Insecure Writer’s Support Group: Getting in the Zone

~ J.Z. Weston
https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

May 6 question – Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share?

Truthfully, the best way for me to get into the zone is writing with other people. Under normal circumstances, one of my favorite things to do it to meet up with a writing friend at a cafe, catch up over pastries and beverages, and then settle in for a nice writing session. Since both sitting in cafes and socializing is canceled for the foreseeable future, I have had to compromise.

Zoom is currently the best tool in my arsenal. I’ve been meeting up with one of my regular writing buddies almost every week, and Cat Rambo has been hosting writing sessions on Zoom for her Patreon supporters and members of her Discord community since the pandemic began. They are well-attended, and it’s nice to see the same faces on a regular basis. She’s set up a really nice format for the medium, and it’s a great community! It doesn’t always get me all the way into “the zone,” but it’s 1.5 hours of writing time that I would not have otherwise managed, which is pretty darn good, especially right now. While I would prefer to be in my favorite cafe, these writing sessions are the next best thing.

Other news

Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse is out! My physical copy arrived in the mail on Monday, and it’s absolutely beautiful. This is my first anthology publication, and the first time I have seen my fiction in hard copy. It’s been a strange experience, to have this happen during a pandemic, but it’s a weirdly appropriate time for a book of semi-hopeful stories about the end of the world.

How are you all doing? I’m looking forward to reading some of the answers to this month’s ISWG question from other people! Maybe it’ll give me the inspiration to create a decent writing ritual of my own.

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10 thoughts on “Insecure Writer’s Support Group: Getting in the Zone”

  1. I’d meet up with friends and never get anything written. I’d want to visit. More so now than ever. The fact it works for you says a lot about you. Kudos to you, Joanna. Glad you’re safe and healthy.

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    1. I think a lot of what it says is that I focus better after my social needs have been satisfied 🙂

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  3. I’ve held critique group meetings online, but never a writing session. I might have to check with my writing buddies and see how that might work out. Thanks for the insight.

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  4. Oh I do like the sound of your co-writing online group. I might suggest it to a few writing friends I know who enjoy co-working of the more business sort to see if it’s something we can get going. Great idea, thanks 🙂

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  5. It’s great that you can still get together with friends and do some writing. An hour and a half solid writing time is something I dream of at the moment!

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  6. Congratulations on the publication!! I really like your virtual writing session idea. I may suggest that to my writing group. If nothing else, it would remind me that I’m not alone and create some accountability to actually sit down and write.

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