Check Your Environment: Preparing to Write

by | May 10, 2016 | writing

Check Your Environment Blog PostIs anyone out there a recovering perfectionist/borderline OCD like me? Didn’t think so 🙂 Well, I am. And sometimes that can cause havoc for a girl trying to get some writing done. I’m all over the place, all the time. My mind is filled with the things on my to-do list (which grows by the minute, especially if my environment is cluttered). I find it difficult to concentrate on anything, much less my characters and plot lines, if my environment is out of sorts. I found that I need to take time preparing to write. What do I mean?

Take time to set up your space. This is best done ahead of time. Have a space that is yours for writing. A place you feel comfortable and inspired. Or at least able to work. Then get to work setting it up with the things you need. Like your research, your notebooks or paper, pens, notes, character sketches, outlines, basically any supplies you think you might need. Take the time to have it all there when you start writing so you don’t have to stop and go looking for it.

organizeMake out your to-do list. This may seem inconsequential, but if I don’t do this, I will think about it the entire time I sit there. If I take a few moments, to write out what needs to be done that day and put it to the side, my mind is more clear for writing.

De-clutter. It may just be me, but who can write with a ton of clutter around them? If I see something out of place in my periphery, it bothers me and distracts me until I get up and put it away. So, my writing suffers. It would be better, to ensure my writing space is as it should be before I get started. Again, this may just be for the border-line OCD-ers out there.

Check Your Environment Blog Post (1)Eliminate distractions. You know what I’m talking about – social media, the internet, e-mail, your phone….the list goes on. There are apps out there (which you can search google for) that will block your access to the internet for a given timeframe (determined by you). And apps that silence/block your phone likewise. These can be super handy if you find yourself intending to sit down and work, but end up an hour later deep into social media. It happens.

All in all, when I sit down to write, I want to be producing quality work. That means I need to take the time to set the stage for said work. What things do you find make your environment more conducive for good work?

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Sara R. Turnquist