Become an Awareness Machine

Fosterverse Weekly #15

Aug 13, 2024

Hey Writers!

This is adapted from an advice column piece called Observe Always, Write Often I wrote last year that I was reminded of when speaking to a Foster writer this week. Enjoy.

One thing that tends to happen when you get into the habit of writing is that you think about writing more often. At some point, you’re writing so regularly that your brain is sort of working on writing ideas in the background all the time.

You’re doing dishes and think of a title for a post.

You’re on a plane and it sparks an idea for a short story.

You notice the sound the wind makes when it whips through the trees and you jot down the description.

Maybe you use these things in your writing. Maybe you don’t. It doesn’t matter.

What regularly writing—and expressing those words to others—does is make you a better awareness machine. Absolutely everything you observe in the world can be fodder for the written word. Anything and everything can be something worth showing up for and writing about.

Let’s get practical for a second. If you’re just starting your writing journey, figure out how to write consistently. Try writing 200 crappy words per day. Try setting a timer for 30 undistracted writing minutes first thing in the morning. Try blocking off writing time after lunch on your calendar. Join a Foster Writing Circle. Find whatever works for you. Eventually, after some amount of time (that’s different for everyone), you’ll get to the point where writing is ingrained in your psyche.

Observe always. Write often.

Lyle