Writing Set-Up: The External

Feb 15, 2010 01:51


Setting is an integral aspect of success in most anything. It can especially be so when it comes to writing. It’s not the type of work that most go to any particular workplace for. We can’t all afford chalets in the wilderness, or motel rooms for months at a time, or to attend writer’s retreats in the forests of Washington state.

In my case, I can’t even afford my own office. My writing station is instead a mere two feet away from my bedside. Mid-afternoon naps are unbelievably tempting.

At my desk, I try to keep everything clean and organized. I create a nest out of pillows (since the chair I have is old and rickety and painful to sit on), and have a stool since my feet don’t touch the ground otherwise. I keep my Gregg Reference Manual handy, a cup of coffee nearby, and little else.

I am minimalist and particular about my writing set-up, and this extends into external stimulus as well. If the television is playing in the living room, I have to wear headphones and block it out. Lyrics or speaking upset my concentration. The only words must be my own.

The music I listen to while writing is instrumental or in a language I can’t even try to understand-essentially, anything that isn’t English or French.

My first novel was written while listening to Glay’s Heavy Gauge, a 1999 Japanese rock album. (As far as Japanese rock goes, another favourite artist includes Shiina Ringo/Tokyo Jihen.) Not that my novel has anything to do with Japan. I just didn’t know of anything else to listen to before Melissa saved my life-see below.

My second novel-a post-apocalyptic fairytale set in a circus-was written primarily to the soundtrack from Mirrormask, which was composed by Iain Ballamy, and World’s End Girlfriend’s The Lie Lay Land. Both are circus-themed, fantastical albums-I like to listen to music that suits the novel.

My darling Melissa introduced me to post-rock, such as do make say think, Explosions in the Sky, Mono, and Sigur Rós. My (other) darling, Shilo, introduced me to Immediate Music and X-Ray Dog-film score composers who create fantastic, dynamic pieces that are superb for action sequences. [Thank you to both of you for being such great writing buddies. ♥]

I would take a picture of my set-up, but it seems a bit silly since there really isn’t anything fancy about it. I use an iMac with a 21.5″ screen and the dinkiest little keyboard you will ever see. (Seriously. It’s dinky. Look at the full-sized one.) Aside from the Mac, I’m really not fancy. I just try to keep as pristine a writing environment as possible.

My dream set-up? A tiny closet of a room with just my desk, computer, a (decent) computer chair, reference manual, and an espresso maker. Is that really so much to ask for?

Originally published at The Circus at World's End. You can comment here or there.

writing, inspiration, writing spaces, music

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