Some of your may find this interesting - short interviews with six authors about their writing rituals, inspiration, and work spaces:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/nort ... 340217.stm
Writers' Rituals
Moderators: Celeste Stewart, Ed
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Elizabeth Ann West
- Posts: 561
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:42 am
- Location: Moncks Corner, SC
- Contact:
This is going to sound awful, but it's the truth. All of the answers were so... old. It made me think of writers as stuffy, boring people who are introverts and love nothing more than shutting themselves up in an office/study. "I get distracted by people talking in the lane..."
I guess it's just such a stark contrast to myself. I love being around people, and writing with hard metal cranked way way up. I will drag my laptop and thus writing world to the nearest cafe with free wifi, just to get away from it all. I don't have a set place to work in my house, because I feel the inspiration to write from my bed, living room chaise, and kitchen table. We have an office in the house, but it just holds files, the printer, and servers. It's more of a storage room than anything else, since both of us work from our laptops.
Just me, the writer...
I guess it's just such a stark contrast to myself. I love being around people, and writing with hard metal cranked way way up. I will drag my laptop and thus writing world to the nearest cafe with free wifi, just to get away from it all. I don't have a set place to work in my house, because I feel the inspiration to write from my bed, living room chaise, and kitchen table. We have an office in the house, but it just holds files, the printer, and servers. It's more of a storage room than anything else, since both of us work from our laptops.
Just me, the writer...
Actually, I was going to ask the authors here to answer the questions posed to these authors and see how everyone compared.
I do agree that the responses could have been more original, but I'm one of those writers who needs complete silence, and that's why you won't catch me working in an office environment as an underling. I even hate the sound of the heater kicking on, the whir of my computer, the dogs barking outside. I fantasize about taking a room in a monastery and writing (seriously).
Okay. I'll go first. I'll try not to sound like a stuffy old lurch with no sense of humor.
Where are you?
That's what I'd like to know . . . Where am I?
What are you writing with?
A sense of purpose.
What is the oddest object in front of you?
My dog, who looks like an Ewok.
What are you listening to?
My computer is making coffee, the birds are silent after a brief spring shower, and the sound of my typing sounds loud in the room.
Is there anyone else in the room?
No. Even my muse is sleeping in late this Sunday afternoon.
What time of day is it?
Too early for a drink.
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
Travel websites, artists' creations (pottery work is a favorite), biographies of writers, or some fresh bread dough that I've just made in order to get myself away from the screen.
What is guarantee to remove your concentration?
Children throwing rocks at the house. The bass of some passing car. The lonesome howl of the neighbor's neglected dog. A letter from my mother. Exhaustion - either physical or mental. The onset of a headache. The smell of baking pie.
Who will go next?
I do agree that the responses could have been more original, but I'm one of those writers who needs complete silence, and that's why you won't catch me working in an office environment as an underling. I even hate the sound of the heater kicking on, the whir of my computer, the dogs barking outside. I fantasize about taking a room in a monastery and writing (seriously).
Okay. I'll go first. I'll try not to sound like a stuffy old lurch with no sense of humor.
Where are you?
That's what I'd like to know . . . Where am I?
What are you writing with?
A sense of purpose.
What is the oddest object in front of you?
My dog, who looks like an Ewok.
What are you listening to?
My computer is making coffee, the birds are silent after a brief spring shower, and the sound of my typing sounds loud in the room.
Is there anyone else in the room?
No. Even my muse is sleeping in late this Sunday afternoon.
What time of day is it?
Too early for a drink.
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
Travel websites, artists' creations (pottery work is a favorite), biographies of writers, or some fresh bread dough that I've just made in order to get myself away from the screen.
What is guarantee to remove your concentration?
Children throwing rocks at the house. The bass of some passing car. The lonesome howl of the neighbor's neglected dog. A letter from my mother. Exhaustion - either physical or mental. The onset of a headache. The smell of baking pie.
Who will go next?
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Elizabeth Ann West
- Posts: 561
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:42 am
- Location: Moncks Corner, SC
- Contact:
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Celeste Stewart
- Posts: 3528
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:28 pm
- Location: California
- Contact:
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AThompson
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:08 pm
- Location: The Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada
Great site, Elizabeth!
I answered these questions on my blog.
http://avthompson.wordpress.com/
My blog is also new, but not as nice as yours, Elizabeth! Is that a free template? Gorgeous! I have to learn how to spice stuff up.
AThompson
I answered these questions on my blog.
http://avthompson.wordpress.com/
My blog is also new, but not as nice as yours, Elizabeth! Is that a free template? Gorgeous! I have to learn how to spice stuff up.
AThompson
AT
I do like the sound of your table! I've always toyed with the idea of doing something like that on one of the walls in the loo (washroom), as I've seen pictures in interior design mags where it's looked great (and of course, it means that there is, should you need it, reading material always at hand!). Did you just glue the pictures on and then paint on some type of sealant?
As to your answers, I don't mind so much the nextdoor neighbours' kids' shrieking as I do their dog's barking (although to be fair, it's only when I venture out in the garden that he starts). Anyway, it's great at the moment as during the day the kids are at school
. Not too sure how I'll feel come August though!
JD
I do like the sound of your table! I've always toyed with the idea of doing something like that on one of the walls in the loo (washroom), as I've seen pictures in interior design mags where it's looked great (and of course, it means that there is, should you need it, reading material always at hand!). Did you just glue the pictures on and then paint on some type of sealant?
As to your answers, I don't mind so much the nextdoor neighbours' kids' shrieking as I do their dog's barking (although to be fair, it's only when I venture out in the garden that he starts). Anyway, it's great at the moment as during the day the kids are at school
. Not too sure how I'll feel come August though!JD
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Celeste Stewart
- Posts: 3528
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:28 pm
- Location: California
- Contact:
Here is list of my "writuals."
What are you writing with?
A Toshiba Satellite laptop loaded witth Windows Vista Home Premium and MS Office Word 2007 if you really care.
What's the oddest object in front of you?
The oddest? Hmmn... The construction paper moose that's supposed to be a red-nosed reindeer that my daughter made for me? How about the bunched up wads of formerly-wet coffee filters this same daughter gave me and told me to protect? "Hide them from Daddy," she whispered. Maybe it's my uncashed tax refund from the state, collecting dust because I'm too lazy to go to the brick and mortar bank. (For some reason the state didn't like my direct deposit information).
What are you listening to?
The sound of my family all tucked in. ZZZZZZZ
Is there anyone else in the room?
No. *Yawn* They are all asleep. ZZZZZZZZ
What time of day is it?
10:17 at night. *Yawn*
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
Non-fiction - The things I'm currently doing are fair game for new articles. If I'm busy researching plumbing, central air conditioners, or high efficiency furnaces because I need to replace or repair mine, I'll take my new knowledge and write an article or two about these things.
Fiction - Simple ideas are all I need. I'll set an idea free and put my characters through all kinds of crazy situations. How will they get through these scenarios? What if "such and such" happens?
What are you writing with?
A Toshiba Satellite laptop loaded witth Windows Vista Home Premium and MS Office Word 2007 if you really care.
What's the oddest object in front of you?
The oddest? Hmmn... The construction paper moose that's supposed to be a red-nosed reindeer that my daughter made for me? How about the bunched up wads of formerly-wet coffee filters this same daughter gave me and told me to protect? "Hide them from Daddy," she whispered. Maybe it's my uncashed tax refund from the state, collecting dust because I'm too lazy to go to the brick and mortar bank. (For some reason the state didn't like my direct deposit information).
What are you listening to?
The sound of my family all tucked in. ZZZZZZZ
Is there anyone else in the room?
No. *Yawn* They are all asleep. ZZZZZZZZ
What time of day is it?
10:17 at night. *Yawn*
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
Non-fiction - The things I'm currently doing are fair game for new articles. If I'm busy researching plumbing, central air conditioners, or high efficiency furnaces because I need to replace or repair mine, I'll take my new knowledge and write an article or two about these things.
Fiction - Simple ideas are all I need. I'll set an idea free and put my characters through all kinds of crazy situations. How will they get through these scenarios? What if "such and such" happens?
AT - Thanks for posting the pics, the table looks great! So much better than my horrible, boring Ikea one. I am going to start saving pages now.
Anyway, here's my writual:
Where are you?
On the sofa. Although I also write in the back room, and at the dining table. I love wireless network connection!
What are you writing with?
My fingers and a laptop, about which I know very little only that it still feels nice and new.
What is the oddest object in front of you?
I can’t see anything that’s odd (at least not to me!).
What are you listening to?
Nothing, apart from the birds’ twittering. I love silence.
Is there anyone else in the room?
No.
What time of day is it?
7.15am (I was never up this early when I ‘worked’!).
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
English newspaper sites, blogs...
What is guaranteed to remove your concentration?
The telephone. And it will almost certainly be someone cold-calling – and asking to speak to my partner. Grrr!
Anyway, here's my writual:
Where are you?
On the sofa. Although I also write in the back room, and at the dining table. I love wireless network connection!
What are you writing with?
My fingers and a laptop, about which I know very little only that it still feels nice and new.
What is the oddest object in front of you?
I can’t see anything that’s odd (at least not to me!).
What are you listening to?
Nothing, apart from the birds’ twittering. I love silence.
Is there anyone else in the room?
No.
What time of day is it?
7.15am (I was never up this early when I ‘worked’!).
What do you look at when you're looking for inspiration?
English newspaper sites, blogs...
What is guaranteed to remove your concentration?
The telephone. And it will almost certainly be someone cold-calling – and asking to speak to my partner. Grrr!