18: Writing Like Water with Bruce Lee

In this episode of the How Women Write Podcast, I explore the concept of writing flow, drawing inspiration from the philosophy of Wu Wei, famously embraced by Bruce Lee. 

Wu Wei is all about writing with effortless action. It's writing that's fluid, spontaneous, and adaptable. There are no writing blocks when we're in action. 

You'll hear an example of how I saw these principles in action by getting my hermit self out the door to not one, but two networking events in one week, helping me push outside of my comfort zone. 

Momentum in your writing helps you stay in motion. It will be harder to stop writing after you listen to this. 

This episode is filled with practical insights to help you write in harmony with your natural flow.

✨ 5 Key Takeaways

1. Embrace Effortless Action: Adopt the Wu Wei philosophy — acting (writing) without force and aligning with natural rhythm.

2. Momentum is Key: Getting started creates momentum, making it easier to keep going.

3. Imperfect Action: Don't wait for perfection. Just start writing, even if it's messy (write the imperfect SFD - Surrendered First Draft).

4. Adaptability: Be like water, flowing around obstacles and adapting to the moment by writing different things

5. Use Nature's Rhythm: Sync your writing with natural cycles and your personal rhythm.

✅ Practices to try

• Jump Right In: When facing writer's block, start writing anything (even if it's a grocery list) to get the momentum going.

• Switch Gears: If you get stuck, switch to a different writing task and then return to your original one.

• Write With Others to Create Momentum: Join a writing community for focused co-writing to stay accountable and in motion.

• Embrace Imperfection: Aim for a Surrendered First Draft (SFD) – get the words on the page without worrying about perfection.

• Attend Events: Step out of your comfort zone and attend networking events to spark inspiration and momentum. In-person events are fuel for writers.

🔗 Links:

• Intuitive Writing School Community

• Free Masterclass: Turn Your Blog Into a Book on May 29

• Toastmasters

🎧 Related Episodes

• 10. Why Author Entrepreneurs Don’t Get Writer’s Block

• 03. The Surrendered First Draft Is the Key to Your Authentic Writing Voice

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the How Women Write Podcast

00:14 Bruce Lee's Principle for Natural Flow

01:58 Applying Effortless Flow to Writing

03:28 Personal Experiences with Flow

07:56 Momentum and Action in Writing

11:47 Practical Writing Tips

14:08 Conclusion and Invitation to the free Blog to Book Masterclass