There’s a new movie coming out soon I wanna see.
It’s the next “Narnia” movie.
These movies are based on the books by the late CS Lewis. (Author of many other popular books — like “The Screw Tape Letters.”) And while this new movie seems to veer WAY too far from the book for my tastes (going strictly by what I’ve seen in the trailers and by what one of the executive producers — the author’s step son — has admitted) I’m really looking forward to it.
Anyway, I once read something neato about CS Lewis.
Specifically, his writing process.
Apparently, he wrote with one of those old pens where you dip the pen in an ink jar and write a few words, then have to dip it back in and write a few more, and so on.
Very slow way to write.
But, also extremely effective.
In fact, Lewis rarely ever had to edit his work.
He just sat down, started writing and the books were more or less ready to be printed based on his hand written pages. The great copywriter Eugene Schwartz said Mozart also had this ability to get everything right on the first try, too.
Apparently it has something to do with your subconscious.
Now, I don’t claim to be an expert on this.
But from what I understand, when you take your conscious mind off whatever you’re doing (like dipping a pen in ink mid sentence) your subconscious mind “slips” an idea to you.
Kind of a neat trick.
And I’ve always wondered how to apply this with a keyboard.
Well, guess what?
I think I figured it out.
And that is by keeping my email on!
What???
Doesn’t everyone say to shut the dang email off when writing to get maximum productivity?
Yep.
And it’s awesome for productivity.
But, I am finding I get maximum creativity (at the expense of productivity) by keeping the email on and then, when one comes in, stopping writing to glance at it and maybe even read it, then get back to writing.
So I’m writing in “spurts.”
I don’t know if the pros outweigh the cons yet.
But it’s something I’m experimenting with when writing sales letters and emails, etc.
OK, that’s all for today.
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Ben Settle
