Intention as a creative tool
What is it and how do we use it?
If you’re anything like me as a writer (aka a pantser), you’re the kind of person who likes to jump in and get started. You get an idea, and you can’t wait to start shaping it into words, molding it, and seeing it come to life.
However, as a pantser you know that this approach to writing can sometimes lead us to dead ends. We can become stuck, unsure of how to move forward, certain that our creativity has dried up. In this situation, often, we can be hard on ourselves, which in all honesty doesn’t help any. Sometimes, we may end up putting our work aside for long periods of time, sometimes indefinitely. Sometimes, even the fear of having to face our writer’s block, if we want to call it that, can be reason enough to keep us away.
Honestly, even when you’re a plotter, the risk of ideas drying up is always a real one. Even when having every step of your story down point by point can sometimes lead to that same dead end. Sometimes, you may grow bored writing it because there’s nothing new to discover (my personal issue with plotting), or the plot as you’ve planned it out isn’t working anymore, and you need to reroute.
It’s in these cases that the practice of setting an intention can help us out.
You may or may not have heard the term “setting an intention” before. If you’ve ever practiced yoga, or if you’ve ever listened to a guided meditation, or gone to a meditation group, the idea of “intention” might have come up at some point.
An intention is that thing behind our words that makes them true and meaningful. When you say or do something, and you’re completely in your awareness, and you feel it in your body, that is intention. Recognizing it is as simple as noticing how you tell your loved ones that you love them. Do you mean it? Or are you speaking offhandedly? Is your mouth just forming words, or is there a feeling in your body as you say it that brings you into the present, that knows if you had any other way of showing your loved one these words, you’d find it? That’s intention.
When we meditate or practice yoga, sometimes we are asked to set an intention. While it can be anything, usually for me it’s something like, “I’ll try to be more present throughout my day,” or “I’ll try to remember how strong I am today.” Setting an intention during meditation or yoga usually helps because it’s a moment when you’re already making an effort to be present, and it’ll help to commit to it. So often we walk around in a daze, running from one errand to the other, that setting an intention in between grabbing breakfast and your shower may result in forgetting it, as our minds are usually so crowded with many other things at those times.
So how can we apply intention-setting to our writing or creative practice? How can we use it to reconnect with our creativity and our ongoing WIPs?
It can be as simple as taking a moment, when you sit down to write, before you open your document (or notebook—whatever your preferred method of writing is), to think about what it is you hope to accomplish during this writing session. And really it can range from anything such as “I want to write at least one thousand words” or “I want to explore X’s character more.” It can be an affirmation: “Today, I choose to remember that my writing matters in the world.” It can be broader: You can think to yourself something along the lines of “I’m writing this story for myself” as a way of reminding yourself that the opinions of others on the final product—which can often get in the way of our creativity—ultimately don’t matter.
Setting a writing intention can work as a guide while you work through your piece. It’s a little light that reminds you, in those moments when you’re running out of steam, when you start feeling the itch to badger yourself with negative talk, when hope is about to be lost, that you can keep going.
Your intention is like a pin you put on an idea or a goal. It’s the light that helps guide you as you work, gently reminding you of why you’re doing this and why it matters. When you reach the point where your creativity has dried up, you can return to your intention and restore your hope and your vision in your work.
It may take some time to get the hang of it, but you also shouldn’t pressure yourself to hold yourself to it. We’re all human, and in today’s world, it’s increasingly difficult to maintain routines or work linearly. Use your intention-setting practice simply as a tool to help guide you, as a friendly voice that says “You got this!” And if you fall off the wagon for a bit (as I often do), it’s not the end of the world. The best part of intentions is that they’re free and always within our reach. We just gotta bring the magic to it.
Hi there, I’m Maria! I’m a freelance fiction editor assisting women writers in amplifying their voices through their writing. You can find me on Instagram @theintuitivedesk. Or visit my site
www. theintuitivedesk.com to find out more.