My Writing Space

Set the mood, baby

Over the years I've realized that I have to set a kind of mood around myself in order to get any good writing done. While I would love to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and write everyday, my schedule doesn't allow for it. Some of my most productive writing sessions have been at 3 a.m. when I had to work a third shift at the grocery store. I think it has to do with the fact that the world is basically asleep. That romantic notion tends to fuel me as much as a good cup of coffee, which is never far away when I’m typing.

My coffee mug and approving bust of Thomas Jefferson.

But it takes more than the stalwart gaze of Thomas Jefferson to get me ready to put pen to paper, fingers to keys, or creativity to the grindstone.

My routine

Cleaning’ up the town

If I’m writing at home I have to clean the apartment first. I've heard lots of other writers say this, but somehow having a clean work space makes you far more productive. Maybe the clutter of laundry on my floor somehow sucks the life out of my creative juices, using them to baste the t-shirts that have accumulated over the week.

My closet just threw up . . . OH LOOK A GUNPLA BOX!

Noises off

I have to turn my phone off or set it to silent. I still check it often, because I’m a slave to technology, but the sound of my text messages arriving or Facebook updates start to drive me crazy.

Little breaks

I do treat myself. Probably too often, but it helps take the pressure off of deadlines and big projects. I’m a big fan of YouTube series, since many episodes are only 5-12 minutes. And if there’s one thing I can justify it’s always finding time for an AVGN (Angry Video Game Nerd) or Game Grumps video.

Doesn't take rocket appliances

Basically I've been studying how I write in order to maximize my output. Going to school full-time, working, and trying to write and produce comics is stressful. When I have time to write I want to make sure I’m juicing that orange to bottle-filling capacity. I’m not sure what I meant by that, but I hope you at least pretended to understand what I was talking about. I’d love to hear from other creative people about their mental state when they write, paint, or send themselves macaroni versions of celebrities in the mail as personalized gifts.