If you want to write prolifically and productively, you need to start thinking of writing as your life, and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. By adjust your lifestyle, I mean taking into account what you eat, how you exercise, your sleeping patterns - and equally critically, where you put writing in your daily schedule. Here, I want to look at creating the right environment to maximise your effectiveness as a writer.
Critically, where is your writing space? Is it in the middle of chaos, surrounded by childrens' toys or facing the distressingly filthy kitchen? Do you have a writing space? Now, while I can recommend having a space dedicated just to your writing, it's not necessary. For the first month or so that I dedicated my lifestyle to being a writer, I wrote in my four-poster bed. Every night I would get home from the gym, have a shower, dinner, and then jump straight into bed and turn on the lanterns that I had hung from each post. I would then write for a few hours before going to sleep. It made for terrible sleep hygiene, but as I have no problem with sleeping (more with staying awake), it was fine, and it was truly a wonderful time in my writing life.
When I got my tax return I went out and bought myself a special 'writing chair'. (It in itself is not special, as it's IKEA and probably half the world has the same chair, but it's given significance by my treatment of it.) I aim to do nothing in that chair except write. Is my writing any better for it? Hard to tell, though my back is a bit happier.
As I live in a one bedroom apartment, my chair is in my main living area facing my kitchen area. This can lead to stress in some people, and while you can train yourself to block out the call of other things that need to be done, I found that the most effective way to rid myself of those nagging thoughts about cleaning was to get myself a cleaning lady. Lilly and her partner come every second week and clean my entire apartment, so I never have to worry about it. All for the price of staying an hour and a half longer at work (or not going out to a movie and dinner). Definitely worth it.
I've made concerted efforts to make my writing environment nice. My furniture is arranged so that I have inspirational books on shelves within arm's reach, inspirational words and favourite quotes festoon the walls, and I have plants around me. I find pictures that evoke my work to myself, as well as large prints of places I've travelled to and adventures I've had, both of which excite my imagination.
Lighting is very important to me, a not just having a good light - it sets my mood, illumines my thoughts, and places the shadows of my plots before me. Sometimes low, mood lighting is the most effective, while at other times I need sunlight streaming in. I've experimented with my lighting options, and have a lamp that has a warm light bulb in it, along with my down lights, and moved my chair to be situated right near the windows. I love having lanterns around my four poster, and think fondly back to those times that I wrote in bed like a princess, but have not moved them to my current location so I still get princess reading time before sleep. How does lighting affect you? Are your lights too harsh? Do you need to invest in a lamp? You might be surprised the difference it makes.
I also have different soundtracks that I play depending on the book I'm working on. Music changes my mood and the tempo of my writing (also sometimes the tone), so it's an excellent tool to vary what you say and how you say it (as well as putting you in the mindset).
I once heard about writer who had tried unsuccessfully to write while raising young children. She eventually tried locking them in a play pen so she could sit down and write, but the complaints and noise made that impossible. So her solution? She set the kids free and locked herself in the playpen! And it actually worked for her, so don't be afraid to think outside the box (or in this case, inside it!).
So, now I want you to visualise your ideal writing situation. If you could write anywhere, with no budget restrictions, what is around you? At least, what are the key elements?
Personally, I have two images I keep coming back to:
A clear, light conservatory, with a comfortable chair and greenery around me. A water feature and cool breeze, with a side table that has shelves for books and can hold my pot of exotic tea that I breathe in deeply while thinking.
The second is that of a warm, carpeted study, with large French style windows that look out into tree branches. A fire crackles in the hearth, and dark wood bookshelves surround the room. A large mahogany desk is what I work out, and when I pause I savour the delicious smell of freshly roasted coffee with the warmth of the blaze.
In these two images, the colour contrasts and the amount of light are important. The nearness of books inspires me, and the use of natural elements such as wood soothes me. The two examples I use mean I don't need much memory input, such as the photographs I have up around me, (the inspirational books on the shelves serve that purpose for me). I try to recreate the essence of these two images as much as I can in my current environment.
Describe your imaginary writing space in as much detail as you can, even down to the scent in the air. Spend five minutes trying to go deeper: where is the light coming from? What is closest to you? What colours dominate the scene? Are you sitting, standing, reclined? How are you supported: feet up with a neck rest, sitting on a desk chair, no back rest? What is your method of writing - desktop, laptop, typewriter? Once you have gotten as much detail out as you can, go through and make a list of elements that are most important to you. Then from these, implement any you can into your current space.
Critically, where is your writing space? Is it in the middle of chaos, surrounded by childrens' toys or facing the distressingly filthy kitchen? Do you have a writing space? Now, while I can recommend having a space dedicated just to your writing, it's not necessary. For the first month or so that I dedicated my lifestyle to being a writer, I wrote in my four-poster bed. Every night I would get home from the gym, have a shower, dinner, and then jump straight into bed and turn on the lanterns that I had hung from each post. I would then write for a few hours before going to sleep. It made for terrible sleep hygiene, but as I have no problem with sleeping (more with staying awake), it was fine, and it was truly a wonderful time in my writing life.
When I got my tax return I went out and bought myself a special 'writing chair'. (It in itself is not special, as it's IKEA and probably half the world has the same chair, but it's given significance by my treatment of it.) I aim to do nothing in that chair except write. Is my writing any better for it? Hard to tell, though my back is a bit happier.
As I live in a one bedroom apartment, my chair is in my main living area facing my kitchen area. This can lead to stress in some people, and while you can train yourself to block out the call of other things that need to be done, I found that the most effective way to rid myself of those nagging thoughts about cleaning was to get myself a cleaning lady. Lilly and her partner come every second week and clean my entire apartment, so I never have to worry about it. All for the price of staying an hour and a half longer at work (or not going out to a movie and dinner). Definitely worth it.
I've made concerted efforts to make my writing environment nice. My furniture is arranged so that I have inspirational books on shelves within arm's reach, inspirational words and favourite quotes festoon the walls, and I have plants around me. I find pictures that evoke my work to myself, as well as large prints of places I've travelled to and adventures I've had, both of which excite my imagination.
Lighting is very important to me, a not just having a good light - it sets my mood, illumines my thoughts, and places the shadows of my plots before me. Sometimes low, mood lighting is the most effective, while at other times I need sunlight streaming in. I've experimented with my lighting options, and have a lamp that has a warm light bulb in it, along with my down lights, and moved my chair to be situated right near the windows. I love having lanterns around my four poster, and think fondly back to those times that I wrote in bed like a princess, but have not moved them to my current location so I still get princess reading time before sleep. How does lighting affect you? Are your lights too harsh? Do you need to invest in a lamp? You might be surprised the difference it makes.
I also have different soundtracks that I play depending on the book I'm working on. Music changes my mood and the tempo of my writing (also sometimes the tone), so it's an excellent tool to vary what you say and how you say it (as well as putting you in the mindset).
I once heard about writer who had tried unsuccessfully to write while raising young children. She eventually tried locking them in a play pen so she could sit down and write, but the complaints and noise made that impossible. So her solution? She set the kids free and locked herself in the playpen! And it actually worked for her, so don't be afraid to think outside the box (or in this case, inside it!).
So, now I want you to visualise your ideal writing situation. If you could write anywhere, with no budget restrictions, what is around you? At least, what are the key elements?
Personally, I have two images I keep coming back to:
A clear, light conservatory, with a comfortable chair and greenery around me. A water feature and cool breeze, with a side table that has shelves for books and can hold my pot of exotic tea that I breathe in deeply while thinking.
The second is that of a warm, carpeted study, with large French style windows that look out into tree branches. A fire crackles in the hearth, and dark wood bookshelves surround the room. A large mahogany desk is what I work out, and when I pause I savour the delicious smell of freshly roasted coffee with the warmth of the blaze.
In these two images, the colour contrasts and the amount of light are important. The nearness of books inspires me, and the use of natural elements such as wood soothes me. The two examples I use mean I don't need much memory input, such as the photographs I have up around me, (the inspirational books on the shelves serve that purpose for me). I try to recreate the essence of these two images as much as I can in my current environment.
Describe your imaginary writing space in as much detail as you can, even down to the scent in the air. Spend five minutes trying to go deeper: where is the light coming from? What is closest to you? What colours dominate the scene? Are you sitting, standing, reclined? How are you supported: feet up with a neck rest, sitting on a desk chair, no back rest? What is your method of writing - desktop, laptop, typewriter? Once you have gotten as much detail out as you can, go through and make a list of elements that are most important to you. Then from these, implement any you can into your current space.
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