I sit in the comfort of an armchair with my laptop, and a cup of black coffee close at hand.
I may read a poem, or a few chapters of a novel to get my creative juices flowing.
Occasionally, I listen to classical music, but I mostly write and edit in silence.
Do you have a particular routine?
My favourite place to write is in the spare bedroom. With a really hot cup of tea and a croissant, I lock the door, put my headphones on, watch random nonsense on Youtube for a ridiculously large portion of the time until I feel like I am in the zone. And then I begin to write.
I think if I could find a better way to get in the zone, I might be more productive…
I am up on a mezzanine gallery above the bedroom, under a Velux window. I've never tried playing music while I write: far too tempted to join in. Silence works for me, with the pattering of rain above me, and the occasional sounds of life from Mr S below, as he comes and goes with wood for the fire, or to make tea. He's renovating the second cottage next door, so there can be sounds of electric saws now and then from the workshop across the courtyard.
Once I get going, I don't think about tea or indeed anything but the job in hand, so it's good that he pops his head up the second stairs now and then with a cup.
I usually write in the afternoons, but can make myself start earlier, as I did today. When I'm editing for other people, I start early and work all day: I'm aware that they want their work back as soon as possible. It's physically tiring, and I should take more exercise breaks. A proofreader friend of mine sets a timer to tell her to stop and take a break. I may well have to adopt the same idea.
I'm going to look into buying an ergonomic mouse, as I've got tennis elbow in my left arm - and I only use that arm for the mouse because I wrecked the other shoulder doing the same thing and had to have physio for 18 months. Computers are insidiously dangerous, and we should all be aware of that.
And stretch...
Lorraine
I try to write early every morning - to aid this I arrive at work at 7.30 am, a good hour and a half before everyone else. I have a standing desk because I found the combination of work and writing meant I was sitting too much.
I wish I could listen to music but...
I need absolute quiet to hear the voice in my head.