Auto Maintenance for Writers

There is a Zen-like quality to the time spent waiting for your mechanic to work on your car. If it’s a short enough job, say a few hours, it’s an ideal time to nourish creativity. I use a shop where they have no tv in the waiting room, which is to me, ideal. Bring a notebook and sketch out article ideas. Write a scene for your novel. Browse the magazines to scope out markets. Do character studies of the people wandering through. Listen to conversations and take notes. It’s ideal downtime to stretch the mind.

1 Comment

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  Kath March 1, 2010 at 11:36 pm

  Hi Sandy: Great advice, but it’s getting impossible to avoid the TV–even the OBGYN has installed one that runs inane videos. No escape! Except the dentist’s office, the one place I’m not kept waiting.

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