Jan Marquart's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-habits"
Pen and Tea
I headed to the table with my journal and cup of green tea this morning, then realized that I haven't written without sipping on a cup of tea for decades. I'm on my 90th daily journal and it makes me wonder just how many cups of tea have I had over the years while I wrote. The same holds true when I write my books. If I know I am going to be at my desk all day working on editing I often make a pot of tea and sit it close to my computer. I skip meals but I always have tea on hand.
Is it the taste of tea that needs to accompany the movement of my pen? I don't think so because when I write I hardly notice the taste. So what is it I wonder? Could it be that the warmth is so comforting it allows me to safely open my mind? Could it be that it satisfies an oral desire that nurses me deeper into myself?
Looking back over several decades I remember when I was in college and had lengthy philosophical papers to write I wouldn't be able to sit and focus without a pepsi and package of Oreo cookies. And one night when I awoke at three in the morning and headed to a 7-11 for a 6-pack of pepsi did I realize I was addicted to the darn stuff. I turned around, went home and haven't had a pepsi since; That was 1975. Maybe that's when I switched to tea. I don't remember.
Writing makes me raw, depending upon what kind of writing I'm do. Hemingway drank wine. I tried that a few times and it certainly took away my inhibitions but it also took away my concentration, so that didn't work. I can't have a glass of wine and do much of anything at the same time anymore.
Over the years dropping my pen's point to the paper or turning on my computer with a mind full of thoughts has to be accompanied by a warm cup of tea. Maybe it is just a matter of being warm and comforted inside. I'll have to ponder this longer.
What about you? Do you smoke while you write? Do you munch on M&M's? Do you need soft music in the background? Do you need your dog near you -- oh -- that reminds me. Echoes from the Womb, a Book for Daughters; The Breath of Dawn, a Journey of Everyday Blessings, and Meeting the Moon, a Journal Notebook for Reclaiming your Emotions was edited with my cat on my lap. I'd read the books aloud and she'd sit on my lap, eyes open as if she could hear everything. But here is the weird part. She'd reach out her paw and place it on my palm. If something sounded off balance, she'd look up at me. If I needed to take my hand away, she'd meow. How weird is that? She was the best editor I ever had.
Getting back to my question. What about you? What habits accompany your writing? Do you clean your house before you can write? Do you need an open window or use a particular pen before you settle into your thoughts?
Do tell...
Is it the taste of tea that needs to accompany the movement of my pen? I don't think so because when I write I hardly notice the taste. So what is it I wonder? Could it be that the warmth is so comforting it allows me to safely open my mind? Could it be that it satisfies an oral desire that nurses me deeper into myself?
Looking back over several decades I remember when I was in college and had lengthy philosophical papers to write I wouldn't be able to sit and focus without a pepsi and package of Oreo cookies. And one night when I awoke at three in the morning and headed to a 7-11 for a 6-pack of pepsi did I realize I was addicted to the darn stuff. I turned around, went home and haven't had a pepsi since; That was 1975. Maybe that's when I switched to tea. I don't remember.
Writing makes me raw, depending upon what kind of writing I'm do. Hemingway drank wine. I tried that a few times and it certainly took away my inhibitions but it also took away my concentration, so that didn't work. I can't have a glass of wine and do much of anything at the same time anymore.
Over the years dropping my pen's point to the paper or turning on my computer with a mind full of thoughts has to be accompanied by a warm cup of tea. Maybe it is just a matter of being warm and comforted inside. I'll have to ponder this longer.
What about you? Do you smoke while you write? Do you munch on M&M's? Do you need soft music in the background? Do you need your dog near you -- oh -- that reminds me. Echoes from the Womb, a Book for Daughters; The Breath of Dawn, a Journey of Everyday Blessings, and Meeting the Moon, a Journal Notebook for Reclaiming your Emotions was edited with my cat on my lap. I'd read the books aloud and she'd sit on my lap, eyes open as if she could hear everything. But here is the weird part. She'd reach out her paw and place it on my palm. If something sounded off balance, she'd look up at me. If I needed to take my hand away, she'd meow. How weird is that? She was the best editor I ever had.
Getting back to my question. What about you? What habits accompany your writing? Do you clean your house before you can write? Do you need an open window or use a particular pen before you settle into your thoughts?
Do tell...
