I’ve had the privilege of sharing a number of events with fellow writers in the past couple days. Members of our local authors group, Write by the Rails (a chapter of the Virginia Writers Club), performed readings last night in Manassas, VA. Today, we hosted panels and workshops at the local Arts Alive event. I had a chance to meet and catch up with a number of talented folks including Dan Verner, John DeDakis, Tamela Ritter, and others.
One of the workshops was “Finding Your Muse” about overcoming writer’s block. The hostess was my blushing bride and co-author, Stacia Kelly. She covered a number of topics including vision plans, apps to use, visualization techniques, scheduling time, etc. One of the variables she discussed was the writer’s environment. I found this particularly interesting.
When we break down the writer’s environment, we have to take in all sorts of information. Is there a set location where you feel you can write with focus? What about time of day? Noise around you? Music? Background noises? Who else is nearby? Is it too easy to distract yourself with menial things that seem important but just keep you from writing?
Any and all of these are things that contribute to or distract from your writing. These conditions can only be one of three things: a help, a hindrance, or neutral. Here are a few things I learned from today’s discussion:
-I write violent, mysterious, explosive, deadly action stories. Night time is when I get most of my writing and editing completed.
-Music is a wonderful outlet for me. The right music is (pardon the pun) instrumental in me getting my ideas on to the page.
-I welcome writing sprints and power hours as a way to block off time and get the juices flowing. (Ask Mabel.)
Here are a few of my challenges:
-I have a hard time writing during the day for two reasons. First, sunshine and smiles are few and far between in my work (for now). Second, that powerful subconscious in my brain is being vigilant about my son. I know once he’s in bed, he’s safe, but even when he’s sharing an office with me, I keep part of my brain in tune with what he’s doing and who he might be interacting with online. That keeps me from concentrating 100% on writing.
-When it comes to music, my tastes have to match my writing. My Leon “Catwalk” Caliber series features a future cyberpunk dystopia. Major keys and pop singalongs become distracting. I prefer guitar driven music with an electronic edge (from artists like Celldweller, Blue Stahli, Garbage, Rammstein, and Zeromancer.) My character in the Urban Samurai series is a homicide cop who loves his Impala and classic rock, so I play a lot of 70’s bands like Boston, Kansas, The Eagles and Led Zeppelin when I write Ryan’s scenes.
-Editing sometimes requires a different focus than writing. That may mean turning down the tunes, or going back and reviewing a scene from a number of different perspectives. Taking the time to do this may mean working in a different time of day or location. Finding that spot may be a challenge.
So, writers and aspiring writers, what works best for you? Do you prefer writing in solitude or need the buzz of the coffee shop around you? Is music an asset or a distraction? Do you schedule your writing time? Let’s hear it!
All the best,
nK
