Let’s take a break from the world of role-playing and look at the other driving force behind this blog: creative writing.
It’s hard for some to get into the mood for writing. We have plenty of excuses for that lack of inspiration. The laundry needs to be washed, the house is dirty, the desk is cluttered, it’s raining, it’s too nice out… You get the idea.
Where do you draw the line and say, “Enough is enough”?
When Perfect Really Isn’t
There’s really very little in the house to distract me. My roommate works, so I have the house to myself all day. No need for an office door. The cats are scarce. No one telephones (except maybe Mom when she hasn’t heard from me in a while). No one drops in for an unexpected visit.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. Sometimes having the perfect environment can be just as bad as having one that isn’t. I still have to figure out what works best for me. I have plenty of distractions throughout the day, and most of them arrive in the form of instant messaging and email.
I work on graphic design on my computer in the office for eight hours or more a day. By the time I need to write, I’m tired of sitting in that comfy office chair and staring at the dual high-tech monitors. Some people would kill to have my quiet home and that office. By the end of the day, I don’t want to be there anymore.
Finding Your Writing Space
Every writer has his or her special place for writing. Hemingway had the tropics, Kipling had a desk on the landing of a staircase in a swank hotel, and Stephen King has his office – with a door.
Finding your space doesn’t necessarily mean creating a physical space for working, although that is a big part of it. Finding your space is a way of getting your mind prepared to focus on the task. Your space is your trigger. When you go there, your brain knows what you’re going to do – and it does it.
For me, taking the laptop into the living room and sitting on the couch with my feet up and the TV on in the background is heaven. James constantly asks how in the world I can work with the TV on. It’s easy for me. The pictures on the screen aren’t words. The opposite is true when I work on graphics; I listen to music. See? It all balances out.
At night, I can let my words pour out. It’s like setting my mind free to wander. Even King admits needing AC/DC cranked up on the stereo while he writes. The louder the better, he says.
What sets your mind free? What helps you to shut out the world and dive into that blank page?
this might sound soggy, but I write in the jaccuzzi. I set up a little table right next to it and I have a notebook out there and a pen. A glass of wine- or coffee- depending on the time of day and the ideas just seem to start flowing. granted, I usually come back to the computer and write in details or fine tune things but the basic inspiration very often starts there. The other place I write is in my living room/Library. No TV in there. Just my Barrister bookcase stuffed with books, my water fountains, candles and windchimes and my piano and guitar and painting things. All of my creative stuff. NO work, and nothing that sucks away creativity.
Wendi Kellys last blog post..MOVING DAY!
I write best to music without words (so I’m not distracted by singing along, because I HAVE to sing if there are words). If I have that, all I need is a comfortable office chair, a clean desk and a computer. Give me those things, and everything else disappears. The music helps me to focus and makes it feel like I’m in another world because it drowns out distractions.
Same with graphics or coding, but with that I must have sing-a-long music… much to the probable dismay of anyone nearby.
Nicoles last blog post..What Comes Around
I generally get the apartment to myself as well. Unless it’s a weekend or he’s working form home, my boyfriend will be at work most of the day. It’s nice for me because I can work without him distracting me, but at the same time sometimes it’s difficult because I get lonely.
When I’m trying to get work done, I usually listen to sing-a-long music. I cannot work with classical music (too many years of ballet… classical music makes me choreograph in my head, which is immensely distracting) and I can’t deal with smooth jazz – it’s too flat for me.
Our living room is our office, so we have our desks and our TV in the room. I used to work with the TV on, but lately I’ve been leaving it off.
Wendi – (For a second there, I almost called you Selene!) In the jacuzzi? Sheesh woman… I’m jealous.
Allisons last blog post..Koo-Ki Sushi
@Wendi: I’m jealous too, and now you’ve got me thinking, “Damn, I have enough space in the back yard for a jacuzzi…”
@Nicole: Yes! That’s exactly it. Music for graphics (love to sing too) and visuals for writing. I tried explaining this to James once, that I can’t mix words with words or pictures with pictures when I work.
@Allison: Cats make good company
Ok, no jealousy please or you have to take the broken back that comes with the jacuzzi, It’s part of the therapy ( I’ll admit, the good part) that goes along with the exercises and stuff I have to do so I don’t end up with a steel rod fusing my back together.
Wendi Kellys last blog post..For the Love of Words
@Harry – Yes, unfortunately the boyfriend doesn’t do so well with cats.
@Wendi – No fun.
I’ve done the whole physical therapy thing several times, although luckily none of my injuries were quite that bad. Eeesh.
Allisons last blog post..Koo-Ki Sushi
@Harry I think by default James operates in a world that’s completely foreign to me, so it’s not at all surprising that the music concept is totally lost on him.
The way you just put it makes sense to me! No words with words, etc. Suddenly, after all these years, the reasoning clicks and doesn’t sound completely absurd. Yay!
Nicoles last blog post..What Comes Around
@Wendi There is no doubt in my mind that if I attempted the jacuzzi thing (and we do have a tub) I would immediately drown something important or electrocute myself. I know I know, heaven forbid I resort to simple paper and pencil to write.
Nicoles last blog post..What Comes Around
@Harry – By the way, any idea where that picture was taken? I’d definitely love to be writing there…
Allisons last blog post..Koo-Ki Sushi
@Allison: I think it was taken in the Mediterranean somewhere.
Looking back at some old discussions here, and thought I’d throw my 2c in.
I spend all my day time coding for work in front of a computer. When writing, I actually prefer doing it without a computer. (In fact, I struggle when trying to write on a computer… my brain just doesn’t handle it as well). The primary downside to that is… 99% of what I write never actually makes it onto a computer
The things I need in order to write are:
1) a nice (fun) notebook. I really like fancy journals, as long as they can lie flat reasonably easily. It’s important for me that it’s nice and pretty, because then I really want to write in it. And, I *love* shopping for new journals
2) a good pen. I absolutely love writing with fountain pens. There’s just something about the way the nib of the pen glides across the page that entrances me.
The funniest part is, my mom is starting to get interested in writing a bit too. She generally doesn’t get along well with computers, but she does all her writing on a computer. She thinks I’m completely crazy to insist on writing by hand because I can type so much faster than I can write. *shrug*. Go figure