The Power of Zen(tangle)

        I am quite fond of taking breaks. When I write, I take lots of little time-offs. It helps me keep the writing flowing.

        Drinking lots of water ensures I take breaks. The bladder fills. The bladder has to be emptied.

       I also take reading breaks. If I go to a writing retreat, where I'm writing for 2-3 days, I'll occasionally stop and read for 20 minutes. The inspiration well runs low, so it gets replenished.

       Doodling is also what I do during breaks. Zentangle is a methodical way of doodling, and when I need to take a longer break (like an hour or so) I might work on some zentangling. For example, I might work on zentangling some notecards or some other project. As I'm drawing the straight lines, the curved lines, as I'm filling in some of the spaces with a black marker, I get more relaxed and my mind goes blank...

         ... and when my mind goes blank, new ideas for whatever my WIP is can come creeping in.

          If you're interested, just google "zentangle" and you'll be deluged by hundreds and hundreds of pattern ideas. There's books you can buy as well. And if you think 'I can't draw, so I can't zentangle,' you're wrong.

         If you can draw a (semi) straight line. If you can draw a curvy line. If you can draw dots. If you can draw more-or-less round circles... you can zentangle. And if you try it, you just might find it's a way to open up your mind for more difficult artistic endeavors... like writing.

       Do you take breaks from your writing? And if you do, what do you do during your breaks? Doodling minds want to know.

What Do You Count On?

       
       Writing is hard work. Being able to count on certain tools is critical.

     
     On a daily basis, we have to dip into our tool box as we craft our lines.

        One of the tools I occasionally use is a rhyming dictionary. (Mine has a boring cover, so I'm borrowing Bart Simpson's for a moment.)
        Rarely do I write poetry with a rhyme scheme. I mean, do you think I even want to dabble in the same arena as Fireblossom or Mama Zen? Fuhgeddabodit.
         However, sometimes I am forced drawn into writing a poem with a particular rhyme scheme. Sometimes I'm a scribe as my class writes a group poem. Very occasionally, I write a rap (and horrors! Yes, I even perform it. What's that you say? You haven't heard of Reddiculous Redd? You're missing out on something hilarious rich.)
        A rhyming dictionary is a tool that is always sitting on my shelf, waiting and ready...

       
 Here is a tool that ensures I don't sit too long. Radar. Whiner Extraordinaire. The Yipster. The Gnaw-er. We thought we were adopting a dog, but we were hoodwinked. Radar is a miniature pony. He's all legs right now, and weighs close to 40 pounds. And he's only five months old.

          Okay, admittedly, this is not a writing tool--at least not in the strictest sense. Aquarelle pencils are really tools of diversion. Using a brush and water (or a finger you slobber on), your drawings are transformed into looking like watercolor art. This year, I've vowed to filling my writing journal with doodling and ticket stubs and photos along with the writing. 
        However, as I'm sketching or zentangling (type "zentangle" into your search box, but beware: doodling with zentangle patterns is highly addictive and is a wonderful way to while away the hours during day-long meetings) I'm also thinking about what I'm writing.

         The delete key is another tool I rely on. Getting a story down often means there are pages/paragraphs/lines/words that need to be deleted as revision happens.
   
          'Cause if you're a writer, you know that writing is usually more deconstruction than construction.

       What writing tools (or tools of diversion) do you rely on?    

Take a Break...and Zentangle

       When I am writing my fingertips off, I do weird things.

        I will "role play" a movement, to see how my rolls roll, so I can describe on paper how my character rolls.

       I drink a lot of water/tea so I have to void a lot, so I can avoid getting stuck permanently to the couch in front of my laptop.

       And sometimes I take a break from writing and Zentangle. What in the he** is Zentangle, you ask?  Google it. But be prepared. If you're a doodler, you'll become addicted...quickly.

This a piece I did for my son.

This is another view of the same piece. (My son's a musician.) This one looks much lighter---
blame the photographer (me).

How about you?  What do you do when you take a break from doing report cards writing? (Not that I need any more tools in my "task avoidance" toolbelt...Seriously.)