Valentine’s Day collage by Helen Sword
If you've attended any of my live Zoom events, you've probably met my dog Freddie, a snow-white bichon frise with a sweet disposition and a jaunty tail. (Warm thanks to our 9-year-old neighbor Nouriyah for her lifelike drawing).
No, Freddie doesn't spend long hours at the keyboard as I do. But he's taught me a lot about how to live, breathe, and flourish as a writer.
Here are 10 lessons about writing (and life) that I've learned from Freddie.
1. Always dress for the occasion.
For Freddie, that means wearing a pink bowtie to my birthday party. For me, it means adjusting my writing style to reach my target audience.
2. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Peter and Anna sent this photo from Germany to show Freddie how silly he looks when sculpted out of snow. I guess I'd look pretty silly too.
3. Do yoga. Every day.
Freddie is especially good at the downward-facing dog pose; he also excels at savasana (corpse pose). I wish I had his flexibility and core strength!
4. Take your writing for a walk.
Freddie pulls me out the door several times a day. Every step we take together loosens up my limbs, my thoughts, and my words.
5. Write with friends.
I took this photo while on a writing retreat with my friend and collaborator Selina Tusitala Marsh -- and Freddie, of course. Writing can be a lonely business unless we open up and let others share our space.
6. Stay warm.
And keep your writing warm by touching your words every day, even if only for a brief pat. (Thank you to Sophie Nicholls for this lovely metaphor.)
7. Chill out.
Freddie has mastered the art. I'm still working on it -- especially when I've got a writing dilemma to solve or a deadline to meet.
8. Don't panic when things get messy.
That sticky black sand (and those sticky sentences, that cloying self-doubt) will all brush out eventually.
9. When in doubt, take a nap.
In Freddie's case, that means multiple naps throughout the day. For me, a short 30-minute kip works best to refresh my body and reset my writing brain.
10. Your fatal flaw may also be your superpower!
Freddie hates being left alone and loves to cuddle. He's the most anxious pet I've ever owned -- but also the most affectionate. How can I reframe my own anxieties and flaws and recognize them as my superpowers instead? (Agonizingly slow writer = craft-focused writer. Vulnerable writer = human writer. Etcetera . . . )
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