A friend recently asked us for some tips about writing; specifically, about what works for us. Here are some of the tricks we at Stonebunny find useful to keep on track.
Eliminate distractions. Send the kids to a friend's, take the phone off the hook, do not check your email.
Try to work in a quiet room with minimal optical distractions (the room should be uncluttered, clean, the walls preferably a cool colour).
Music on low is allowed. Especially good are Solitudes, classical and soundtracks. Music without words is best, so the lyrics don't distract you. You may find that certain scores inspire your pen. One of our favourites is the soundtrack for the movie 'Gattica'.
You can use scented candles, incense or oils to create a calming atmosphere when you write.
Try to organize what you'll be writing before you start. Come up with ideas or headings, then group them and place them in order. This helps keep in mind what areas you need to focus on.
Do not worry about what order you write in. You can work on the middle of your writing first, then the beginning, then the end. Write organically.
Do not edit while you are writing. A lot of people will edit what they've written so far over and over, rather than work on anything new. Save the editing for the end.
Do your rough draft on paper. It more organic and the ideas will spill out of your pen. Working directly on the computer can be intimidating (that big blank white screen) and make you want to edit rather than write. Working on paper also removes you from email, the internet and solitaire.
When you are writing, just write. Don't worry about flow, grammar or sentence structure. You can fix that later while editing.
Try to always carry a notebook with you to jot down ideas. You never know when inspiration will strike (such as on the bus, in line at the bank, or in the doctor's waiting room).
