Setting Creative Intentions for Your Writing Life

What kind of writer do you want to be? What do you want to create? A journey through exercises and reflection

Hello friends!

Is it really February already? Well, as I mentioned to those who attended my January Community Writing at PVWW on Setting Creative Intentions, this post will share those exercises, slightly updated and expanded, all toward a purpose of getting us thinking about what is most important to our writing practices, and ending with a more specific plan for a particular project you intend to advance this year. These are not rigid New Year’s Resolution questions, but an invitation to think deeply about all we hold most sacred in our writing/art and our lives; what we value; what we most aspire to be and commit ourselves to; the kind of artistic lives we want to create.

I know a lot of people talk about these things, and it may be a topic that you already know a lot about, but I really like to focus on this early in the year. All the craft knowledge in the world can’t truly help us if we don’t have clear intentions for ourselves.

My experience with creative intentions…

About eight years ago, when I moved out of New York City, an unpublished writer a couple years out of an MFA program, I did something that felt a little silly to me at the time: I made a vision board of my wildest writing goals, dreams, and intentions. This was something I’d done at different times in other areas of life, but never specifically connected to writing. And it felt, honestly, strange. I included lit mags I wanted to see my work in, titles of pieces I planned to finish; I even used my rudimentary photoshop skills to create covers for finished books and to add my name on the covers of journals. Something about being in a new house, starting a new phase of life, made this feel more possible, even practical. For the longest time I was embarrassed when people saw this vision board, as it felt like an unrealistic fantasy, yet over the years, it’s been fascinating to look back at it and see that much of it has come to pass, from finishing certain projects to publications in dream journals. While of course there is so much we can’t control about this process, what we do control is perhaps the most powerful and important part of the equation: setting intentions, and taking action upon them.

To use a tired metaphor, think of the tip of the iceberg as what others see about our writing lives/careers - publications, events, the stuff in our bios. But it’s the underwater mass of the iceberg that keeps it afloat, that sustains it, and that also allows that tip to be seen. I’d argue that at the base of that iceberg, of utmost important - even before the work and the hours spent - is the blueprint of Intention: what kind of attitudes, mindsets, dreams, and plans were there first. Seen from a certain angle, the creative process becomes a spiritual one: We engage in it, putting out our hope and intention, trusting that it will lead us somewhere worthwhile, yet it also requires that we surrender control, relinquish expectations of outcome (even as we envision the outcomes we want to see).

Yes, it’s scary to think about our visions, goals, and intentions. It’s scary because in admitting to ourselves what we want, we also see more clearly how we might fall short in a million ways. Yet key here is to focus back on what we can control, what is in our power to change and sculpt, and to trust that the right tip of our iceberg will form as we lend our energy to what we control (the base).

Before you begin the exercises here, I’d recommend the following:

• Set aside an hour, separate from your regular creative work or writing time (these exercises can also be a great way to get back into writing if you’ve been feeling thwarted). Light a candle. Make tea. Go into your cave. Make this fun! This is a journey, and it can be one that inspires and opens up possibility if you let it.
  

• Have a notebook at hand, or Google Doc / Word Doc. You may also want flashcards if you have them, in order to write down some of the key intentions and insights that come up for you.
  

• While there is no “wrong” way to respond to these exercises, though I would caution against focusing too much on external, outcome-related intentions, especially those that might seem very far outside your immediate circumstances. Though these external goals do have a place, and we won’t fully ignore them either.
  

• Feel free to share anything that arises for you while working through these in the comments! Let’s support each other in implementing these intentions into our lives this year. (And we can always come back and revisit at the end of the year.)

Intentions for Your Writing Life

1.  Reflection on last year - 3 minutes

Write in one long gust, or exhaled breath, reflecting on the past year, specifically how it impacted your creativity and you as a writer. Don’t pause, don’t stop, and don’t think too much. This is a train of consciousness exercise, and the idea is to let yourself express freely, without judgment.

For added fun, let your reflection take one of the following forms, if it helps:

• A letter addressed to the past year, beginning with “Dear 2022…”

• A rant

• A set of instructions

• A prayer, chant, or mantra

• A fable, myth, or oral story

• As observed from a visitor from another planet

• A dream

• A personalized rejection

• A shopping list

• A form of your choosing - no limits here!

2. Lists for a new year - 3 minutes

There’s nothing quite like a list, especially when warming up. With your reflection on the past year in mind, write the following two lists (can include specific moments, qualities, projects, people, literally anything):

1. Goodbye List: A list of what you’d like to leave behind and out of the new year. 

2. Welcome List: A list of what you’d like to have more of or bring with you into the new year.

3. Portrait of the Artist - 10 minutes

Spend some time thinking about who you’ve been as a writer/artist over the past year, and in your life in general. Look at yourself from both the outside and inside. Then, think about what you’d like to change, do differently, embody more clearly, and/or continue or amplify going forward. Some helpful questions…

1. Who was I, as a writer/artist, over the past year? Who have I been, as a writer/artist, throughout my life? How has this connected to who I’ve been as a person?

2. What kind of writer/artist am I now? Who am I as a person? What excites and/or intrigues me? What am I most curious about? What do I want to explore? What do I want to communicate / bring into the world through my art? 
   

3. What matters to me, as an artist, as a human? How does my art / writing fit into my life, my values, who I am, what I stand for? What kind of artist/writer do I want to be?

4. External / Outcome-Related Goals - 7 minutes

It can be a slippery slope to focus too much on the external in terms of goals, as we have less control here, but since we are all human and of course have external “outcome” goals, being clear on what these are does play some role in our creative intention setting. For me, knowing what I’m aiming for here helps to strengthen my commitment to what I can control. I would try, as much as possible, to see these as “pointers” that can help by directing you down certain paths that you can control (such as the questions in #5).

• What is your biggest hope for your writing? How do you want your writing to live in the world? (Get as specific here as you can.)

• Who do you want to work with / be on your team?

• What opportunities would you like to have, related to your writing?

• How would you like to be seen, by others?

• Anything else you can think of….

5. Intentions for Self, Process, & Creative Life - 7 minutes

Write at least ONE INTENTION for yourself and your creative life, for each of the following (and add categories if needed). These are the intentions you can craft and mold and shape more freely, and you can see them as building blocks to help you get closer to the Outcome Goals in #4; however, I’d caution against that being the sole focus.

• How you want to use your TIME

• Your writing PROCESS

• Your INNER NARRATIVE (how you will talk to yourself about writing)

• What you’ll START or FINISH over the next year

• What you’ll explore and say YES to and/or what you’ll say NO to

• You as a READER and/or LEARNER

• You as a TEACHER (if you teach)

• What MATTERS most to you

• Your FAMILY, FRIENDS, and/or COMMUNITY - how you’ll connect with others

• Anything else you can think of….

6. Underlying Message

Look at all of your intentions - the external goals and those for self, process, and creative life - and see if you can discern an underlying, unifying MESSAGE that is trying to come through. What is it? Is there a way all, or most, of these intentions can be rewritten as one? If you’re having trouble finding a unifying message, choose THREE intentions from #5 that feel most important to remember.

7. Wisdom From Yourself

Write either the unifying MESSAGE or the THREE INTENTIONS on (a) flashcard(s) that you can post above your desk or wherever you’ll frequently see it when writing. Now, close your eyes (yes, really!), and ask to be in touch with the part of you that KNOWS you are on the right path, that wants you to live a creative, fulfilling life. Take a minute, listen, then ask (to yourself or out loud), “What do I need to know and keep in mind, every day, in order to help me live my creative intentions and create the life I want?” This is important, no matter how silly you might feel doing this! Be open to whatever thoughts, sensations, words, ideas, images, etc. come into your mind. I am always surprised by this guidance, how actually helpful it is. (1 minute of silence)

Now, write down whatever came to you. This might be a word, a short sentence, or a paragraph. It might feel like it came from yourself, or from someone else or Inspiration itself. It doesn’t exactly matter where it came from, just that you are open to it (though my guess is that it likely comes from a similar place as our most inspired story ideas, and that practicing this “listening” and openness to what arises is also a form of creative practice. There is deep mystery to this process, which involves, for better or worse, being a kind of conduit.) Consider writing or drawing what comes to you in a notebook, flashcard, or somewhere you can revisit it. Be open to what it may mean for you as a writer/artist. Try this “request for guidance” any time you feel stuck, and make a note of all answers you receive.

Intentions for Your Project

1.  Your Project - 2 minutes

Okay, time to turn our attention to a specific project. Take a minute to think deeply about the project you would most like to complete and/or make serious headway on over the course of this year.

1. Describe the project in a few sentences, as if you’re telling a friend about it.

2. What is the thing that scares or worries you most about (the actual writing of) this project? What is the biggest hurdle that’s currently stopping you from diving in as fully as you’d like?

2.  Your Intention For This Project - 3 minutes

Answer the following questions about your project. If it’s helpful, pretend you are interviewing the project itself, and ask it these questions, waiting for what answers arise.

• What old story or narrative regarding this project can you let go that no longer serves you?

• What narrative would you like to replace that old one regarding the project?

• What is one thing you could do everyday to tap into the excitement of this project? 

• Who could you tell about this project whose excitement would help fuel your excitement? (Also, who should you NOT talk with about it?)

• What are some creative ways you could connect with the project even during busy periods when you may not be able to sit and write?

• What work do you want to do on this project in the new year? Where would you like the project to be by the end of the year? (Describe in as much detail your intentions.)

3.  The Project - 20 minutes

For the next 20 minutes or longer, work on the project in one (or all) of the following ways, designed to shift, broaden, or bring a sense of playful newness to your work on the project. I’d suggest choosing ONE of the following and responding in a separate notebook or doc. This doesn’t need to become part of the project, yet it may still be helpful in getting you into a flow and/or opening up something new. Alternatively, it may end up in the project too.

• Write a paragraph (or page) that could be the ending. (It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how it will end. Try something!)
  

• Write or rewrite the opening paragraph five times, trying a different (new) approach each time - because why not?
  

• Write the opening paragraph of a new chapter you’ve been scared to begin. It doesn’t need to be in chronological order.
  

• Write in first-person (“I) POV from a character you’ve never let speak in first-person before.
  

• If your project is written in first person POV, write about the narrator in third-person POV, as seen by another character or an omniscient narrator.
  

• Write a (fun) list that could be part of this project.
  

• Describe a sacred, special, magical, or symbolic object that could be a small part of this project, or perhaps even have a semi-significant role.
  

• Describe a place you know is significant or featured in the project, in as much detail as you can.
  

• Imagine the protagonist confides something in you they haven’t told anyone else. What is this secret?

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What’s new with me

In non-writing-related news, my partner and I have a night skiing passes to a place nearby in Western MA and have been skiing a lot! (Intention: Become a freestyle skier. Realistic intention: Don’t get hurt, have fun, go off some low jumps and land right, ski switch.)

Though for some more writing-related news:

Publications:

• My social media / voyeurism ghost story “They Could Have Been Yours” originally published in the The Missouri Review last spring, will have a second life as a reprint in Apex Magazine in March! (It’s also - currently - on the Nebula Reading list and eligible for Nebula, Hugo, & Bram Stoker awards, so just a friendly reminder if you’re reading for any of those!)

Write With Me, Live on Zoom!

• I lead a once-a-month, free, virtual, generative gathering called Community Writing, through Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop. It's on the first Friday of every month, 6 - 7:30pm EST, and always features a handful of original writing prompts (created by me), time to write, and time to share/discuss/meet each other. If you're struggling to find writing time and/or just want more community around your writing practice, come join us! It's always fun and writing really does happen! Next session: Friday, February 2 (6 - 7:30pm EST) Free and open to all! RSVP at above link.
  

Upcoming Readings / Workshops / Events

• The Kerouac Project / Spring Writer-in-Residence, Welcome Potluck Dinner: I’ll be heading south at the end of this month for a three-month residency, as spring writer-in-residence at Jack Kerouac’s Orlando house! If you’re in the Orlando area, I hope to meet you at the welcome potluck! Also, if you have recommendations as to what I should do while I’m in that area, please let me know! Welcome Potluck, Kerouac House, Orlando: March 18. In-Person.
  

• Funding Your Writing: Applying for Grants, Residencies, Scholarships, and Other Opportunities: 2-Hour Virtual Workshop, with Joy Baglio, at PVWW
  Because of a lot of questions I get around this time of year (specifically from writers applying for the Elizabeth George Foundation grant), I’m going to be offering a two-hour workshop through PVWW. I'll share what I've learned about applying to project-specific grants (that offer funding and require a proposal letter), artist residencies (that offer time, space, and often funding to write), scholarships (that offer attendance to a program or conference), and other competitive opportunities. We'll talk about what should be present in a proposal letters and/or artist statements, how to create a budget (requested in some grant applications), and spend time looking at examples (I'll share my own) and crafting statements in class in response to guidance and exercises. Attendees will leave with clarity and confidence around what makes a competitive application / proposal. For writers of all levels and genres. Non-writer artists welcome too. Limited to 15 writers. 2 Hours, Saturday April 1 (1 - 3pm EST), on Zoom at PVWW. Learn More / sign up here.

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About me

JOY BAGLIO is a speculative-literary writer and proud Leo living in Northampton MA. Joy is the founder of Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, a literary arts organization - now virtual - offering writing workshops, craft classes, literary events, and editing/coaching services. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines such as Tin House, The Missouri Review, American Short Fiction, Conjunctions, The Iowa Review, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere. Recent honors include residencies from Yaddo, Vermont Studio Center, The Kerouac Project (spring 2023), and Ragdale (summer 2023); scholarships from Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf; and grants from The Elizabeth George Foundation and The Speculative Literature Foundation. Joy is at work on a collection of short stories and two novels. She loves birds, dinosaurs, amateur astronomy, and plays the bagpipes. Visit her at www.JoyBaglio.com (& on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon).

Thank you!

Thank you so much for reading! I'm excited for what's to come, and so grateful for your interest and desire to be part of this This post is also publicly available, so feel free to share! And if you haven't already you can always subscribe here as well.