Creative writing - From think to ink - Lindstrom Simeon 2015

Your writing workshop and essential hardware

Ok, so I promised that this book would not really be about the nuts and bolts of writing, but this chapter is an exception. In this chapter, we’ll talk about creating a safe, productive and happy little writer’s nest that you can work your magic in.

Your nest doesn’t have to follow any rules other than those that will help you maximize your creative output. Most of the time, this will mean nothing more than removing distractions and interruptions to allow your natural creative spring to bubble up. Consider these elements as you set up a workspace that makes sense for you:

Concentration

You’ll need a space that will allow you to do your thing without risk of pulling your energy away or putting any interruptions in your creative flow. For most people this means somewhere quiet and undisturbed, but some people also enjoy the quiet hum of a coffee shop or similar. Your place should allow you to follow a train of thought for as long as you want without distraction. Think about noise levels, other people coming to get you or things like Facebook or snacks distracting you.

Comfort

In a sense, discomfort is a kind of distraction that can pull your focus away from where it needs to be. Make sure that in your little nest, your physical needs are cared for and you are comfortable. Consider all your five senses and make sure you’re treating each one right.

This means the room shouldn’t be too hot, cold or draughty. Make sure your lighting is adequate, with a moderate source of preferably natural light coming from behind or to the side of you. Make sure there’s enough airflow and fresh, clean air, and, obviously, make sure you’re not wet or cold or somewhere dirty or untidy.

You can go full hippy with it and burn some special incense that gets your creative juices flowing, play whale music and light a candle, or you can head to a coffee shop you like and plug in your earphones while you type away with a cup of hot chamomile tea. Do what works.

If it’s part of your process, buy a cheap printer (this is so you can print things out and do editing by hand with a series of pens and highlighters) and the literal files and folders you’ll need to organize information. Some people like to have index cards stuck onto the wall to keep track of scenes/main ideas, other people use a whiteboard and coloured markers.

So, that’s the hardware …what about the software?

Most people find a word processer the best for writing, and use either Word or some notebook software on their laptop. There are some fantastic ones available that are very minimalist, to get rid of distractions and mimic that pure, white page in front of you.

Another idea is to get an app that cuts down on distractions (we’ll look more at procrastination in, uh, a later chapter…) such as one that only allows you to look at blocked sites for a few minutes before cutting your connection and forcing you to get back to work.