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Writing Tool: Flow Habits

 Powerful like the tides, fragile like the dew...  

Flow is described in many ways. Being in the zone.  The realm where time falls away.  A creative peak.  

Psychology Today describes it in the following way:

"Flow is a cognitive state where one is completely immersed in an activity—from painting and writing to prayer and surfboarding. It involves intense focus, creative engagement, and the loss of awareness of time and self."

How to get in the flow?  Here are some ideas clad in the garb of golden adventure.

Kill external distractions with a broadsword

  • Feed your phone to a dragon
  • Lock the door with a Level 3 enchantment
  • Send a donotus disturbus scroll to your friends and family

Quiet internal distractions with an orb of power

  • Pick a Patron Saint of Flow
  • Have your leprechaun companion remind you why your creative project matters
  • Post yourself a hearty reward for completing the Flow Quest

Clear time and space with a scythe

  • Block off at least a dungeon's worth of spare time
  • Find a wizard's tower with enough room to spread out your creative materials
  • Bring travel rations with you, preferably Elven bread and Olympian nectar

Pick at least one attribute of interest

  • Select Meaningful (water-type) as your starting Pokémon
  • Select Exciting (fire-type) as your starting Pokémon 
  • Select Vexing (grass-type) as your starting Pokémon 

Pick a hill you care about dying on

If you don't care about something very much, achieving flow is all but impossible.  Find something worth fighting for and then work at it.  If you set you sights on a goal worthy enough, you may not even need the advice above.  Get going.  An adventure starts with a single step.


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