The Madness to My Methods

I love articles about how writers actually write. The practicalities of it--where do they work? How do they work? What do they use to write? I like seeing their work spaces--or sometimes, the lack thereof. I like seeing who works longhand and who works on a computer or typewriter (apparently, some still do a first draft that way).

So, just for the fun of it, I'll cover some of what I do:

Hardware: I use a REALLY cheap laptop to do the majority of my writing, a lousy little Dell I picked up at Office Depot that cost less than $200. I don't use it for anything other than writing so I didn't need it to be fast or have amazing graphics. It's good for what it does. It can be frustratingly slow at times, but it's a good little machine. Long battery life, a good keyboard. That's all I need there. I don't often write longhand, but when I do I have a very nice hardcover notebook I use for just such a purpose. I have two pens I like to use: one is a cheap fountain pen (if you've never tried writing with a fountain pen, try it. They are nice!) and the other is a Cross ballpoint. Cross makes the best pens.

Software: I use a program called Scrivener to write now, though I'm very new to that (the novel coming out in November will the first one I wrote using Scrivener). It's a pretty solid little program meant solely for writing novels. I guess you can do screenplays on it, too--but Celtx is better for that. I used to use Google Docs for the majority of my writing, but I got a good deal on Scrivener and I really like it. I use Google Docs now for when I'm not around my laptop or home computer. I can log in and write what I need to, then copy-and-paste it to the main document in Scrivener.

Workspace: I have a very nice desk in the basement of my house. It's an old military surplus tin-side that weighs a ton. It's comfortable and smells ancient. I like it. It was in my house when we moved in. The former owners begged me to take it because it was too much of a pain in the ass to move it. I accepted. I only really work on layout on down there, though. And sometimes editing. I find my creativity and focus are both stifled when I try to work at home (there's always something to clean, or fix, or a pet that needs attention, or something on TV, or internet to dink around on), hence the laptop I can take on the road.

When I really want to sit down and write, I have to go someplace. When I lived in Rochester, Minn., there was a little table on the second floor that overlooked the street. I liked to work there. It was almost never in use when I went there. Now that I live in Sun Prairie, I will occasionally go to the SP library, but their chairs and tables aren't the most comfortable. I prefer working in a booth at Culver's in Sun Prairie. (I'm trying to get a sponsorship from them--if you know anyone in the franchise offices, let them know!) I also like working at the Arby's in Sun Prairie. They both have really comfortable booths and free wi-fi in case I need to look something up online.

I don't do coffee shops. I know that's the traditional work space for writers away from home. Every time I go into a coffee shop, I see someone hacking away on a word program. I don't care for the smell of coffee and the vibe in most coffee shops throws me off. Culver's or Arbys' is good enough.

When I do work at home, I either sit at my kitchen table (which makes me have to deal with two cats who think that they own the table for some reason, or I sit on my couch with a plastic lap desk (which makes my dog think it's belly-rub time). When I work at home, I don't listen to music anymore, either. I used to. Now, I put on reruns of a favorite sit-com that I've watched a billion times. I've seen it so often that I can ignore it, but it provides a comfortable background noise. It doesn't distract, but it's there to keep me company. SCRUBS, PARKS & RECREATION, and MASH are my favorites. Sometimes I will put on the Food Network. I can safely ignore that as well, but it's nice to occasionally look up and see a really tasty-looking burger.

Okay--that's enough of a distraction from real work for today. I'm going to plow ahead on a new novel for the next hour or two, and then go home for dinner. If anyone is interested, I can break down my actual writing process. It's probably not as exciting as me occupying a booth at Culver's, though.

As an addendum: There are 117 reviews of AFTER EVERYONE DIED on Amazon right now. I am very grateful for them. If you can, please tell your local library to get a copy or ask a local indie bookstore to carry it. Mystery to Me in Madison has hard copies, if you're interested.

With the completion of the editing process for the new book (which isn't a sequel to AED), I can go back to working on that sequel in earnest. Wish me luck.

--Sean

PS--If you write and want to volunteer your methods and locations, please do in the comments. I would love to read them.