Tag: Sherlock Holmes

Writers And Entrepreneurs Need Rest Too

On By Robert EvenhouseIn my writing life6 Comments

When I was in elementary school, I broke my foot. I flipped off my bunk bed, landed on the ground and all of a sudden my foot would not work without a piercing pain. I hobbled to the kitchen where my parents played cards with my aunt and uncle and informed them of what occurred and soon learned how to use crutches.

I remember when I tried to place pressure on my foot prematurely that it hurt and I was angry, but not because of the pain. I was upset because my foot did not function like it did before. This was my first experience with the injustice that not only can we break our bikes and every door in the house if we kick them, (sorry mom and dad) but also ourselves.

Painter sleepingI mentioned before that the most recent season at work was brutal. I thought I broke myself mentally. I could not remember simple tasks. I had little to no energy to play with my kids when I got home. And writing? The thought of spending another moment with a computer made me ill. It was rough all around.

A week ago, after things slowed down at work, I became angry that I could not just dive into another blog. I needed to get going because I had books and a website to launch. The more I thought about it the more I stewed. The angrier I was at my inability to write, the more I became frustrated that I was doing nothing. It was a vicious cycle. The pressure to produce weighed on me and I could not shake my lethargy, or so I thought.

It’s taken sometime to learn a lesson that I should have learned when I was young – I am not a machine. I can break – emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The stories of Sherlock Holmes living off no sleep and cocoa leaves are just not possible. Sure you can go on little sleep for a while (I have four kids) but sooner or later you crash.

There are different seasons of life. Some of planting, harvest, and rest. I needed to let my mind settle and heal by simple reading and planning.

Grace is what I needed most in the aftermath of a stressful experience.

Grace to be.

Grace to breathe and not feel the stress that comes from the need to produce.

But as with all seasons there is also a time to move on to the next one.

Now, my workload at work is back to a normal pace and I have more bandwidth for other projects at home.

This past Friday night, I did not feel like mush. So we ordered pizza. Then my kids got into their pajamas and we turned up the music and resumed our long-missed after dinner dance party. Then, by the encouragement of my lovely wife, I went to the bookstore to write. 

And you know what? Just like when my foot healed and I did not need my crutches any more it felt amazing to write again.

Novelist, Do You Use Visuals?

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing Process2 Comments

I am huge fan of Sherlock Holmes. I love his wild genius and untamed spirit combined with the relentlessness he uses to solve a case. Now, I understand this is fiction, but those abilities are quite attractive to the would-be novelist.

Though I don’t have these super powers, I can incorporate some of his tricks to my writing life, and so can you.

One such practice that has assisted my progress lately is having a white board where my I can take in my tasks, ideas, and notes at a glance. I can keep track of my tasks of the week and erase them when I am done, which is tremendously rewarding and gives me a hunger to attack another. I am able to pause after a furious fit of writing to check on the direction of my current chapter to make sure it is on target.

This does not have to be an expensive endeavor, my wife surprised me with the cardboardesque wipe boards (because she is awesome) and some dry erase markers (more awesomeness) for about $10.00. Not bad.

So writer, do you use visuals? If so, please share below!

Cheers,

Bob

Favorite Holiday Reads

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Snow has fallen in piles over the last few weeks in southern Michigan. We had an ice storm. Power outages. It was a cold and white Christmas.

As winter comes and snow falls my mind wanders to certain writers, books, and characters.

Michigan Winter
Michigan Winter

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes pacing his study on Baker Street while glancing out the window at the bleak snow covered London streets comes to mind.

I think of curious Lucy Pevensie walking through the columns of fur coats in a wardrobe when she suddenly hears her feet crunch on the powdery snow of wintry Narnia in The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Anything that has to do with Charles Dickens. The Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and of course, A Christmas Carol.

And lastly, and most importantly, chapter 2 (NIV translation) in the Gospel of Luke telling of Christ’s Birth.

It’s not often I get in a reading mood. More often than not I’m in a writing mood. But now I want nothing more than a cup of peppermint tea and a nice steady snowfall coupled with a blanket and my comfortable couch illuminated by the white Christmas tree lights.

So readers, I turn to you. What sort of books, authors, and characters do you think of during this time of year?

Thank you in advance for your comments below.

Cheers,

Bob

 

Daddy No Sleep

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing Life, Writing Tips5 Comments

Nearly every morning my kids wake up early. When one does, they all do. It’s sort of like a really fun game. Only now when I think about it, it’s not really that fun. There have been times were I’ve stayed up late writing the night before and then get woken up by screams of “MAMA DADDY MAMA DADDY!” Followed by our oldest saying “Mama, I think Clara wants daddy.” I flop out of bed and rescue our middle child from the confines of her crib and head into the dark living room.

I wanted to write this post not because I am a terrible father and want to complain about sleep deprivation, but because I realize I sometimes set myself up to fail with my writing goals. I blame this on Robert Downey Junior, Guy Ritchie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and even a little bit on Margaret Thatcher.

Let me explain.

Margaret Thatcher
She does look a wee bit tired.

Before we had kids, there was a time when I woke up at 5:30 to write every Saturday morning. Think about that. I had a good three to four hours all to myself where my thoughts were clear and my mind raced with one brilliant plot line after another (or so I thought). So, when I watched the first Sherlock Holmes film by Guy Ritchie starring Robert Downey Jr., I was immediately enamored by his ability to cast sleep aside and finish a task with a flourish. I thought this must be the best way to produce a novel – write with a feverish, reckless abandon.

The problem with this is obvious. That is Hollywood. That is not real. No one can repel sleep for days while sorting out a problem. They’d go insane. Right? Well, then theirs Margaret Thatcher. Ever read her biography or watched the film Iron Lady? She was a real person (obviously) who supposedly slept four to five hours a night and still ran a country. I’m having trouble with this blog post. Perhaps we are on different plains of brilliance and I need to be OK with that. Or, maybe I am dead wrong with the method that works best at this point in my life.

I find I write best when I am awake. Strange. When I am well rested and have accomplished things during the day I can go downstairs to my desk and write something. My creative well is full from a life lived and a decent amount of sleep. I realize now that instead of staying up late for a few days in a row and then crashing, its best if I sleep for several days in a row then stay up late once. Burning out is not an option. I have a wife to love, children to raise, and a day job.

This might sound simple to you, like a math problem, but I hate math. Reading and comprehension I can do. And to do them successfully, I must be well rested.

How about you? What have you done with your schedule to improve yourself as a writer? Have you ever tested how you work best? Do you stay up all night or do you conserve your energy for a controlled writing burst?

Write 500 words today.

Cheers,

Bob

What Fuels Your Writing?

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing ProcessLeave a comment
Writing Fuel

I have a lot of ideas for books. I keep them stashed away in piles of notebooks or if I get a flash of a scene in my mind I write it down and save it in a file on my computer. I’ve never had an issue with ideas or better stated the problem of the creative well running dry.

My issue, like most of you out there, is finding ways to revitalize my creativity, or better yet fueling my creativity.

There is a difference between inspiration and motivation. I find that in my writing life they are often clashing like land and wave, warring against one another. Which made me wonder, what puts me in the writing mood?

Reading – This is obvious, I know. I think the key here is not pulling out War and Peace by Tolstoy because for me that is a work to savor and study. It should be something with great language and pace, anything by Dickens, Rowling, Lewis, and the like. Once I hear a voice of a particular author in their writing it helps me jump back into mine.

Quiet Time – When I can steal some time for myself to merely think and gain perspective instead of being a human machine fulfilling task after task it helps me take a breath, relax, and refocus. This time is best in the mornings and late at night when my wife and children are in bed. Also, there is a park nearby my work that is wooded with walking trails and a nice vigorous walk awakens the writer in me.

Reading Blogs – I follow several blogs and many of them are located on my blogroll. Being involved in the writing community is important, and hearing what my cyber writing friends have to say is always beneficial. Also, seeing people putting up content constantly is a friendly rub of motivation to get out there and produce myself.

Talking with Other Writers – I have a scheduled night each week that I use for writing, though it changes from time to time, it is nice to meet regularly with Josh. Also, when I catch up with fellow Weaklings, Andrew and Matthew, it’s helpful as well.

Reading Books on Writing – When you are trying to do anything in life, travel across Europe, buying a car, starting a degree, it is always good to read books by people who have accomplished it. It reveals that finishing is possible, and perhaps some insightful tips along the way.

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows

But what about you writer? What have you done lately that has put you into the writing mood? Because, if you are searching for motivation, you should probably do that before getting to your writing device.

Cheers,

Bob