Writing Preparation

Lori:


Back when I was a wee child in school, I was in a creative writing class and we had a speaker who talked about how she prepared herself for writing: she baked brownies.

Back then I wrote all the time and didn't need to do anything but write.

Fast forward to last night. I was ready to write, in fact I was dying to write. I'd been editing a lot and was ready for some creating time.

I had to clean.

I couldn't write until all the toys were off the floors and the kitchen counters washed. I made the beds, washed the floors and organized my daughter's closet.

Then I wrote.

Today I wrote and still needed to pick up, do the dishes, and be organized. I feel like I'm stuck in quicksand unless the space around me is cleaned up.

Do you have any things that you have to do first before you can write, read or do what you like to do?



Carolyn:


Nope.

But I wish you'd come write at my house ...


Okay, I lied. Upon further reflection I do appear to have a few idiosyncrasies.

1. Blog Hopping. this can take up a whole morning. I'm fully aware I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but even if I get all virtuous and open Word and prepare to write, I find my mind wandering and before I know it, I've opened Windows and clicked on a blog to see if any posts were made. God forbid I should miss a post on a controversial thread!

What does this accomplish? Not a damn thing that I know of. It's mostly a waste of time and if I'm blog hopping I don't have to string words together so they make sense and have perfect punctuation besides.

2. I seem to have developed a habit of rereading the previous chapter. I tell myself it's to get my head back in the story, but since all I seem to do is tinker with said chapter, I think I may be lying to myself.

This is bad shit.

3. Okay, there is no #3. 1 and 2 were bad enough. I've wasted a whole damn day when I could have been writing!

That's it! That's enough! I'm gonna write something this very minute!

Damn - time to start supper. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find time tonight. After I check the blogs of course, and make sure I didn't write something I wasn't aware of ....