Preparing to write, where to write, and writing often

Write is such a unique talent that it would be impossible for me to tell you how, where, and how often it should be done. The best I can do is give you some pointers.

Preparing to write

When you are preparing to write any sort of creative work, all you really need is yourself and some way to get your words down. You have to do what works from you.

If you are a very organized and formulaic person, you might need to schedule a time, sit at your computer, get a cup of coffee, and focus hard. If you are more laid back, you might rather write when you feel like it or prepare with a ritual.

How you begin writing also depends on why you are writing. If you are a full-time professional writer with deadlines, writing only at perfect moments will not work for you. Most likely, neither will jotting down this and that on a legal pad.

How you prepare to write is completely up to you.

Where to write

Write where you write best. If you write the same no matter where you are, you should consider yourself lucky.

Some people might need complete silence when it’s time to write. Maybe you like to have light music or chatter at a café to get the writing juices flowing. The only bad place to write is the place where your writing comes to a stop.

Write often

We would all love to write as often as we can. Instead of deciding to write often, you should decide to write consistently. Writing for an hour every day is better than writing for 8 hours on day a week because you are more likely to stick to the smaller increments.

Of course, this might not go for everyone. If you deal better with large sporadic writing time slots, than stick with it, but if you find you aren’t writing as much as you would like, try something new.

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