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
