I have a note stuck to my fridge with a magnet. It says: My house is a hovel, cos I'm writng a novel. I pinched the idea from another female author who, like me, would rather concentrate on her writing than keeping her home spick and span. Obviously that is only true to a point; I do take care of the basics, although I have never been one for regimental housework - even when not writing - life's too short. But there is a flip side to that statement: I find I can't fully concentrate on my creative work if I know there is a sinkful of washing-up waiting in the kitchen downstairs, or dirty laundry that needs loading into the machine, or food that needs preparing for dinner. I have found that I need to have a more or less clutter free mind before I can sit down at my laptop.
Without realising it I have slipped into a routine.
Firstly I tend to any little jobs around the house, jobs that I know will niggle away in my head while I'm writing if I don't sort them out beforehand.
Then I check my emails and quickly check my blog, twitter and facebook comments. Again, this plays on my mind if I don't get it done and dusted. I don't answer or comment myself (that's my reward after I have done some serious writing), but I have to see what their status is!
And while I'm actually writing...?
Well. If it's during the day, I have to take a freshly brewed mug of coffee up to my room with me, and a couple of biscuits. In the evening (that's any time after seven o' clock) a glass (or two) of wine doesn't go amiss!
Finally, I find, I write better if I don my big old baggy navy blue dressing gown with a hood...think monks attire, it won't be far wrong!...I have had this gown for over ten years - and yes, it has seen better days! - but it is so comfy and slobby, that I love it.
I then, and only then, can close the door of my mind to reality and step into my own little world....
These all sound to me like displacement activities. And that's exactly what I'm doing, Akasha, writing this...
ReplyDeleteI'm just the same my dear friend, the house has to be just so before my fingers hit the keys.
ReplyDeleteI think it must be a woman's thing too much domestication over the centruries...l0l
Frances ~ I suppose it does sound a bit like displacement activities, but I genuinely get more writing done if I have gone through my 'check-list' first! :)
ReplyDeleteJarmara ~ I agree. I sometimes think male writers have it a bit easier! (That's probably opened a flood gate or two!!) :D
I loved this post, Akasha! :-) It looks like we are similar in many ways and I find that strangely reassuring... :-) :-) :-)
ReplyDeleteVesper ~ I think writers are a different breed from the rest of the human race! :D
ReplyDeleteUgh. Routine. That's when writing starts to feel like a chore. To help break through my recent funk, I've been tweaking my routine. Instead of writing at night, I've tried hitting the keyboard first thing in the morning. Granted, I'm not fully charged without coffee, but it's something different in the process.
ReplyDeleteRabid Fox ~ I don't do mornings!! I tried for a week once getting up early each day to do an hour or so's writing before work. It nearly killed me. All I did was sit infront of my laptop gazing blankly at the screen with glazed eyes. I could not think, let alone construct a coherent sentence. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid when I'm in writing mode (which is most of the time) I just shut the door on the mess in my house. There simpply aren't enough hours in the day. I wear my favourite dressing gown over my clothes, at least in this cold weather. And I check my emails, amazon sales ratings, blogs and youtube before I get down to writing...
ReplyDeleteLeigh ~ A woman after my own heart! :)
ReplyDelete