I’ve been proofreading a book this weekend. While working through chapters late Saturday night, I got to thinking about the importance of my writing and reading environments. As my brain is feeling pretty fried, I thought this would be a good topic to explore this evening; a softer note to end the week on, or to start the new one, depending on how you look at it.
I don’t think it’s easy for anyone, no matter how inclined you are to focus, to sit down and force yourself to type or edit for prolonged periods of time. But if you’re going to do the damn thing, sit for hours on end you must. This can be much more tolerable, effortless even, if you’re able to achieve flow state.
It can take me a long time to get into flow state, and once it’s broken, it’s difficult for me to slip back into it. One of the reasons I’ve become accustomed to doing the bulk of my writing and editing work at night is because it allows me to avoid distractions that disrupt that euphoric creative experience.
To help get in the zone, I like to create the ideal atmosphere. That’s always meant surrounding myself with sounds that match the vibe of what I’m working on.
When I was writing my first novel, I kept replaying specific playlists I made—mostly of ‘90s and 2000s alternative rock, punk, and indie rock. My Bloody Valentine’s album Loveless was another favorite of mine to listen to. Lots of Loveless on repeat.
Then I got into keeping old television shows on low in the background, which either provided a comfort and pleasantness to facilitate the steady drift into deep work mode or mirrored the mood of the story. Gilmore Girls became my go-to background show. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, I’d say there’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy my first novel, A Wonderful Place To Die. The similarities between the lives of the show’s characters and my book’s characters are completely coincidental. I’m a little embarrassed to say I realized them only recently.
I actually didn’t watch Gilmore Girls until I was an adult and the show had long been off-air—and after my book characters were already thought out. I was a little young to relate to the show when new episodes were being created the way I relate to it now.
The inspiration for my characters came mostly from my own life. Dani Moran is like a cross between Rory and Lane—a studious private school girl with dreams of becoming a writer who’s obsessed with rock ‘n’ roll and plays in a band. And yes—that very closely describes who I was as a teen.
As I work on my new novel, which is set in the early 2000s and contains supernatural elements, I’ve been listening to a lot of emo (since it puts me in the mindset of that time), Goth rock, and dark, spooky instrumental playlists.
In what ways do you set up your environment to better concentrate while writing or to get deeper enjoyment out of your reading experience? I’m interested to know. Feel free to DM me, email me at nightowl1471@gmail.com, or leave a comment.
Until next time, friend. Cheers.
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Having the right environment is definitely important. I've come to define it a little more differently now, though, because I don't always have the luxury of holing up inside a cozy study or library to write.
Music takes somewhere between 10 to 20 minutes to start altering our mood, physiological response and hormones. So, I do this first to separate myself from more immediate concerns like oil changes, groceries and weekend schedules. I just sit and listen to something awesome. I don't write anything for about 10 to 20 minutes unless I'm REALLY ready to go. Seems to work well enough most days, and I can even do this on the metro if needed, thanks to the wonderous powers of noise-cancelling headphones.