Ask the Author: Arnie Kozak
Answered Questions (6)
Arnie Kozak
Which book? The Awakened Introvert was a natural progression from my other work on mindfulness and Buddhism and my recent book on introverts (The Everything Guide to the Introvert Edge). Mindfulness A to Z came to me in a fit of inspiration, almost like an image ... "hey wouldn't it be cool to have a mindfulness book organized like a dictionary ...."
Arnie Kozak
As an introvert, writing nurtures my solitude. I enjoy spending the time alone that writing requires. Sometimes, though, I like to be alone amidst others and then I'll grab my Air and go to a public place and write such as a restaurant or bar. The writing life allows me to spend a lot of time at my home in the mountains with my dogs and that is the best part.
Arnie Kozak
I find that it is largely a matter of knowing when to push and knowing when to relent. The rest of it is taking care of the foundation that supports your writing whatever that happens to be for you. For me, it is meditation, exercise, and writing practice. There are times when I treat writing like a public meditation session. I sit down in front of the computer and I set a timer. I don't get up until the timer goes off. It's the same discipline as public sitting. I won't get up and go to the bathroom, check the refrigerator, or peak at my phone when doing meditation. There are other times, especially when I am fatigued, where wisdom dictates that I step away from the writing and do something else. Maybe I'll just check out or maybe I'll do some organizing of files or office that will indirectly support my writing. These are also times when doing my daily disciplines of meditation, qigong, or other exercise can be very useful.
Arnie Kozak
The key to writing is finding, trusting, and refining your voice. I am still in the process of doing that as, I think, most writers are no matter how accomplished. Getting to know yourself through the discipline of meditation can help with connecting to your voice, having confidence in what it has to say, and allowing it to say what it wants--and needs--to say. Of course, writing is a process and when we pay attention to the process rather than getting fixated on the products, we can enjoy ourselves more and, I think, actually write better.
Arnie Kozak
My meditation is the foundation for my inspiration. Sometimes, ideas visit me on the cushion and other times it just helps to keep the creative juices moving. I also do writing practice, a variation of Julia Cameron's morning pages and Natalie Goldberg's timed writing. It's a meditative/transformational process that I created called Story Art. Reading the work of others is also a good source of inspiration.
Arnie Kozak
I've just finished edits on three books that will be coming out in 2015. The first is the Awakened Introvert: Practical Mindfulness Skills to Maximize Your Strengths and Thrive in a Loud and Crazy World (New Harbinger, May 2015). This is a workbook that brings the power of mindfulness to introverts. The second is The Everything Essential Buddhism Book (Adams Media, July 2015). This is an abridgment of my Everything Buddhism Book (2nd Edition) that came out in 2010. The third will be Mindfulness A to Z: 108 Insights for Awakening Now (Wisdom, September 2015). I've been working on this book for a few years and we have finally gotten through the editing process.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more