Dear World

Please Kill Me,

Greetings and happy Friday my myriad of manically medicated. Well, we did it – the end of the week is here and we shall celebrate with a combination of cheers and elevated blood alcohol levels (followed by tears serenaded by one of Drake’s sadder songs) – Hazah!

As you can tell, my schedule has been a little off lately (#GetOverIt), but I’ve never been one to all out abandon my self-appointed duties (if you aren’t counting the several times that I totally did) – so I’m here with a little bit of info for you writing fools.

Variety, (otherwise known as -that thing that Hitler wasn’t too fond of). For those of you who’ve been paying attention (or you short-cut takers who simply await the weekly Recap), you know that I’ve been up to a few things, (the Podcast, Lifehack, MyTrendingStories, my novel #BecomingUtopia #November, etc.), now it may come as no surprise that with these different sites, comes expected (and often varied) styles of writing. At first glance, this seems like a simple task – but what I found was quite the contrary – especially when faced with a bunch of them in a limited time frame.

Some want the humor, others want the straight facts, and others still (whom I refer to as the greedy) want both. This is all good and well but what I discovered was that once the writer’s mind is set to a certain tone – it can be hard to switch gears.

The most difficult, I must admit – was the transition from a blog post to a standard and straight forward article (#MyTrendingStories). The mind can become fried rather quickly -liken it to pulling a 60 mph U-turn (for my foreign friends, that equates to some ungodly kph. I mean, I could convert it, but I don’t want to – YOU DO IT!). So the trouble then becomes changing the frame of mind.

Now I haven’t perfected a method to do this yet – but I do have some pointers (for you over-achievers).

1.) Take 1,000 pills and embrace the sweet kiss of death ( Okay, no – don’t do that , unless you REALLY don’t feel like writing, even then – rub one out first).

Real #1.) Location is everything. Most of you already have a spot designated to writing. Should you have trouble transitioning styles – simply change where you are. The new environment may be uncomfortable for a bit -but keep it reserved for that certain kind of project. (This can also work for switching to a new tone or genre).

#2.) Music matters. I don’t know about you – but for everything I write- I find a soundtrack. Even as I type this, I have a google playlist entitled “Hero Saves the Day” on repeat, (ignore the pretentiousness). This is usually what I listen to while writing a blog post (unless it’s a post that I’m writing out of pure passion Ex: Kama Sutra by Antwan, needless to say…it was never published). I have varying playlists for all of my distinctive writing – it’s almost like a green light for creativity to flow in a certain direction.

And lastly, (because I hate running long)

#3.) Reset. Deadlines can be a pain twixt the cheeks, however, they’re unavoidable. So if faced with multiple projects on a close deadline (because you were procrastinating)- attempt a controlled break. Circumvent preventable mental constipation with a premeditated strategy to walk away and come back to start anew (about a half-hour should do the job). Go for a walk, watch a show, (spy on the neighbors), do whatever you have to do to clear your mind. It’s basically tricking yourself – but if you do it sparingly, it can be pretty effective amidst a slew of to-do’s.

I’ve got more, but it’s Friday, and this brandy won’t drink itself. I’ll likely add to this list in the future (if not then just re-read this post for a half hour between writing #ProblemSolved?)

Alright, soldiers of fortune, that’s all for now. Stay tuned for The Writer’s Block Podcast, (at some point), and I’ll be back on Monday with more words in this language.

Treat the weekend like it towed your car,

(And try not to die),

-Antwan Crump.