Start by starting...

From: I Love Reading and Writing!

"Because anxiety is energy, the key to transforming it into creativity is to learn to harness it. Yet, how do we rein in our anxiety so we might write or create art?
     Here are some suggestions that help me transform anxious energy into creativity:

♦ Take care of your basic needs. First, it’s important to simply take care of your basic physical and emotional needs. This suggestion may seem obvious, but when in the throes of anxiety, I often forget that I haven’t eaten for the day or that I’m actually running on very little sleep. And it’s important to focus on doing simple activities, like taking a shower, taking a walk, or relaxing.
♦ Engage in creative procrastination. If you’ve taken care of your basic needs and you still don’t feel ready to engage your artistic work, then I suggest creative procrastination. In my opinion, procrastination has a bad rap. But I believe that it’s really a significant way to ease the pressure we may feel and to prime the creative pump. Everyone has their favorite ways to procrastinate, but what I suggest is to do something that is likely to stimulate your creative brain, like going to the library and reading some great literature or going to the museum and looking at great art. Often, once I’ve engaged in some creative procrastination, then my anxiety is more manageable and I feel ready and inspired to write.
♦ Free write. Free writing lets you transfer all your anxious thoughts from your brain to the page. When done in a specific manner, it becomes a way to dump your worries and park them elsewhere. The best way to free write is to set a timer for 5-10 minutes. Start writing and keep writing without lifting your pen or hand from the page."
— Ami Mattison, poetryNprogress
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A Journey

Photo: Michael Hale (Nile by Faluka, 2011)

Getting started is the hardest part.
So you’re all set to turn up the creative heat and get going on that story or poem for the 2012 Elora Writers' Festival Writing Competition. Laptop turned on or pencils sharpened. Theme of “A Journey” firmly fixed in your head. Ready to roll, and then….

Thump. Where to begin?
If you’re one of those writers who has trouble getting started, consider doing some warm-up exercises first. Musicians do scales. Athletes do stretches. Writers need to prepare their writing muscles for action too.

Here are some suggestions.
Short Story: Write about a “Pet Tale” or a “Good Day” or “My Evil Boss” using words of four letters or fewer. Writing is all about word choice, and this exercise tests that ability, but you’ll be amazed at what a great story you can write even with these restrictions.
     Person, Place, Thing: Under these headings, list six entries (eg. Person might include doctor, princess, Prime Minister, Jane Austen, me, teacher). When your lists are complete, roll a die to select a number from each category. You now have a person, in a place, with a thing. Get writing!
     For additional writing prompts, check out these suggestions created for The Writer magazine by one of our contest judges, Heather Wright (her site has a wealth of information too...) go here...

The EWF Writing Competition:
Enter your short story (1500 words maximum) or poem (75 lines maximum) in the 2012 Elora Writers’ Festival Writing Competition by Friday, April 27. You can find entry details on the contest flyer here... and a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)  here...