he end of reworking my WIP rewrite in accordance with the feedback I've been getting from my dear friends and family. As always, they've been tough on me (in a good way!) and I've learned a lot. I'm feeling inspired about pushing forward with Part 2 of the book. It's still a daunting task, but the comments I've received have given me a roadmap as to what my readers would like to see as the story unfolds.So now I want to talk about a seemingly mundane topic that we all have had to address in our writing endeavors: WHERE and WHEN to write. I'd like to take an informal poll - how many of you are creatures of habit, having to write in exactly the
same spot, at exactly the same time each day? That's generally how I'd describe myself. I'm a morning person (always have been) and so most of my WIP has been composed between 7AM and noon on the downstairs sofa where I'm now sitting.
I'm starting to rethink my rigid writing pattern, however. I need to pump up the output so I can get this thing finished and ready for a final beta-reading. (Remember, the goal is to have this puppy off to agents and small publishing houses by the fall of 2010.) So that means I have to be adaptable. Our house is VERY small and my husband works from home. He has a loud voice, which is great for Skyping tech guys in the Ukraine, but not so great for his aspiring author wife downstairs (did I mention that our bedroom is a loft-thingy with no doors?)
I recently started going to the cafe in town to do some writing. It gets noisy around breakfast and lunch, and at times I'm afraid I might explode from all the herbal tea I have to drink in order to feel legitimate, but it's still better than home. I also suffer from Easy Distraction Syndrome (with a strong disposition toward Eavesdropaholicism), so it is a bit of a challenge to stay on task.
FIGURING IT OUT AS I GO: Today I'm turning to YOU for advice. How do you block out the world and find your writing zone?
Lucky for me I have the house to myself from 7-4, M-F... except for my dog who sometimes likes to poke me with her wet nose. I try to get a lot of my heavy stuff done during that time since it's quiet and I can focus. Then on the evenings or weekends I do research or blogs or whatever else doesn't require intense concentration. Of course... I still manage to get distracted: good books, dishes that need washing, laundry, sunshine, etc.... I think it's just a matter of saying each and every day: "Okay... time to write." Having low, lyricless music playing in the background sometimes helps me as well. Good luck finding the Zone!
ReplyDeleteI write at night, from 9 - 11 PM. And weekends whenever I want. Sometimes I write by hand, sometimes on the computer. The computer is always at the kitchen table so I can be with the family. To block them out, I wear my pink headphones and turn on Pandora.
ReplyDeleteAh...bliss...
I write at night. I find the dark doesn't have the distractions of light. I can see my imagination better rather than having to focus on the outside world. Plus, it's quieter. That probably doesn't make much sense but so be it.
ReplyDeleteann
Gave you an award.
ReplyDeleteCollect it here: http://annellealtman.blogspot.com/
ann
WOW - okay, now I realize I really need to up my game. ;-)- I'm gonna find my blissful writing zone if it kills me! (And thanks for the award, Ann Elle ... I'm on it now!)
ReplyDeleteI'm a creature of habit, too. I write at night after everyone is in bed because I can't concentrate with their distractions. My study is the only place I write, too. Maybe I should try a change of scenery.
ReplyDeleteLately I've been writing while at school. I have a lot of down time in my very very long days. I have my iPod with me and I listen to it while I write. It helps keep out the world.
ReplyDeleteBut I used to just go hide in my bedroom with the door shut and my music on.
More great tips. I'm off to the cafe shortly ... wish me luck at keeping my ears closed to the rest of the world! ;-)-
ReplyDelete