19 Steps I Took While Writing My Memoir

19 Steps I Took While Writing “Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison.”

1. Read Beautiful Writing:

I’d read (still do) what I believed was beautiful writing.

And then, one day, while I was in prison, I took it to another level. My gut told me to write the passage I had just read in my own handwriting.

For just a little bit, I embodied the author. I could feel why they chose those words and put them in that specific order.

It showed me the power of words, and it’s a practice I still employ.

2. Routine:

Based on my work schedule at the time, I wrote from 8–10 every morning. But it just wasn’t about those two hours; I had a routine I did before I sat down to write.

Cold shower, meditation, yoga, gratitude, journaling, and juggling while listening to the same song.

All because I wanted to arrive at #3.

3. Maximize my time:

I understood I only had two hours to dedicate to writing and needed to maximize those two hours.

I started thinking about times when I was in the zone and how good that felt. I knew I needed to enter that state to maximize those two hours.