A ___________ of One's Own

Y'all, I have been working on the ending of a chapter for a month now. The same ending. For a month! Part of the reason it's dragging on for so long is that I'm falling down on the job of carving out time. Planning a wedding, trying to stay healthy, and running a household after a full day at work makes extra minutes tricky to come by. Well, at least without dinging sleep or hygiene.

But I also know what works for me in terms of my ideal creative environment, and constructing that perfect, maximally productive alchemy for "getting it done" doesn't just happen at the drop of a hat.[[MORE]]

I don't have a great writing nook at home (the cat has claimed my office chair as his, and the desk is ergonomically all wrong). I am easily distracted by any little thing around me—the thirsty plants, the pettable pet, laundry that needs folding, books that need alphabetizing… For all these reasons, I prefer to write out of the house. But I also work best when I am writing with someone else. I have a writing partner that I meet with once a week (before the danged wedding planning, it was twice), but I can't expect her to be available any time a creative moment or brilliant story solution hits.

All of which is to say, I know what works and where my constraints lie. And this means that building in additional writing time requires discipline. But knowing how I write best is the greater part of the battle, and I thought my little self-assessment might work well for other writers and revisers out there struggling to find that sweet spot, too.(A little introspection never hurts, right?)

Here's hoping it helps you:

Do you write better with someone or alone?

At home, or out of the house?

If out, where? Do you thrive on distraction (a bustling cafe) or quiet (the history room at the library)?

If at home, have you maximized the comfort and efficiency of your writing space? Or do you like to write wherever you and your laptop land?

Music—and what type? Or do you need silence?

Favorite writing clothes? A hat/sweatshirt/scarf for inspiration? (I have the misfortune of loving to write in my decades-old sweatpants and a pair of dog-head slippers, but I write best in a noisy bar or cafe… decidedly not the appropriate attire!)

What were your results? Share here and see how your preferences compare to your fellow writers'…

-Lindsey

Photo by Flickr user Hangout Lifestyle