Whether or not you’re aware, you’ve probably experienced a ‘flow’ state at least once in your life doing something that you love. You’re so involved that time just flies by. Before you know it you’ve been at it for hours, when you look up, you’re amazed at how much you’ve done. It’s magical.

I was lucky enough to experience ‘creative flow’ for twenty-eight days straight once. I finished a 95,000 word first draft. It’s still one of my favorite pieces. The story I wrote just before that one was more difficult. I had to force myself to get to the computer several days and set a timer while I was there. On occasion, I’d get a burst of inspiration and flow would happen, but not often with that one.

This year I’ve been lucky. Inspiration has been good to me. I’ve been lucky enough to have several projects going at once. When I’d lose the impetus, I’d usually find it waiting for me with the other piece. I went with my passion and—although I was constantly working—I worked on what I felt like working on. I never tried to force it. I’ve been having a ball for the most part.

When someone tries to interrupt your flow.

Now, whether or not it can be forced, creative flow can definitely be fueled. I am very susceptible to fuel in the form of feedback that’s better than I expected it to be. (I’m also very susceptible to self-doubt, which probably adds to the fuel’s intensity, but that’s a topic for another time.) So when I got my editorial letter back for Ghost Tamer (remember the book I had to force myself to the computer to write?) I was prepped for a ten page summation of everything I had to change. Imagine how thrilled I was when the editor loved it and said there were no conceptual issues to speak of. There were, of course, things to adjust, but I agreed with every single one of them. Most of them I was aware of and either hadn’t gone far enough in my own adjustments or hadn’t decided which direction to go in when making the change.

Well, I started in on those edits with gusto. I knew what I was doing, I was revved up and I was completely in the flow state. Couldn’t wait to get off work so I could jump right into it. All I wanted to do was edit this thing. It was fantastic.

Then one of my beta readers for a separate project texted me about how much she was loving it. Obviously I was thrilled! She texted me again the next day, she was so into the characters, she wished she had more time to read it, she’d only beta’d one other book where she felt this way.

Well.

Suddenly all I wanna do is look at this book. I just want to dance around with these characters. Maybe just re-read a couple of chapters. Maybe a couple more.

Now, I had set this up intentionally based on my initial DE timeline. This beta feedback session was going to happen after I had turned my edits in, then I could play with this MS for a while while I waited for the second pass. Even with the delay in getting my edits, it still worked. My new plan was to get the edits done, have the meeting and put Ghost Tamer aside for a few days to look at this book, then go back to GT with fresher eyes to make sure everything had been done to my satisfaction.

Me working on one of those article deadlines.

Unfortunately, I was used to going with the flow. (Yes, I made the pun and I’m leaving it in.) It didn’t help that one of the next sections I had to work on with Ghost Tamer was one I wasn’t too clear on how to fix. I just wanted to hang out with my new book. The issue was that now I had a deadline.

I’d worked with deadlines before, of course, everyone has, even if it was just for a school paper. I used to write articles for CBS Local. I write this blog every week that goes up on Friday. Not the same thing, however. You can force those things and—for one, they’re much shorter, the pain is short-lived—get something out there. You don’t have to make sure it works with a ‘whole’ or an ‘ARC’ and, let’s face it, I’m okay turning in B+ work for the blog or those articles sometimes. Not with a book.

I started to become concerned. Was I going to have to force myself into the chair again for this one? What if it was crap because I wasn’t inspired? What if sent my edits in and my editor looked at them, shook her head and said, “Well, I didn’t think this was going to be too difficult, but she’s proved me wrong.”

The next morning, I got up to workout. I have a playlist on Spotify for every book that I write because I am that brand of dork. My finger was hoovering over my new book’s playlist. No, you need to be thinking about Ghost Tamer right now. I told myself.

I often feel like I get my best ideas when I’m running in the morning. My brain untangles and I get clarity. I threw the Ghost Tamer playlist on, telling myself I could change it during the workout if I wanted. About midway through, and idea sparked and a thread of my problem untangled. When I got home, I had a few minutes before I normally started work, so I hopped on and told myself just to use that time for Ghost Tamer. Before I knew it, I was in flow and ready to start work again.

By the next day, I had addressed all the major issues and decided to let the words sit for a day before going back and checking them out.

Can you force flow? I’m still not ready to say yes to that, but I think you can encourage it. I think you can redirect it.

Can you force creative 'flow'?