The environment I write in is a crucial factor to how effective any given writing session can be. For one, I do better when in a public place, like a bookstore or cafe. Having a (habitually refilled) coffee or tea also helps a lot.
But there’s more to the environmental factors. I need music, preferably by headset, to quit the rest of the world and occupy the parts of my brain that don’t help when I’m writing.
Also important is being able to achieve a state of relaxed creativity. It takes a bit of time to get into the groove. One of my biggest problems is I need a good two-three hours to really get good work done. The first hour is usually something of a wash. I’m still working on how to make that first hour as good as the second and third.
But most of all, I need to be able to think. January is a bad time for that, because of seasonal allergies in this town. Cedar fever kills my brain in a sinus fog. Allergy medicine leaves me a functional zombie– I can do most things, save write. It’s very frustrating.
Thus you note the dearth of posts I made in January. Fiction writing was similarly held back. I’ve made some progress on the second draft of Holver Alley Crew (namely transcribing notes from my paper copy to electronic form), and inched forward with Maradaine Constabulary. That one, I can tell when the rough draft is done, it’s going to be a rough draft.