Anonymous asked: Not headcanon but how do you settle down to write? Do you have a certain place you like to go or do in order to get in the mood? Music? Basically how do you avoid the black hole that is the internet to get things done?
I have to be strict with myself. I am a busy bee, and between my (now full-time) job and all of the various things that I juggle, I would not get a damn thing written if I waited for the mood to hit me. The idea that you have to be in a certain mood to write is a dangerous one. Either you’re one of those people that HAS to write, or you’re someone that has developed a habit, quirks and all. The first time that I exchanged notes with someone that has the same mindset as I do when it comes to writing was when I talked to Greg Rucka last year. If he goes a few days without writing, he gets cranky. It’s a compulsion. He writes 3k a day, no excuses. That is the number that I try to hit every day, no matter what. If you wait until you’re in the right mood, you’re not going to get the practice in that you need. Some days, I write 3k or more of just beautiful stuff that I’m proud of. Other days, writing is like pulling teeth and I’m left with 3k of shitty, useless words. To hit that number, I have to write whenever I have a few minutes to spare—-that’s why I have my Blackberry, my ipad, and my desktop all synced with Dropbox; it automatically updates my files, no matter which device I’m accessing my files on.
I like to listen to music when I write—-hence all of my playlists and fanmixes, haha—-but I can’t let it be necessary to my writing process, if that makes sense. I mean, my headphones are busted, so I’ve recently had to deal with writing without music at all. When I can tell that I’m being sucked into the pit of the internet where all productivity goes to die, I break out another one of my favorite free programs: Self Control. I passionately love and passionately hate Self Control at the same time. You create a blacklist of sites that you know that you waste time on, then choose how many hours you want those sites to be blocked for. Self Control blocks those sites—-and ONLY those sites, so you can still research and access the internet as usual—-for as long as you specify. It will not reset or allow you to access anything on your blacklist until time is up, even if you turn your computer off and on.
I hope that answer helps you, anon!
