Heard of MOJO by the Australian Writers Centre?
It’s a bit of creative writing inspiration every day.
You pay, but the resources are rich and creative. It includes a daily goal.
There are similar free things around, but I like what the centre does and wanted to show them some love. Also, committing my cash means I’m more likely to commit my time and creativity.
So, I spent a lot of February getting my fiction writing mojo back.
At the start of the month, if you’d asked me:
Is this what you needed?
I’d have answered, yes.
Now? I think my answer settles on:
Yes, but not every day or you draw out my inner rebel.
A good friend of mine, Rebecca Douglas, got me to try a quiz about my tendencies. I don’t usually like things that put you in a single box, but Rebecca is a tower of hot pink fabulousness, so I complied.
We both thought I might be a rebel. It would have been nice. They get to hang with General Leia, after all.
Nah. My tendencies are to question. Big surprise: I’m a Questioner. At least… today, in this mood, and under that specific set of questions. (See how I’m even right now questioning the nature of quizzes and the questions?)
But, after a month of ‘you must do this daily task’, my rebel tendencies grew strong. Even the most fun things wear you down. Or raise you up, fist of rebellion to the sky.
So, fellow rebel rabble, how do you make MOJO work? Can you?
Yeah, I reckon so. Here are some ideas. They aren’t rules. Rebels wouldn’t like that. And questioners would want to know my evidence for these rules. They’re suggestions. Notions. Hints and fancies.
Suggestions and fancies
Make your own pre-MOJO fodder
Write up a pile of things you do and don’t like doing, before the month starts. Be ready to do one of those if you aren’t interested in doing what someone else tells you.
Create some blank cards
On a lucky day, you’ll pull one of these out. It’s your own ‘free day’. You can chill today. But, also! It’s a rebel card. You don’t have to chill. You can:
- chill
- burn the card
- do the set MOJO task
- do all, none or any of the above.
Create some wild cards
I don’t know what these do. You can decide if and when you get one.
However, you probably won’t do any of this, because you’re a rebel. So, on a given day, find a dandelion and scream your ideas into its face. It’s a dandelion. It’s used to having people up close and personal.
Throw all the cards in a hat
It doesn’t have to be a literal hat. It can be a small pink rainbow glitter unicorn holding a sparkly bubble. Just shove them somewhere enjoyable.
Any day you don’t like the MOJO task: draw out a card
Pick out one of these cards when your inner rebel rears up. Do as your internal whim dictates. Follow the card’s instructions. Or don’t follow them. Eat the card for dinner. I don’t care.
Do what you want. I know you will anyway.
Ignore all of this
Do you get the picture? You’re a rebel. Mojo is marvellous. But there’ll be someone – you – telling you to do something every day. Even if, sometimes, it’s to not do the thing.
Take it on anyway
Because we all want to write. And if there’s one week, or one day, or one whole entire month that you feel you’ve got your mojo back? It’s worth it.
No, really. Did it work for me?
Yes.
At the start of the month, I had ‘too many works in progress’. I couldn’t stand by one alone. Now I’ve got one.
This is what I needed. I wanted someone to fight with me. Tell me what to do. Help me find my way to the one I loved the most.
And though I fought with the checklist notion of MOJO, I fought away all the ruts and negative vibes that I’d built up.
And one little gem of a work-in-progress stood out and up.
And together we answered the rebel yell.
