Ask the Author: Richard Ebbs
Answered Questions (6)
Richard Ebbs
Ted Hughes, one time British Poet Laureate, once said 'the progress of any writer is marked by those moments when he manages to outwit his own inner police system'. Wendy Cope, another British poet, could not resist writing a poem to the 'tune' of 'A Policeman's Lot' from the point of view of the unhappy policeman assigned to patrol the unconscious of Ted Hughes. If you're going to try and outwit the internal policeman then I you must of course be something of an anarchist, using an anarchist's strategies. Or you may prefer to think of inspiration as 'the Muse'
and see the Muse as being almost like an angel who wants to talk through you, and so put something new and beautiful into the world. If you don't listen, then she loses interest, but if you do listen, and wrestle to give that inspiration a good shape, then the bond between you may grow stronger. Just maybe then she will give you more material.
Insofar as this is true, the first thing to do is to make an effort, to try, in whatever direction seems appropriate. If you have flashes of inspiration it's important not to let those flashes of inspiration slip away. Past experience is a prime source of inspiration for many people. But you have to really 'get inside' the experience once again to really express it well. Most of what goes on in our brain (thoughts, feelings, images, sounds, decisions etc) is unconscious. Buried away in our unconscious minds are memories of things we thought we had forgotten, and there's a huge amount of richness that will remain inaccessible unless you make the effort to give a voice to what's in there. Paul McCartney's 'Yesterday' 'came' to him in his sleep, and Einstein claimed to have solved major theoretical problems when he was asleep. Clearly the unconscious mind is powerful, but most of us need to train ourselves to be tuned in to what's going on there. So always keep a pen and notebook by the bed. Keep a notebook with you during the day. Use it.
Most writers of literature force themselves to write at least a certain amount every day, whether they feel inspired at first or not. If you do this and approach it in the right way, you often find that the inspiration does come, and come more often, so one way around writer's block is just to say 'screw you, writer's block' and just get on with it. It can be useful to
get your brain out of the habit of thinking it needs inspiration or special conditions. Rather than think you are suffering from a lack of imagination, realize that with a little effort you can in fact exercise the imagination anywhere at all.
To outwit the inner policeman and make contact with the Muse we often need to let go of our perceived boundaries, and let our instincts override our minds. Down in the underground tunnels there's a blinding flash at the workface- the Muse has used a stick of dynamite to reveal lots and lots of glitter in amongst the smoke. So let go of everything until you've mined the seam completely. Don't worry about finding the perfect nugget now. You've struck the mother lode. It may be better not to 'edit' too much at this point - just get all those rocks out before the roof collapses. You can crush the stones and pan for nuggets at your leisure. If ideas are coming to you it may be good not to worry about punctuation or capital letters or whether your sentences are complete or even whether what you are saying makes sense. Lose your inhibitions. It's better out than in.
Some people talk about finding a 'writing space'. That is, a space that's free from distractions where it's easier to focus on what you're doing. Or, you may do this by walking- the idea is to find some kind of activity that will give your mind the freedom to roam. Go for a drive on a quiet road, do some housework, but while being active let your thoughts play around with your idea(s). And get them down on paper or tape, ASAP. Then (after the inspiration) comes the *perspiration*...
and see the Muse as being almost like an angel who wants to talk through you, and so put something new and beautiful into the world. If you don't listen, then she loses interest, but if you do listen, and wrestle to give that inspiration a good shape, then the bond between you may grow stronger. Just maybe then she will give you more material.
Insofar as this is true, the first thing to do is to make an effort, to try, in whatever direction seems appropriate. If you have flashes of inspiration it's important not to let those flashes of inspiration slip away. Past experience is a prime source of inspiration for many people. But you have to really 'get inside' the experience once again to really express it well. Most of what goes on in our brain (thoughts, feelings, images, sounds, decisions etc) is unconscious. Buried away in our unconscious minds are memories of things we thought we had forgotten, and there's a huge amount of richness that will remain inaccessible unless you make the effort to give a voice to what's in there. Paul McCartney's 'Yesterday' 'came' to him in his sleep, and Einstein claimed to have solved major theoretical problems when he was asleep. Clearly the unconscious mind is powerful, but most of us need to train ourselves to be tuned in to what's going on there. So always keep a pen and notebook by the bed. Keep a notebook with you during the day. Use it.
Most writers of literature force themselves to write at least a certain amount every day, whether they feel inspired at first or not. If you do this and approach it in the right way, you often find that the inspiration does come, and come more often, so one way around writer's block is just to say 'screw you, writer's block' and just get on with it. It can be useful to
get your brain out of the habit of thinking it needs inspiration or special conditions. Rather than think you are suffering from a lack of imagination, realize that with a little effort you can in fact exercise the imagination anywhere at all.
To outwit the inner policeman and make contact with the Muse we often need to let go of our perceived boundaries, and let our instincts override our minds. Down in the underground tunnels there's a blinding flash at the workface- the Muse has used a stick of dynamite to reveal lots and lots of glitter in amongst the smoke. So let go of everything until you've mined the seam completely. Don't worry about finding the perfect nugget now. You've struck the mother lode. It may be better not to 'edit' too much at this point - just get all those rocks out before the roof collapses. You can crush the stones and pan for nuggets at your leisure. If ideas are coming to you it may be good not to worry about punctuation or capital letters or whether your sentences are complete or even whether what you are saying makes sense. Lose your inhibitions. It's better out than in.
Some people talk about finding a 'writing space'. That is, a space that's free from distractions where it's easier to focus on what you're doing. Or, you may do this by walking- the idea is to find some kind of activity that will give your mind the freedom to roam. Go for a drive on a quiet road, do some housework, but while being active let your thoughts play around with your idea(s). And get them down on paper or tape, ASAP. Then (after the inspiration) comes the *perspiration*...
Richard Ebbs
You have the power to touch people in a positive way.
Richard Ebbs
Believe in yourself. Understand that it's an iterative process. If you are disciplined and want to become a better writer, work hard and and you will become a better writer. The journey of 1,00 miles begins with one step.
Richard Ebbs
Currently I'm working on a long-term project relating to the subject of 'critical thinking'. This decades-long process is an attempt to explore the subject in an engaging, non-academic way in the hope that it will be easily accessible to anyone wishing to hone their critical faculties, by focusing on everyday experience.
Richard Ebbs
Walking, nature, calmness, focus.
Richard Ebbs
Where did I get the idea for Atheist Spirituality - A Workbook? That's not the easy question to answer, but here goes:
I first read Alan Watts' The Way of Zen which I was 16 years old. I learned to meditate. Then while still a teenager I met Khen Ratcliffe, influential teacher at the IHS yoga center in North Wales. Then in my late 20s I studied Kabala and a number of other 'esoteric' traditions. And as the years went by it became more and more clear to me that 'religious' beliefs, maps and symbols seem not to be a prerequisite to experience that could
justifiably be considered 'spiritual' experience. Now I want to share what I have learned.
I first read Alan Watts' The Way of Zen which I was 16 years old. I learned to meditate. Then while still a teenager I met Khen Ratcliffe, influential teacher at the IHS yoga center in North Wales. Then in my late 20s I studied Kabala and a number of other 'esoteric' traditions. And as the years went by it became more and more clear to me that 'religious' beliefs, maps and symbols seem not to be a prerequisite to experience that could
justifiably be considered 'spiritual' experience. Now I want to share what I have learned.
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