Writing Essentials (my way)
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As a writer, I’m always asked about the writing process. How do I come up with characters, where my inspiration comes from, what’s my writing routine, etc. I promise to cover all of those questions in a later post, but today I want to talk about my “writing station.” Although I do have a designated writing desk that I use often, my “writing station” can be set up anywhere at anytime. It’s basically the bare essentials I use whenever I need to get my ideas down on paper, whether it’s a blog posts, poem, or the current novel I’m working on.
Having a designated writing space is very useful and convenient, but for me, it can also be stifling. Let’s face it…inspiration can hit at any moment in any place, and I need to be prepared. With everything I need already safely tucked away in a backpack, I can set up shop wherever and whenever my creative imagination calls. So what’s always in my writer’s bag?
Okay, so maybe the coffee mug isn’t in the bag, but you can bet your blessed behind that there are a couple of tea bags (chai or English breakfast) in there. Here lies all of the basics I need to fulfill all of my writing needs.
MacBook Air: this is self-explanatory. I’m not writing all of those novels by hand.
A note book or two: I may not be writing novels by hand but I am writing out my poems. It’s the weirdest thing: Whenever I’m writing poetry, it has to be hand written, otherwise, I come up with nothing. Also, the notebooks help me to keep track of all the ideas that pop into my head, research, etc.
Mouse: Have you tried scrolling up and down the screen with over 60,000 words typed in Microsoft Word using only the trackpad? ‘Nuff said.
Leather office desk pad: seriously, I love this thing. Not only does it do the obvious (helps the mouse move smoother), but it’s waterproof and large enough to protect other surfaces that I may be using as a workspace, (i.e. wood tables, desk,).
Pen: self-explanatory
Cell phone: It’s another strange thing. Whenever I have my novel pulled up on my computer, I hate going back and forth between Word and Safari to look up synonyms, definitions, or whatever else research I may need to do, so I just use my cell. (Particular, I know.)
Flash drive: yes, I still use them. I know, I know, I’m still living in the dark ages, but when you’ve written an 80,000 word manuscript, you can’t only put your trust in one source. Sorry iCloud.
Kindle: because I need a good distraction from all this writing I’m doing. What better than a good book to take away the cares of writing? Okay, I have a copy of the Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression downloaded. Does that make it better?
The Bible: last but certainly not least. This is the root of my sanity and grateful heart. Whenever I need it, it’s always with me. Besides, being a christian fiction author, it comes in handy. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, just pull up the bible app on your phone.” And I do, a lot of the times, but it’s still not the same as having this printed, leather-bound, life-saving book in my hands.
And there you have it, folks. Everything I need on a day to day basis to get some writing done.
Blessings,
Tamarria
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
