Two hours of solitude. A comfy chair, outlet and mocha at Starbucks. Gifts I didn't want to putz away online. (I'd already putzed a bit.) Time to write. Something. Anything.
Not the time to do volunteer work on the computer, as I've done a few other times this week. Not because I'm so altruistic, but because I was running from writing.
While trying to make myself eek out even a 300 word crappy draft, I knew I needed some music. Since U2 is my favorite, I started with them on Pandora, sprinkling in some Depeche Mode, New Order and The Cure. Nope. Listen to words while trying to write words doesn't work for me.
On to Alex Bugnon. Nah.
Next up, Vivaldi. The Four Seasons always inspire me. (Not you, Frankie.) Finally, I found my soundtrack.
Antonio and his counterparts are apparently what I need to get me writing. Sorry, Bono, your music is a constant in my life, but not for writing. Depeche Mode and New Order - great for dancing, working out & housework, not so much for writing. Mr. Bugnon, you help me relax but you don't help me write.
Bach's Brandenbrug Concerto and Tocaata and Fugue are perfect. (Though the Fugue does make me pause. Fugue-itaboutit.) Throw in a few piano nocturnes, maybe George Winston for some contempoary piano.
Then I discovered the browser windows, with Pandora in a separate one, need to be minimized and resized so I can easily like, dislike or skip tracks. Ahhh...my writing sweet spot.
This points toward the importance of writing as a habit. If I know what works for me and find what it takes to create a Pavloving response of wriing (hopefully not salivating), I'm setting myself up to succeed.
Next step, figure out if I can squirt out bits of drafts at home, with the laptop open on the bar, in between the rest of my life.
Do you have any rituals, conditions or wacky idiosyncrasies that help you write?
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