How To Create The Perfect
Study
Writers write. Some
are picky. Others don't care if it's on the back of a menu from Wong's
Pizza. We all write somewhere. The few who are too obsessed to wait,
even write on toilet paper. Long ago I was guilty of that. I still have
the 19 squares somewhere in my possession. That poem won me a new desk
set. One word of caution. Recycle is not an appropriate word in bathroom
writing.
Most of us seem to write better
in some environments than others. Personally, I can't write worth a damn
when my household is active. Thus my bat like habits. And I have a tough
time working in ink anymore. Poetry yes. But articling, web content or
humor, the keyboard is my friend. Inspiration and creativity can be
affected by the space we work in.
The following is a guide to
designing the perfect work environment for writing. Here you will find a
list of helpful hints for making that space your own.
- Make sure your chair is
comfortable, but not sleep inducing. A comfortable chair is a must. It
prevents foot swelling, back curvature and heavy gas buildup.
- If you must drink coffee (a
recent poll shows that 97% of writers subsist on coffee alone for 83% of
their work week) please provide a space for yourself to place your drink
AWAY from your keyboard. Fellow humorists who send you email with
excerpts from their latest work cannot be held accountable for keyboard
damage from sprayed beverages. Windowsills work well as coffee holders.
The next time you pick up your cup, you find it that perfect
temperature...just this side of cold. What could be more familiar?
- When stocking up on office
supplies, buy larger quantities of paper clips, stick up notes, and
rubber bands. The patent office archives are bulging with designs from
procrastinating writers. Be ready for the inevitable.
- If in doubt as to what kind of
computer you wish to invest in, ensure that it has some of the following
comfortably familiar features...at least one stuck key (provides
diversion and pause for thought), 3 unlabeled disks. Similar to
unlabelled tins of food, unlabelled disks can bring you hours of
enjoyment as your family thinks you're working hard on your latest
deadline. Caution - insert and explore the contents of unlabelled disks
in the privacy of your new study, alone. That missing adult file may
just have surfaced.
- For the lady writers, (and
perhaps a few of the men) keep a tray of your favorite nail varnish
colours handy. You have your timing down perfectly. One good coat and
dried by the end of a page. Why not take advantage of an already
established habit?
- For the gentlemen writers, (and
perhaps a few women) keep your electric razors, nail clippers and a
small mirror handy. These personal maintenance jobs are perfect for
wasting up to a third of your writing day.
- To ensure complete success, do
set up your "lucky" spot. Any item you feel reflects your
creative desires, lucky streaks, favorite deity, muse or magazine. Each
has a way of enticing your creative flow. What would a work space be
without clutter? Flat, unamusing and a real downer.
- For optimal practice, the scrap
bin must be at least seven feet from your chair. With seven to nine
feet, you can perfect your arc to the bin and make the basket every
time.
- Your perfect space must have a
window. Unlike my writing window which looks out onto a lovely flat
brick wall, try to give yourself a window with some life beyond the
glass. Nature can create a fascinating vista for time wastage.
- Finally, the most important
thing you should remember about the perfect writing space. Never let a
pen/pencil and paper near the place. No writer should find a pen when
they need one. This throws the creative equilibrium completely out of
whack, leaving the writer a mere shadow, clutching the pen tightly in
hand, staring at it with bloodshot eyes, wondering just what this thing
might be.
Copyright 2001 - Satiric Quill |
