wu wei, variously translated as "non-action," "actionless action," and "non-striving."
exs. from Chuang Tzu (Ox Carver, Archer) and Lao Tzu (The Tao does nothing, yet nothing is left undone)
The question is, How to practice wu wei when writing?
Instead of focusing on our goals (e.g., "I want to write a great story"), focus on task (e.g., capturing sensations, images; pleasurable collections of words). Writing is like the ebb-and-flow of the waves; we return again and again, polishing the words until they shine like mirrors of the soul. Certain goals (e.g., write one hundred words, write for ten minutes) may provide focus, but other goals (e.g., the desire to be published or receive accolades) only distract from the task before us.
