Time to write...

Writing space (at least for me) is sacred.

I’d love to be one of those roving writers who can settle into a coffeeshop, a park, or wherever and write. But my brain isn’t wired that way. People distract me. Cute puppies distract me. The way the sun filters through jagged leaves onto the cracked sidewalk distracts me. You get the idea. So when my planning is done and I’m ready to finally jump in, I become a creature of habit and feather my writing nest in preparation.

I start all writing projects by hand, typically on a very high-tech notepad from Target with fineline colored pens because colored lettering is just pretty. Eventually I migrate to the computer. An entire novel by hand would be exhausting and a great recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome. But each chapter starts with good old pen and paper. Writing this way slows me down. I’m more thoughtful when I don’t have the handy delete or autocorrect in action.

Next is keeping track of the time passing in my novel or story. I scavenge Michaels craft store for outdates planners on clearance and pirate the pages. They are the perfect spot to jot down events as they happen. And there’s also always scrap paper as well to jot down future bits or reminders for consistency’s sake. Otherwise, I try to keep the space neat and clean from distractions. It’s shocking how suddenly even the most boring of chores start to look appealing when faced with writers block. In my little nest, though, I give myself permission to forget the messy house, food prep for the week, or stacks of grading in favor of being a writer.
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Now it’s time to write that book. Easy peasy.