Creating a satisfying writing enviroment

Creating a satisfying writing environment

The physical space in which you write can be measured and its dimension recorded. But it is also a psychological space, full of objects arranged. Here are some suggestions to help you determinate the best writing environment for yourself
The Physical Environment
How much space do I need?
How much comfort do I want?
How much privacy do I need?
Howmuch noise can I tolerate?
What´s the most comfortable climate for me?
How much light do I need?
Your own writing space
The following questions indicate particularly important points to consider.
Is this truly a room for my own?
Will others respect my privacy when I´m writing?
Do I have my favorite materials at hand?
Do I have the resources I need?
Establishing a writing time and scheduleAt what time(s) of the day or night am I almost alert? Most energetic? Most likely to have good ideas?
Once you´ve recognized your best time for working, you can try schedule part of that time for writing.
How can I tell how much time my writing will take?
Estimate how long it takes you to write a page, multiply that by the number of pages you expect the writing to be, and double thatfigure-to allow enough time for looking things up, reversing, and typing or copying the final draft.
Will others respect the time I´ve set aside to write?
They will if you do. If you´re in an office or a dorm, write with your door closed or post a “Writer at work, please don´t disturb” sign.
Understanding your writing task
1. In what mode am I supposed to be writing? A report? An argument? Anexplanation? A summary? A memo? An exam answer?
2. What, precisely, is the topic? How much latitude do I have interpreting it? Or do I have a totally free choice?
3. Who will be reading what I write?
4. Am I expected to draw primarily on my own knowledge in writing this?
5. Should the paper follow any particular pattern of organization?
6. How long should the paper be?
7. Do the spelling, grammarand other conventions of Standard English have to be followed all the time?
8. Should I be aware of any unusual or special aspects of this writing?
Creating the right mood
Most professional writers stick to a schedule, particularly when they´re working against a deadline. They keep at their work even when they don´t feel particularly inspired or don´t like the subject.
If you can´t thing ofanything to say, try focusing on your subject and writing whatever comes into your mind until you latch onto some ideas that you can expand on. If some parts are more difficult to write than are others, work first on the easy ones, which require the least concentration. Force yourself to concentrate on the subject of your writing for fifty minutes of the hour, then take ten minutes out to rest ormediate, if you need to. If in the other hand you´re in a red-hot writing mood and don´t want to stop do other things, sustain the mood and the pace, even if it means rearranging the rest of your schedule.
Rewarding yourself for writing
Why not? Finishing your writing, or a meaningful segment of it, is a reward in itself. The harder you´ve worked the grater your satisfaction may be. Knowingyou´ve done a good job is even more satisfying.
You will want to make the reward proportionate to the task at hand. Other rewards come when you´re finished. Perhaps seeing a long-anticipated movie would be fitting ways acknowledge the completion of a ten-page paper you´ve worked hard on.
Free writing, writing freely: Without focus
Free writing, as defined by Professor Ken Macronie, is the act ofputting down whatever comes in mind in ten or fifteen minutes in natural and comfortable language. You write as fast as you can, without stopping during this time, you´re writing just for yourself, not for anyone else. So your writing should be thoroughly honest, full of specific details that capture the truth of your experience and opinions, If you can´t thing of anything to say, write “I can´t...