What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?
I'm horribly disorganized and pretty much don't do anything of the sort.
Paintings, books and sometimes music.
The cover of my book, Wind Follower. Tons of music. The TV in the living room. The phone at hand.
Concentrate? What is this term you speak of? My concentration is dependent first and foremost on not having anything to distract me. This is difficult with such distractions as cats wanting laps to sit in, games needing to be played, housework to be done, and friends and family to keep in touch with being ever present. If I'm in the middle of writing something that I love, or I'm having one of those moments of inspiration that we writers consider better than sex, I am impossible to distract no matter what you do to me! If I'm brainstorming against a brick wall, however, distractions are a force to be reckoned with, and more often than not, they win. I'm ashamed to admit that, but it's the truth.
I am a big music fan as well, and this can greatly improve or disturb my concentration depending on what I'm trying to do. Listening to Enya, Loreena McKennitt or some other Celtic-style music while writing travel or town scenes are great, but the same music playing while I'm writing a battle scene is fatal. Dance music for a fight scene is great, but in the middle of writing a character's disillusionment and death it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I have been distracted more often than not by trying to find an appropriate song for what I'm working on. If only there were a way to have the right music playing at all the right times without having to spare my attention to do it...   | | |
Books, for easy reference checks. I like to listen to the radio (news shows), but don't like listening to music when I work, unless I'm listening to it for a work-related project. I do most of my work on the computer, but I like to work on my personal projects in longhand, and type them up later.
Copies of my own books and poetry books. Switching off the Internet helps.
Pictures of my family members....plus, I have a vertical window at the side of my corner desk and I am able to see nature...squirrels running to and fro, a variety of birds, snow in the winter and red and golden leaves in the fall.
Nothing special. I work at my computer in a spare bedroom.
Music. I have to be listening to music. I can't write without music.
photos of really unique assignments plus I work on a Mac with a huge collection of classical and other music.
With as much silence as possible. When Liza, my cat decides to sit by my computer, that is OK. But after three instances of scratching books, trying to eat scrap paper, or digging in the wastebasket, out she goes with the door closed. And I put a book on the floor when I close the french doors on her because she knows how to get the doors open.
I’m always trying to clear the clutter in my office. But I do have a small collection of assorted little people from around the world (wood and ceramic) that look down from a shelf over my keyboard.
A window to see a local creek and nature strip. A cupboard full of books and references. A pot of red tea.
Conducive atmosphere. If you can't find it, then imagine.
I don't have a set work area, but I do like to work in a place that is not loud or busy. |
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