Writing Environment

While trying to write, I had, like I said, some ideas. I have one book done and the ending to the second book written with plenty of chapters and ideas. Yea, there will be two, not sure about a third, but there will be two.
I decided to use a piece that I had written. I looked at it, I read it, I started to make some red marks on it. I sat in the living room, I went to the kitchen table, I went back to my room, I tired to find an environment to write in, but just could not do it. I put on my favorite music, I got out paper and some pens and began writing. Nothing!

I just could not find an environment to write in. Nothing made me happy, nothing seemed to get the juices flowing. That really bummed me out. I wanted to write.

I went and weeded thru all of my saved newsletters trying to figure out what to do. Looking for some clue that would help me find a place or a way to write. Still nothing, until I came across a book that I got free from the net. It was a short e-book, the title is 60 Tips and Tools for Staying at the Writing Desk. There had to be something there to help me, right?

I read it and had to chuckle just a little. I found out that Victor Hugo liked to write naked. There were some helpful hints and ideas, if writing naked works for you, go for it, but if you want to keep your clothes on, here are some things that they suggested.

Try writing with different tools. If you are like me, I am sure that you do most of your writing on the computer. It just seems to be so easy. It has spell check, and if don't like something you can delete it and do it over. How about writing with crayons? Come on, how much fun would that be?

I do want to try this and that is walking around with a recorder. I thought how great would that be to have a recorder handy. I could just recorder what was on my mind. That would really be handy if I were in the car, or out for a walk, get an idea, record it and put it on paper later. A recorder would have been great the other night when I was up at 1am writing.

I have found that scheduling a time to write doe not really work for me, I am still in the mind set that it is forcing me to write and I can't write under pressure. If it works for you, by all means go for it...Let your family know that time is for writing and you can't be bothered. I did read a blog over the week and the blogger had made the comment that she goes into her room and no one is to bother her unless blood in involved. I think that is a good rule, may use that.

What about writing outside, at the park. I would like to have a office with big windows. I like to daydream, that is when ideas come to me.

After reading this I looked at what I had done, well I started out looking at what I had not done. It slowly turned into what I had done. I had written something. It was not what I wanted to write. I did not finish that chapter that I set out to finish, I did not work on the other chapters that are not finished yet. I did add a little more to the chapter that I wanted to finish. I did begin to write an outline for new chapters

So what I have found is that there is no right or wrong place to write, there is no right or wrong way to write, do what makes you comfortable.

Before I close, i want to thank Joan Dempsey, Dawna Kemper and the rest at Literary Living for the e-book '60 Tips and Tools for Staying at the Writing Desk' You can visit them at www.literaryliving.com if you sign up for their newsletter, you can receive the e-book for free and there are some other e-books for download as well.

Happy Writing
Barbara