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I wanted to frame today's newsletter as a discussion: What’s a creative habit you have that makes you happy?
Ever since I started freelance writing, I've drafted creative contracts to myself for major writing projects. It began as a way to enforce self-imposed deadlines and instill discipline into an unwieldy pursuit. But it has evolved into a personal tradition that is more about the ceremony than the function.
When I was younger, I would often struggle with turning moments of personal reflection into performances of sorts. My early attempts at journaling were often panged by the idea that someone might read my entries one day. It effectively removed the point of internal reflection as I overly self-edited. As a writer, particularly a personal essay writer, I've made an effort to separate what life details I want to keep personal and which I am comfortable having public. Making that line clear has helped me focus on living like I would like to, instead of how I'd like to be seen. And outside the exercise of writing this letter, the actions of drafting my creative contracts are something I get to indulge in in full privacy.
Whenever I get an assignment, or I decide I want to pitch a specific publication, I draft a new contract, print it, sign it, and slap it on the bulletin board by my desk. When I know I'm not getting more edits back, I take the contract down and blast The Last of the Starks from Game of Thrones on the loudspeakers. I'll fold the contract into thirds and slide a bone folder from my bookbinding kit along the creases. As the music swells, I drip wax onto the page and close up the contract with a wax seal. I use a small post-it to label the contract with the project name since it is now sealed indefinitely. Then I stow the whole affair away in a special box.
It's theatrical, it's unnecessary, and I like doing it. More than anything, it's a conversation solely between me and my craft. The process is a way for me to say goodbye to my work on a story. It gives a sense of finality to a chapter in my study of the craft.
And it's fun. I like pairing a song I associate with swords and drama with my silly little wax seals. Whenever my partner overhears that song and sees me retrieving my lighter and folding tools, we'll share a laugh later. I'm a big fan of small traditions, and I'm glad to have this one.
If you're interested in doing something similar. Here's what my contracts look like:
There are six components to my contracts.
Name of Story or Publication
Story Type
Essay, Q&A, Content Marketing, Profile, etc.
Sample text /Assignment details
The sample text section was designed primarily to make the contract look like a full document. Sometimes I forget to make the contract at the start of the writing process. So the sample text could be a block of writing from brainstorming or the finished piece. Sometimes it is the exact text of an assignment I received. Othertimes it will be a list of general topics I may want to write about or a stray phrase that represents the seed of an idea.
Deadlines
Here I will include official deadlines enforced by publications and/or self-imposed benchmarks for progress.
Indulgent Legalese
This section is the agreement of the contract. It's a message to self dressed up as official legalese.
"By signing this agreement you, you, I and we, full-heartedly agree to finish this story by the above dates. Work on this and stick to what has been outlined in this document. Fight on Young Writer, Write on Young Writer."
Signature
If you take up this practice, you don't have to wax seal 'em if that's not your thing. You can mail them to an enemy or put them in that little gap between the stove and the counter. Doesn't matter to me. The point is to do something that's fun for you. Because you like doing it.
What’s a creative habit you have that makes you happy? Let me know in a comment! Thanks for reading!
This absolutely never ever occurred to me to do and now I look forward to attempting to adopt it for my own writing practice. Similarly I never consistently kept a journal for fear of others reading it. So inhibiting. I also write personal essays and like that I am in control of what I share about my own life. But the contract makes it that much more consciously intentional. "Making that line clear has helped me focus on living like I would like to, instead of how I'd like to be seen." Thank you for sharing your process and ideas!