Somewhere to Write

     When and where do you do your best writing? Some writers need complete silence. Others like music in the background, a little blues, jazz, or classical. Some might need the white noise of a fan, or the background drum of conversation at the coffee house.

     Stephen King writes behind a closed door, where no one can intrude on him. Anne Rice has found inspiration writing on a quiet beach in Florida. Jodi Picoult writes in her attic. Hemingway wrote in the morning (like several writers). Nora Roberts writes in her office, located on the top floor of her house. I inspire to write in solitude, with quiet that allows my creativity to run rampant without interference. Of course, and I think most writers can agree, optimal writing environments aren't always available. We can't always lock the door behind us and revel in our work.

      E.B. White said, "A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper." I like this quote because it validates my moments of sporadic creativity, and since my writing environment isn't always ideal I have to compromise.

     I'm working on the sequel to my debut novel, Beyond Gavia. The rewrites are pretty deep. I am cutting out several parts of telling and adding deep point view to bring the reader into the moment. Focus is needed! But my two and a half year old doesn't care about rewrites.

     "Mommy, I want sit on your lap." She stares up at me with big blue eyes. "Put computer down."

     Dang, I think. I am really into the part. Creative fuel is abundant. If I put my computer down inspiration may flounder and slip away, never to return again. I must write.

      "Mommy, I want you hold me."

     I sigh and I sit my work to the side and pull my little Lily into my arms where we cuddle and watch Caillou. Writing will have to wait.

     This happens all the time. Writing is a large part of my life, but my little girl is bigger. I am sure thousands of writers experience such moments. When Nora Roberts began writing, she wrote around her sons nap schedules. I do this when I can. I also write at work during down times. I write while doing laundry. I write after work when everyone is asleep and I write with my morning coffee. Morning is my favorite time to write, before stress can enter my brain. But since I don't always get to write during the best moments I have to write when I can. The optimal writing environment isn't always there.

     I'm curious to how other writers find their optimal writing environments and how they compromise when they can't.




    

In the Spotlight

     When you walk into a room you might think people are looking at you, sizing you up, watching you walk, and some people might be, but not everyone. As humans we often overestimate how much others are paying attention to us. In social psychology this phenomenon is deemed the Spotlight Effect. It is fascinating how much the spotlight effect can influence a person emotionally, mentally, and socially. As a writer I think it's interesting to think about this while writing.

     As a writer you dive into your characters minds. You write from their perspectives, and that includes writing how your characters are affected by their interpretation of how other's see them, even when others aren't paying attention. For the most part your characters are people (unless you are writing science fiction or fantasy) and people tend to be egocentric, biased without always realizing it, and tend to think others think like they do. People use their own experiences to gauge how others may think and feel.
   
     If you have a character who is insecure about her weight, chances are she believes everyone at work is noticing how her belly rolls out over her jeans. Of course the spotlight effect doesn't have to always correlate with insecurities, but also with confidence and/or grandiosity. A character who spends hours doing her hair may think all the other women at the store are admiring her lovely locks. Or a character who thinks he is every woman's fantasy might believe all the ladies in the club are watching him stride to the bar for a drink.

     Here's an example on how to employ the spotlight effect in writing. It's something that should be used sparingly (a reader might get bored of reading how a characters worries that everyone is always judging her), but it can an interesting way to show character and point of view.

     Eyes were dissecting me. They stared at the mess of frizz on my head, the jagged black liner above my eyes, and winkles crimping my silk shirt. I smoothed back some of the loose curls that had fallen from my hairclip. My gaze met with a woman standing a few feet away. Did she see the circles beneath my eyes? Could she tell I only slept two hours last night, that I screamed at my husband until four am? She smiled, then looked away. Heat rose in my cheeks. I followed her stare up. The bright orange hand disappeared, replaced by the white walking man. I stepped forward with the crowd, hoping my heel didn't get caught in the cracks.

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