Tin House is running a series on the Super Sad True Habits of Highly Effective Writers so, as a writer who has been accused of impressive productivity on more than one occasion, I thought I’d share some of my own:
- I write in chaos. My desk is a mess, my floor is a mess; even if I’ve just cleaned, something is always a mess. I’m cultivating synchronicity, you see.
- I usually write at my desk where I sit on an exercise ball, but if it ‘s cold or I’m feeling especially lazy then I bring my laptop to bed. One day I will buy a kotatsu to use instead of my bed on cold days.
- Mostly, I wear my PJs or an old bathrobe while writing.
- Sometimes, I use the Pomodoro Technique to tear myself away from Internet fuckery, but it’s really a trick I play on myself since I almost always keep going after the buzzer for the work period ends. It’s just much easier to convince myself to start 25 minutes of work than to talk myself into starting several hours of work.
- I like to have the television going in the background or else a relevant Spotify playlist. For example, while working on my thesis, I listen to music related to the work of James Joyce. While I was writing about Lady Gaga, I listened to, well, Lady Gaga.
- I have a large French Press that lives next to my desk.
- When I proofread my work, I print out a copy (usually in a font different from the one I wrote in) and take it to a cafe. Sometimes, if the weather’s warm, this involves drinking a coffee (soy)milkshake.
What about you? How do you get your writing done?
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