Billie Dove
What she means is writing can be casual and comfortable.
Cameron writes three ‘morning pages’ of longhand every day. Morning pages are stream-of-consciousness writing that have no restrictions and carry no expectations. They act as a brain-drain, teach us to stop listening to that voice in our heads that criticises everything we write, map our interiors and often offer up insights.
Cameron says they are her pastime, which conjurers up for me images of lazy Saturday mornings of weekend papers: crosswords, book reviews, sudokus, morning pages. Mmm… I could do that.
Cameron’s writing day is unstructured and her writing fits casually into it. She might write, and then talk to a friend on the telephone. She might go out for lunch and write when she gets home. There are no strict formal hours set aside and no beating herself around the head when she fails to stick to a timetable.
I get the feeling it’s all in the attitude and the way in which we approach the practice of writing. This casual comfortable way of writing sounds appealing and relaxing, … like spending the day in loose pyjamas.
Now I just have to get me some like Billie Dove’s.
The Writers' Life 
I think you are spot on Karen in that writing is all about attitude. Its so much the desire within to write on topics some days you have little idea about and so do a little research and other time like in WP you respond to a prompt and at the end because you are writing and following a train of thought something interesting comes of it……I find I so often surprise myself with just where my mind goes and I like that I can write on so many varied prompts though occasionally I do get stumped like the current MLM prompt:
https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/photo-challenge-77-golden-hour-september-8-2015/
I am drawing a blank on, but maybe tomorrow I will have a thought. I am discovering there is little point in stressing over writing as I do it for the satisfaction I get from the process so if I don’t write one day I know I’ll probably do some the next. I hope life is treating you well…
Thanks for the great comment, Michael. You’re right, attitude makes a great difference. Sometimes words flow easily out of nothing and at other times it’s like pulling out fingernails – and as you say the non-critical acceptance of both these states is a valuable part of the writing process.
I hope you discover some wonderful track to follow today and give your blogging friends another great story to read. Thanks for the link. I’ll look it up.
Another great post from you, Karen! Julia Cameron sounds like my sort of lady. I must admit I often write in my PJs if it’s early in the day, but I’m not sure I’d ever look glamorous while doing so 😉 I find it easier to go with the ebbs and flows, as we have often discussed before. 🙂 Long live writing with fun and flexibility 🙂
Hi Joanna. I couldn’t agree more! And this is one aspect of life where glamour doesn’t even begin to come into it! Have fun writing, and living!
I get it. The marvelous quote says everything
It’s a wonderful idea, isn’t it! Julia Cameron can say the most insightful things in such an accessible way.
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Great post, Karen. Pyjamas are quite often my writing attire, but they are nothing like Billie Dove’s! If they were, I wonder if my writing would become glamorous?
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