Monday 5 November 2012

Every great writer needs....

 
Every great writer needs....
An extensive library at his or Her (in my case,) fingertips, I have the good fortune to have a darling Husby whom is building me my very own. He is building me and actual library come study in a spare room next to our lounge. The thought of it is my retreat and my paradise although I still find myself enjoying the allure of public libraries. I go to extend my knowledge inside books I don't have but particularly if I need to shake myself out of a writing block I go for a fresh environment a change of pace, somewhere I need to get dressed and look presentable. This alone helps, staying in one's tartan embroidered pajamas doesn't do much to help you think of plot lines or characters if you yourself are hidden away from the world in one’s bed-clothes now does it?!
This is also particularly useful should you find yourself with the dreaded writer's block or you are stuck in a mode or comfortableness that your work is becoming bland: my dear, take yourself for a walk- somewhere different to where you usually go- a long road or path a different park or canal towpath, explore and your creative juices will come flowing once again trust me. Should this not help you immerse yourself into a book any book just no one that you are currently reading it has to be a book that you can start at the first page and not be entirely familiar with this also will induce your creative-side!
You need a good place to sit and write or type if you prefer, (don't use a particular medium because you think you should, most writers feel the need to write on paper first before typing but you need to find what works for you.)
You also need two comfy chairs to sit at;

​One to sit in and write (something sturdy and supportive) and the other to relax and read through your work comfortably, so a nice big squashy chair with lots of comfy cushions. You need a good workspace, with plenty of room to spread your paper, stationery and books over, I like a wooden desk that’s ancient and I acquired from a thrift store some time ago but it is perfect and sturdy, I like to sit at it up to a large open window so I can stare out into the Yorkshire wiles.
Good lighting is key to working comfortably. Sitting working in poor light or a space where the lighting is too bright can give you a headache and make you feel strained or achey, so make sure you have a suitable table lamp by your desk and during daylight hours open the curtains as wide as you can and let that natural light. ​
You need quiet to concentrate on a piece but you also need the hustle and bustle of a place such as a coffee shop or cafe to people watch; to create good characters and to study mannerisms and attitudes.
 
 
A good writer needs a notebook or pad of paper with them always, in your bag, on the nightstand and most definitely on your desk, constant supplies of freshly sharpened pencils and pens in at least three colours,
-Black for writing:
Black is formal and presents your writing with a strong and serious image.
-Red for correcting:
Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling errors so it stands out and you learn from your mistakes in the future.
& Finally
-Blue for editing:
for adding a sentence, whole paragraph or even an entire chapter -so you can see where you have gone from first draft to second (I like to do further drafts in yet another colour so I can differentiate & show how I have improved.)
You also need to immerse yourself into your writing, so if you have things on your mind or something worrying you, write them down onto a separate piece of paper and put it into a drawer or throw it away. This will help you to clear your mind and focus on your writing.
Once you get into the zone hours can fly by unnoticed but you need to make sure you have regular breaks, preferably at hourly intervals with a short walk or at the very least movement on your feet. The risks of blood clotting and leading to major health failures are high in people who tend to sit for too many hours, so this is very important an something to remember!
Discipline is key. All good writers have the discipline to write a certain amount of articles or spend a few hours a day writing. If you want to take taking writing to the next level, the discipline should be ingrained right from the start. Allotting a few hours a day, whether a good article comes out or not, is a good idea. Later, when there comes a time to work on major or multiple projects, the writer will not have a problem with having the mind spill out words that contribute to the making of a great article each and every time. In fact, even if you don’t have work to do, a writer should just sit and write about any topic.
-Mrs. N x

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