
How did I do it so fast, especially when Dark Mirror required a lot more research and development? All books are different, but one thing that made a difference this time is meditation.
I’ve been working on meditation for two years. My search for meaningful meditations recently led me to a suggestion to “ask questions” of your subconscious mind. When somebody shared the “Wise Mind” concept that seeks to bridge the reasonable and emotional mind into a middle path of wisdom, I had a breakthrough with the “ask the wise mind a question” meditation. This involves breathing, asking a question, and listening for the answer. I tested this meditation by doing it every night for the past week. The answers didn’t come immediately, but I usually either had an inspiration later or woke up the next morning with the answer. I applied it to my writing by asking “what happens next?” every night before I went to bed.
I wrote the rough draft of Book Three in eighteen days.
Results may vary, of course, but I was blown away. If you doubt that meditation can work for you, I urge you to rethink it. It not only helped me finish my trilogy (along with inspiration from other writer friends), but it’s changing my perspective on a lot of things. Just this morning, I was frustrated when my workout app crashed and I couldn’t do my Friday morning yoga, but I remembered the “Burnt Toast Theory” that interrupted plans could be leading to a better outcome or saving you from trouble later. Who knows, that crashed app might have saved me from a sports injury, bad traffic, or car accident on the way into work.
I understand that not all things work for all people, but meditation is a tool that’s been beneficial to me in all areas of life. If you want to try it for yourself, I suggest the UCLA Mindful App. It helped me to get started, and is a tool that I continue to use in my daily practices.
That’s all today. Have a wonderful weekend.
Bye!