciousness writing/lists/story ideas/fiction.) Although since I’ve started up this process again, I’ve been consistently doing it at the end of the day, curled up in bed right before I turn out the light. I see it as a way to get out all my thoughts before I sleep, a way to clear my mind and make sleeping easier. So while it helps me in that way, I think I’m definitely missing an opportunity here by not doing it in the morning and starting my day off with a focused, creative bang! But, then again, I’m not a morning person and I have trouble waking up in time for work anyway, so I’m not quite sure I could add something else into my a.m. routine…!
Really interesting to read your thoughts on this though, so thanks for sharing! I’m a new reader to your blog since you were Freshly Pressed, and I’m really enjoying your posts. Keep it up!
Nice to meet you, Suzie! I think mornings are definitely one of the pitfalls of Morning Pages – some of us just aren’t built to be ‘up and at ’em’ before we have to be. Someday I’d like to take one of Julia Cameron’s classes to hear how she addresses this.
Thanks so much for dropping by!
Hello.
I told you I would come back with something for you to read!
There you go:
http://homeroffice.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-ferris-wheel/
Have a great reading!
Gabriel.
This seems like a great way to establish a daily writing routine! Thanks for sharing. I’m a college student so mornings are really tough. I’ve always wanted to be a morning-writer, but can’t seem to motivate myself to trade the extra twenty minutes of sleep for writing time. I’m envious of morning-people, but I also love being a night-owl. I’m sure there’s a happy medium out there. I love hand-writing too, I tend to focus more. There are fewer distractions without the world of the internet at my fingertips. I’m definitely going to try it this summer when it’s a bit more manageable.
If you don’t mind me asking, about how long do you spend writing Morning Pages each day?
Hi Jennifer,
I remember being a bit of a night owl myself during my college (university) years. I can see why waking up early would be tough :) Kudos to you for writing while in college though! My Morning Pages usually take between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on the day. Some days they come really easily I am at the end of the third page before I know it, and others I have to squeeze words out of myself. If I’m in a rush I’ll sometimes just write one page.
Good luck with your writing!