Feng Shui Your Writing, Part 1

Welcome to my next 3-part series, Feng Shui Your Writing!

When I decided to take the leap into fiction writing, I soon realized I had to organize my writing space, my writing time, and my writing mind. It was around that time that I first stumbled over the art of Feng Shui. I found the principles so useful that I not only credit them with helping me land my first sale (a short story sold to FUTURES magazine), but sparked a long-standing life practice that I use on a daily basis.

Over the next three months, I’ll be talking about some ways this ancient Chinese practice can enrich and streamline your writing career (if not life as a whole). Today I’ll give a brief description of Feng Shui and the nine areas encompassed by it, along with giving details on applying Feng Shui techniques to the first three zones. Parts 2 and 3 will go on to help you organize and optimize the remaining six zones, by which time you could have applied the principles to your office, desk, or even entire home for the ultimate in repetitive reinforcement to enhance your creative flow.

Feng Shui: What is It?

My simplistic, Cliffs Notes answer is this: Feng Shui involves the strategic placement of items within a space to help achieve balance in nine essential areas of life. “Item” placement can mean everything from furnishings and accessories to the use of color, the elements, and light. In short, it is the belief that anything within/on a space (a home, single room, desktop, etc.) can either become an obstacle that blocks “chi,” or the energy that flows around and through us, or an enhancement that helps move positive, healthy energy.

How does it work? There are varying debates on this, some highly metaphysical, others very practical (such as replacing burned out light bulbs to enhance knowledge). For the purposes of this blog series I won’t be discussing the mysticism or lore behind Feng Shui, nor can I offer more than a rudimentary knowledge. But I can tell you that I have seen amazing results in using it. For now, let’s skip the “how” and jump right into the “how-to.”


The nine areas/zones of Feng Shui are:


Career
Knowledge
Family
Wealth
Fame/Reputation
Marriage/Romantic Relationships
Creativity/Children
Helpful People/Travel
Health (in the center)

This octagon, called a Ba-Gua, serves as a sort of map to be used in the space you will be working with. The Career line of the Ba-Gua faces North, and in traditional Feng Shui special compasses are used to find exact placement. In the modern practice that I use, however, positioning is done easily by considering the wall with the entry door as North. (If you want to apply Feng Shui to a smaller area, such as a desk, North is considered the edge of the desk farthest from you when you’re sitting behind it.)

In other words, if you had a printout of the Ba-Gua in the exact size of the space (stretched to fit as needed), you would align the Career edge of the octagon with the door or far edge of your desk. Let’s say you’re standing in the middle of the home office where you do your writing. Face the door and mentally apply the Ba-Gua. The wall in front of you is the Career zone, and the wall behind is the Fame zone. Your Family area is the right hand wall, and the Children/Creativity zone is the left. The corners represent the corner areas on the map, and you are standing in the Health zone, right in the middle. To apply Feng Shui techniques, it is important to understand which “zone” you are making changes to, what that zone affects, and what elements and colors help or hinder in that area. I use a 3-step process to tackle and streamline each zone that involves streamlining, removing “hindering” elements , and adding the “helper” elements.

Now that we’ve got the basic map covered, let’s move onto this month’s zones.

1. Career
The Career area is naturally important to a writer because it affects job prospects, which can include sales to publishers. On the Ba-Gua, you’ll notice that the color associated with this zone is black, and the element listed is Water.

First: Declutter! Take a look at the front wall. What do you see? Is there clutter? Stuff hiding behind the door? Cobwebs? Your first trick is to clear all clutter from this wall and around the door, and give it a good dusting. Clutter blocks chi and stifles creativity. Plus it’s just darn unpleasant.

Second: Fix what’s broken. Burned out light bulbs, any chipped or damaged items on display or in use, etc. Broken junk=broken chi, so fix it right away or get rid of it. Next, keeping in mind that the natural helper element for this zone is Water, you’ll want to move items representing its opposing element, Fire. This means candles, the color red, triangular shapes (triangles represent flame). If you have a fireplace on this wall, you can’t move it, but you can “cure” it by applying enough of the helper element to balance or negate the opposing effect.

Third: Add your enhancements. Black (and dark blue) is representative of the Water element, so include this color in the decor. Add a water feature. A fountain with a rotating ball is very useful here, as it represents a constant movement of positive energy in terms of “turning over” book product—finishing stories, turnaround time on submissions, avoiding holdups on releases, etc. Other “Water” features can include water balls (snowglobes), round shapes, aquariums, and pictures or paintings of water (moving water is better than still water in areas where you are trying to move chi, and calm waters like ponds are good in areas you prefer a calming effect). If you need to “cure” a fireplace here, add a large painting of moving water over the mantle, use black or blue colors to subdue the effect, or do what I did in one house—stick a fountain inside the fireplace.


2. Knowledge
The Knowledge area comes into play when you are seeking information, such as researching your next book, markets, promotional venues, etc. Black, blue, and green are the color associations, and like all the corner areas, does not have a natural element.

To enhance your Knowledge area, use the 1-2-3 approach again, and place special emphasis on lighting in this corner. You’ve heard the terms “Lighting the path to the answer” and “The light bulb came on, and I finally got it.” If there is no lighting in this corner, add some. When bulbs burn out, replace them immediately. Candles can also be used here, but their light tends to be less bright and helpful than a good fixture. Also, this is the optimal location for books and/or television. Consider live (or good quality silk) plants in this corner as your green accent. Plants produce oxygen and help detoxify our environment.



3. Family
The Family area, while important for self-explanatory reasons, may not immediately strike you as a zone that affects your writing career. However, since the support of our family is vital, and disharmony within the family dynamic can negatively impact our ability to focus on writing, this area is definitely not one to overlook. The color associated with this zone is green, and the natural element is Wood.

While using the 1-2-3 method here, watch out for Fire and Metal elements, which are destructive to Wood. (Fire burns, Metal (axe) chops.) Wood furniture is the best choice. Pictures of your family are obvious choices, as are plants. I have a triple stalk of bamboo in a green ceramic vase enhancing my Family zone. If there is disharmony among family members, check for candles, triangular shapes, or other Fire associations in the Family zone of your house and in each individual room.


Now that you’ve got these three zones optimized, you’ll want to keep them “activated” on a regular basis for the greatest ongoing effect. Activating a zone can be as simple as chasing away the dust bunnies, putting out a vase of fresh flowers, lighting candles (in appropriate zones), or using aromatherapy. I have a routine of “activating” each of my zones once per week. So next Monday, dust your Career area and shake up those snowglobes or burn some incense. Tuesday, clean the Knowledge zone and light some candles. Wednesday, dust the Family zone and light some incense or add diffuser reeds for fragrance.

Next month, we’ll focus on Wealth, Fame, and Relationship zones (three things that definitely go together for my romance writing career!) . Meanwhile, I hope you’ve enjoyed this basic introduction to Feng Shui. if you have any Feng Shui stories or questions, please post them in the comments. Here’s to positive writer chi!

No Time to Write?

What? No time to write??
Waking up this morning, you had every intention in the bright new day of writing after work. You've made notes throughout the afternoon and the prospect of pounding them out on your keyboard kept you motivated to trudge on.

Then life happened: Your spouse can't pick up the kids, a co-worker left early handing you their share of the load, your boss asks if the latest project he gave you yesterday is finished. Heartburn warms up and your head pounds. Something has to give way as reality sets in. You determine, as usual, that something is your writing time.

Any of this sound familiar? Welcome to life! Whether you write for hobby and relaxation, or goals and achievement, all of us at one time or another face the challenge of creating time to sit and write. How can we create a schedule when so many other things take priority?

I'm going to offer ten simple ideas that will help squeeze writing into your crazy schedules. (if you have time saving ideas, please share them!)

1. Plan quick and easy dinners. Crock-pots are an absolute must for the time saver! Throw in all the ingredients turn it on low and come home to an aroma filled home that will provide an immediate dinner. On days off or non-writing nights, make extra food that can freeze for use later in the week.

2. Adhere to a writing schedule. Treat your writing time like you would a doctor's appointment. For example, say you plan to write every evening from 7 PM – 10 PM. Letting your friends and family know that time is off-limits will help you commit to a specified writing schedule. They'll know you're available before or after, but either way they'll take your writing time as serious as you do.

3. Plan. Safeguard your precious writing time:

a) Keep your idea journal next to you and write them all in one place, so you don't go searching for that napkin from lunch you scribbled on.

b) Always keep your writing space and accessories easily accessible. Don't waste your precious scheduled time digging around for a needed file. Try to keep it all in one place.

c) Establish a routine so everything surrounding your writing time is streamlined and efficient.

4. Days off. If you have to miss a few days from writing, don't beat yourself up about it and get discouraged. Use the time to your advantage by planning a more intense writing session. Then instead of feeling bad about not writing, you can feel good knowing that you made the best of a less than ideal situation.

5. Make writing a priority. When you leave your writing time as an option for time usage, you'll rarely find time to write. If you don't let your family, friends, and fellow employees know that your writing time is a priorty, they won't treat it as one—and won't hesitate to infringe upon it.

6. Your daily schedule. To free up time to write, wake up an hour earlier. Use that time to get a jump on your daily chores, or head into work early to get ahead of the game. If you're a morning person, write! The advantages include a calm sense of being before the family starts the AM jitterbug; reduced exterior noises (cars, lawnmowers, etc.); and the satisfaction of knowing you've done your writing no matter what else comes into your day.

7. Negotiate with family and friends. Trade favors for writing time! Tell your spouse if he'll watch the kids for a few hours three days a week, you'll take over on the weekends so he can play golf or hang with the boys. Tell friends you'll watch their kids for a few hours over the weekend, if they'll watch yours one night after work.

8. Get help. Since your objective is to find time blocks for writing—which translates into hours—think about what takes those blocks away from your day, then wrangle a way for someone else to handle them. For instance, bring your lunch to work every day, and apply the money you save toward hiring a twice monthly house cleaning service. If you're a stay at home mom with little kids, hire a "mother's helper" (a 12 to 15 year old) for a few hours. They cost less than a regular sitter and you'll be there just in case of a meltdown.

9. Get help, part 2. Scrutinize chores to see what could be eliminated or handled on a less regular basis. Such as: Have your kids vacuum and dust so you can sit and write!

10. Writing time is quality time. There's a limited time to write, so minimize those gab sessions on instant messaging and Facebook. Make the decision to catch up on email later. All that socializing eats up your valuable time. And we writers have our priorities!

What are some of the issues you face, and what advice can you offer others?

Saving Your Brain Power

Can anyone answer me why, with age, we gain things like wisdom, wealth (hopefully), children, and cellulite, but we don't gain brain power? My steel trap was once sharp -- now it leaks like a sieve. What's up with that? Life experiences pour into my mind every day, yet less is being retained.

What can we do about it?

To add ten or more years to the life of our intellect, you have to pay attention to the glob of grey matter in your cranium.

Dancing
Yup, shake your bootie and get down! This physical activity requires planning and coordination. The synchronicity found in martial arts also stimulates the brain system, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, author of Magnificent Mind at any Age. So next time your honey suggests dancing or beating the crap out of each other in gees, go for it! And stay young.

Working out

Did you know if you work out four times a week you'll grow new brain cells in the vital memory area? Research has studied the adult brains of gym enthusiasts and measured the blood volume. Their physical activity produced more neurons, which in turn increased the growth of dentate gyrus cells. Jump on your dusty treadmills and exercise bikes. Sweat your way to sweet memories.

Drink plenty of water

You've all heard the necessity of consuming eight six-ounce glasses of water a day. Why? Because your brain is 80 percent water. Your neurons can't perform properly if they're not kept hydrated. Guzzle that water and keep the noggin functioning at high capacity. Writers need all their imaginative power at full throttle.

Get horizontal

Dr. Amen says to clock in seven hours of sleep a day. Hard to do when you have little kids that wake up every few hours. But the more rest you get, the more brain activity you'll have. Harvard Medical School studies show that the brain gathers divergent information and combines them into a logically connected whole while you're asleep. Feel free to snooze away and dump the guilt.

Spice up your life

Here's a partial listing of spices that can protect your brain from inflammation: Cinnamon, basil, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, and oregano. Three to seven teaspoons is the recommended daily amount of any combination of these. I sprinkle cinnamon in my coffee and yogurt, basil in my sandwiches, and oregano on eggs. The spices of life do more than taste good, they celebrate your cerebellum!

How do you stimulate and care for your brain and body? What ways have you found work best for you?