Today we're talking about using the gift of sight to enhance our writing space and to write more efficiently.
From last week's comments, I know many of you do not write in the same place every single time you write. I don't either. Most days I write in my office, but sometimes I write at a coffee shop, or I move my laptop to our kitchen table.
My laptop faces in the opposite direction as the window because I get distracted. And yeah, I'm snoopy. I'll watch the neighbors comings and goings, count how many birds are in the yard, determine the exact shade of the sky in an attempt to predict if it will rain. Do I want to waste my time? Of course not! It's just I'm a very visual person and it's hard for me to ignore movement. So I make sure there is no view for me to glance at when I'm writing.
When I write at a coffee shop, the lights and colors are usually conducive to help me write better. The only problem is the other customers. Movement! I can't help but check them out.
Colors and light also affect me. A too dim room may cause my mood to turn melancholy, which isn't good if I'm writing an upbeat scene. Ugly colors, clutter, or a glare on my laptop screen also affect my writing. I've learned to keep my desk tidy and the shades closed. This allows me to put out consistent work and find the correct mood for the scene.
Since I'd like to paint my office next year, I'm considering colors for it now. I don't think bright colors would work for me. Definitely not gray. I'm not an orange person. Magazines trigger ideas, so I'll just keep clipping until my brain fuses the perfect combination. The colors and decor have to soothe, have to be comfortable, have to put me in safe frame of mind.
What sights affect your writing? Windows? Light variations? Colors? I can write in almost any surroundings, but I can't always write efficiently. What about you?
Guess what? Today I'm heading to a coffee shop, but I don't even plan to write. Why not, you ask? I'm meeting fellow writer and blogger extraordinaire, Jody Hedlund, for coffee!! What a blessing! Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get together for coffee? Sigh...
Join me on Friday when we'll discuss how the sense of touch affects your writing.
Tell Jody hello for me and congrats!! Wish I could be sitting there too with you all:)
ReplyDeleteOh, you guys are so lucky. Say Hi to Jody for me, please. And have Jody say Hi to you, for me, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm very easy when it comes to surrounding while I write. I tend to block everything out anyway when I'm in the mode. But since my office is in the basement, I did paint it bright yellow to help brighten it up.
Oh, have so much fun with Jody. How much would I love to sit down with the two of you!!!!! I have a weird combination of sights as I write, one being the TV to my right (still in the playroom) and the other being my view out the window of the lush expansive yard my neighbor cares for meticulously. TV, not so inspiring. Window view, AHHHH!
ReplyDeleteGive Jody a hug for me!
~ Wendy
I like light...lots of light, esp sunlight. It's like I'm powered by the sun. lol... I write BEST in the morning when the sun is spilling in the window of my office. Unfortunately, that only happens on Saturday mornings. The rest of the time it's at night with all the lights in the living room on.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish I could be there with yall! Do you two live close to one another?
ReplyDeleteI like to write when it is dark. Cloudy is good for me! Especially if I have a nice candle lit. :)
Jill, I'm back home checking in on blogs! I LOVED getting to meet you today!! It was SO much fun to talk writing with someone who cares and understands!
ReplyDeleteAND to everyone else: Jill is one of the sweetest, most helpful women I've had the priviledge of meeting! She goes out of her way to help others and so count yourself very blessed if you're in her crit. group! She spent some time today showing me how to set up my website. It was so much fun!
So, again, Jill thanks for coming to visit me! You totally made my day! :)
I'd love to get together for coffee with all my blogging buddies!
ReplyDeleteI can't write in public places - I people watch far too much. If I am to get any writing done, I have to be by myself, or my daughter has to be playing quietly. Otherwise, I simply can't concentrate.
I can't write in public places either. Too much noise and movement. Other than that, I'm off in my Own Little World and don't notice much around me.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for sharing! I was out of town and then my computer crashed, so I'm sorry I was missing.
ReplyDeleteCoffee with Jody, well, you all should have the pleasure! We had such a nice time. She's a classy, incredible lady!! I'm so glad we realized I had family only a half hour away from her. Nice!
Thanks again for stopping by!
The colors in my home are soft, muted. The sands of the beach, deep olive greens, that sort of thing. And I can't write in public places, too many visual distractions. So I'd say I like colors that evoke a peaceful, serene sense, allowing space for my thoughts to take over.
ReplyDeleteI'm a visual person too. Sometimes it helps if I just move to a quiet room with laptop or pen & pad. Could never work in a cafe. :)
ReplyDeleteHope your meeting was fun!