Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Writing Space

Yes, I missed my Tuesday post. It was a combination of satisfaction with the amount of quality writing I got done yesterday afternoon, and the frustration with all the things at home that take away from my ability to write there.

Where do you do your best writing? For me, it is the Belly Buster Sandwich Shop in Ontario. The atmosphere reminds me so much of the old breakroom at Spectek, where 'The Blademage Saga' was born. I can park myself in a corner, hunker down over a sandwich, a bowl of soup, and my netbook in relative peace. Like the old breakroom, there is now an intermittent stream of people talking to me about writing, and now sales and marketing. As before, it slows down the actual writing process, but helps keep the drive alive. A few people have come to me looking for tips on certain aspects of writing or other facets of the business, and I always come away from it wondering who has learned more from the exchange.

Where do you think you could do better writing? I've often thought about converting a room of the house into an office, but it would mean moving the girls into one room. While I think it's a fine idea, there are other parties that always seem to disagree.
My ultimate writing space would be a basement office, no windows, soundproof. An antique rolltop desk loaded with a CPU, a gaming console, charging stations for all appliccable electronics,and space for reference materials would be centered on a short wall, flanked by built-in wraparound corner bookshelves. A wall-mounted 32' hdtv for a monitor, and the back half of the room lined with tapestries, armor and weapon stands, as authentic as possible.
That would get me in the mood.

I'm hoping to be able to have something like that by the time the third installment of 'The Blademage Saga' is out. Whether or not it is new construction or finding something that can be modified, we'll just have to wait and see. But it's on my list. It's something that helps the drive, planning toward specific goals, achieving them little by little. That's what makes this all work, holds it all together.

What's your plan?

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Tuesday Tip February 12: Change your Surroundings

This can work on several levels. What do you need to change about where you are to make your writing better? Do you need to remove distractions from your workspace? Do you need to add them? Do you need to remove yourself, to a more productive environment? Take a few minutes to identify what is working for your art, and what is not. Weigh the costs and the potential benefits, and if it makes sense, take action.

One thing I have done recently is try and surround myself with other motivated writers. The Writers Group we've started over here in Ontario is rolling slowly, but attendance has become more consistent. It seems easier to pick out issues with each other's work, and advice and improvement are flowing in all directions.

See what you can do in your drive for improvement.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Tuesday Tip February 5th: Put in the Time

Writing group went well today despite low attendance. Steve from SIG made it all the way from Boise for his first meeting. We answered some questions, and put more on the list to research. Next week, we'll try to have a chapter or so each to pass around for peer review, get back to basics.

The next few weeks are dotted with events and time set aside from 'work' to devote to the real stuff. Although Journeyman Warsmith is not progressing according to its new accelerated timetable, it is moving along, and the plot is deepening further than planned. That's always good, right? The next few days should be productive on some front or another, as I'll be away from normal society (even further than usual), with all my writing accessories and motivation from a loyal fan. This could be a turning point. We'll just have to put quality time in, and see what comes out.