Using the Six Senses to Write Efficiently: Intuition

Last week we discussed setting. Not the fictitious setting we make up for our books, no, we talked about where we write. It got me to thinking about how our surroundings affect us. What are we writers always being told to add to a scene? Sensory details. Can utilizing sensory details in our work space make us better writers?

And if cultivating the five senses can improve our writing, what about the debatable sixth sense?

Do you even believe in a sixth sense? Intuition--the elusive quality we can't put our finger on. It seems to lead us in the right direction. It alerts us to something we couldn't possibly know by rational means. Is it possible to nourish our sixth sense in our writing surroundings?



This is where rituals come in. No, I'm not going to recommend any sort of blood sacrifice! I'm talking about gentle rituals--rituals you make up to fit your needs. Do you have a routine you perform before you write? Does it enhance the direction your writing takes?

I've had different rituals over the years. Sometimes I have none, usually because I become super busy and let my calming routine slip just when I need it the most (kind of like the ol' exercise routine). A week or two will pass and a sense of careening out of control will hit me. It's my trigger to slow down and resume my predetermined list of steps to ground me in the moment.

My current ritual? I brew a pot of coffee before I sit down to work. When I'm ready to write, I light the candle on my desk. The hiss of the match, the tendril of smoke wafting in the air, and the crackle of the wick as it catches flame alert me it's time to work.



I used to be in the habit of saying a quick meditation: "God is with me. God is helping me. God is guiding me." Lately, I've let that one slip. Why? Who knows! Maybe I have a false sense of being in control? Maybe I'm in such a rush to get something done, I'm forgetting what's important? Whatever the reason, I'm bringing it back. It's always been such a comfort to me.

That's it. Coffee. Candle. Quick meditation reminding me God is in control.

But how does this relate to intuition?

Maybe it doesn't? I know my writing flows when I take a minute to ground myself. I feel less harried. Ideas pop into my mind. Directions I hadn't thought to take suddenly become crystal clear. And I'm going to let you in on my little secret: I believe intuition is the Holy Spirit guiding me.

If you have a ritual you perform before you write, I want to hear about it!

If you don't, why don't you try one? See if it cultivates your fertile imagination. I don't think it could hurt!

Join me on Wednesday when we'll discuss using the gift of sight to enhance our writing.

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