How To Improve Your Writing Conditions (Environment And Emotional)?

For reasons that will be covered later in this article, it is of paramount importance that you have some sort of improvable writing conditions as a writer.

This is a trio post to the how to create time to write, and how to use this time most productively post.

In summary, a writing space is what separates people who write for fun, and professional writers who wish to take their writing to a pro level. The question then follows; how would you create a writing space if you wanted to write?

The first thing that you need to do when creating a writing space is to select a location, then create a consistent atmosphere whenever you write at that location. The location you choose should primarily be a place where you are most comfortable, and you can sit there for hours.

To this end, it would be best if it were something that supported your back and joints, such as a table, chair, or couch. However, there have been writers who sit on the floor, or lay down when they write, so just pick one that you can do for hours. Additionally, the place needs to have a consistent atmosphere so that your mind is comfortable there to the point the environment seems to disappear.

So try to make sure it has the same smell, sounds, and tastes. Most people prefer a quiet place with some privacy. But there have been writers who prefer a mildly noisy place like a coffee shop, which is also consistent atmospherically because it has to. It’s a business.

Basically, that is enough for you to begin your writing spaces.

But if you need to understand just how pivotal a writing space is for writers, and additional tips of just how to build a writing space, then here’s an article.

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    Why Is A Writing Space Important?

    A writing space is important to authors because it allows them to have consistency by providing a mechanism that allows them to activate their writing mood on command.

    As a person with a passion for writing, it is easy for you.

    All you ever do is write whenever you feel like it. When you do not feel like writing, you just don’t write. In some instances, you wish you could write, but you just can’t get yourself to do it.

    But it still does not matter, because you will suffer no negative repercussions for not writing. Either than a wounded pride.

    But what if you have a family to feed? What if you are on the verge of finishing you college year, and you want to be an author? What if you have to hand in a book before the deadline for your publishing firm?

    Then you cannot afford to write simply because you feel like it. This is what separates passion writers, and professional writers.

    The pros can make themselves write fairly consistently even if they do not feel like it.

    There are many ways that pros manage to make themselves write when they do not feel like it. However, the one we are going to discuss here is a writing space. A writing space though has more than just this use. They can also:

    How To Create The Proper Spaces?

    1. Have A Writing Location To Improve Physical Writing Conditions

    The first tip to building a writing step is to select your writing location.

    There are two main aims of a writing space; physical, and psychological fulfilment.

    Physically, it should be a place where your body can rest comfortably with no problem. I use a table, and a chair, which I’ve been using since I was 12 years old. I am as rigid as a board, so I can’t cross my legs.

    But I knew a girl who could sit on her bed, legs crossed, and she’d stay there for hour.

    So I suggest you be honest with yourself. What position can you sit in and forget your body even exists? Then choose a location that caters to that.

    Additionally, it should fulfill your psychology. Basically, it should be a place where you feel least social aware. If I were to be in a coffee shop, or anywhere public, I’d feel to hyperaware about people watching me. So, all my writing is done in my private room.

    Currently, I am in college so I have even more privacy, but previously I lived with my family.

    We weren’t the richest people in the world, so we only had one table, and it was in the living room. Meaning I did most of my writing next to a pack of laughing hyenas.

    Lovable hyenas though, so even if I were stuck in a suitcase with these creatures, I’d be comfortable. So choose a place that allows you to feel psychological comfortable, and where you could stay for hours, and literally forget yourself.

    2. Try To Have The Same Music To Improve Emotonal Writing Conditions

    The second step to building a perfect writing space is to try and create a auditorily consistent space.

    That sounds like a big word, but it just means musically.

    You need to create a space that sounds the same. Again, this is why more private spaces tend to be efficient, because you have control of the music you have there. But if you go to public places that are business owned, such as a tea shop, or library, then you will still get consistent sounds.

    If you were to go to places like parks, and stuff, then you just don’t know what TikTok star may pop up in front of you to do… stuff.

    Personally, I have a small speaker, on which I listen to 3 main albums; Luther Vandross Greatest hits, Whitney Houston Greatest Hits, and Norah Jones Greatest hits.

    If you decide to choose silence as your auditory consistency, that could work. But the thing with silence is that it is hard to create. Of course, I have an article on how I did that with my family, but it is very taxing.

    I prefer to use music now. There are 2 ways of using music to write.

    The first. If you listen to the same song on repeat, it creates this feeling of time standing still, and you could write on for hours, which I enjoyed. Then, whenever you listen to the song, you get in the mood to write. For me, that song is Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.

    The second is to listen to albums.

    I love this one too, because if the albums have good songs, you are getting the reward as you write. It gets better if you can’t skip to songs you like, so you have no choice but to sit for an hour before you favorite song plays.

    In that hour, you distract yourself with what? Writing! So, I listen to these 3 albums on YouTube, where hopefully there is no helpful soul in the comments to help me find the songs I want, and I am forced to listen to the songs.

    So these are the 2 reasons I use music but remember, you can use anything you want. Even silence. Check out that article for that one, since I’d also tried silence before too.

    3. Try To Have The Same Food To Improve Emotional Writing Conditions

    The third tips you could employ is using the same food.

    It would also help for you to have the same food whenever you are writing.

    Consider what your favorite snacks or drinks are. Then tell yourself you will never drink them again. Only ever drink and eat these things when you are siting in your writing location, listening to music.

    For me, I used to drink a lot of energy drinks.

    Until finally, something happened to my muscles under my heart, and my mother suggested I no longer drink 9 bottles of energy drink a day. Now, I drink juices and eat cream buns.

    Not healthy at all. But it tastes good. As a result, it makes me want to taste more of it. So, I will sit down just so I can get some of these.

    Don’t be like me. Choose somehting that tastes good, but is healthy. Please.

    EXTRA TIP: Try to make sure you smell the same smell to. This is why coffee shops are awesome. For me, I use automatic spray, called Air Wick. The Lavender one. If you want something similar look here. But make sure you only turn it one when you are writing, and when you are done, turn it off. This will tie this smell to writing. I met a girl once who wore a lavender perfume. I could barely concentrate on here, because my mind kept thinking of story events, and I started typing things on my phone.

    4. Warm Up Reading Before You Start to Improve Emotioncal Writing Conditions

    The fourth tips is to make sure that you do warm up readings every time before your writing.

    This one is purely a psychological technique.

    I only started doing it when I was focused on improving my prose, but I’ve noticed that now I can’t seem to draft without first doing this.

    So basically what you do is, you open a book of an author you wish to infuse. For me that is usually Rothfuss, or Abercrombie. What you need to do is read a page, or chapter.

    Something small, so that you do not get too invested in the story. Instead, pay close attention to the sentence. Think of three ways you could have worded it differently, and notice how your mind will see that their work is superior.

    Then, look at your outline (which you should have learned how to write with this article), and begin drafting.

    This works all the time in taking my mind to the proper writing space.

    5. Write At The Same Time Everyday To Improve Writing Conditions

    The fifth tip is to try and make sure that you write at the exact same time everyday.

    This one is also more psychological fulfillment than physical.

    When you are writing at the same time everyday, it often means the sun is at the same place everyday. The weather is usually at right about the same place. The effect weather has on the mind has been a well documented phenomenon, as seen with depressive people.

    For me, I used to write from 5-8 pm, following Ellen Brock’s suggestion on writing at the same time everyday. It was very helpful for me, because I was a high school student, and that time was when I was free.

    I managed to finish my book at the time, but as soon as I was done, life happened, and I had to make new writing plans. I chose 9-10 am, then I added in 2-5 pm when I saw how well that was going. The point is, you can make sure that you adjust the time accordingly.

    Soon, you will find that you become restless when the time arrives and you are not writing. Start small though, with just an hour, or thirty minutes.

    You add in the album listening trick, and I swear you will feel like adding more hours, just so you could here classic songs.

    6. Plan Resting Periods To Improve writing Conditions

    The sixth tip is to try and spread in ressting times in the work.

    Let’s go meta for a moment. As I am writing this article, it is morning. I am using this very trick.

    The trick basically is that you will write 10 minutes gaps, and add 5 minutes gaps between them. You see how I wrote 06:05-0615, then a 5 minute break, and then 06:20-06:30.

    This technique is very helpful when writing work that requires thoughtful writing. I spend 10 minutes writing a single paragraph or point, then 5 minutes thinking about the next one, then I write it.

    Sometimes, you will find that you are so much in the flow, that you just do not stop writing even if you finished your paragraph. Tip 6 and 5 I wrote in 07:20-07:30.

    Try this technique out, where you look at your outline, and mark each bit as a number.

    Then set an amount of time you think it will take to write, and split this with a 5 minute break. But make sure that no matter what you do, you stop during the breaks. I call this the kick-start method, cause it kinda reminds me of kickstarting a car.

    But instead, you are doing it to your mind. Thus this is a psychological fulfillment technique.

    7. Reward Yourself Every Time You Write

    The seventh tip to creating a writing space is to reward yourself.

    So, you’ve been listening to music, and eating while writing but that was not your reward.

    That was just you mixing things you enjoy with things that can be a bit draining, which is writing. After finishing you full time at the writing space, it would help to reward yourself in someway.

    Choose a reward you could not receive at your spot. Maybe watch a show you enjoy, or get a really bubbly bath. Only give yourself that bubbly bath when you finish the 3 hours.

    This reward will reinforce your behavior at the location.

    8. Put All Distractions Inconveniently Far Away From You

    The eighth tip to improve your writing space is to remove all distractions.

    Now, for the distractions.

    You want to make sure that you writing space is not tainted. That every time you get there, you begin writing, and get in the mood for that.

    If you start doing distractions there, such as watching movies, using social media, or reading books, then unfortunately, your mind and body will associate that spot with those distractions.

    So, what I used to do is leave my phone in the car every time I start writing. That’s because my phone was the worst distraction. Do the same for you.

    9. Make It Physically Hard To Be Distracted To improve Physical Writing Conditions

    The ninth tip for creating a writing space is to make it physically hard to get distracted.

    After placing your distractions far away, it can be hard to resist going to jsut get them.

    So, for me, I’d make it physically hard to reach them. To be honest, I just got his idea when I heard about the French author who got rid of all his clothes, and told his friends to only give him the clothes when he finished the book.

    Then he finished the book in time.

    For me though, I had a bit of the melancholies in my teens. So in order to avoid just laying in bed, I would take my blankets and fold them. Then fold the sheets.

    Finally, I’d put the mattress far away, then the bed frame at the opposite side of the room. This meant getting back in med was just so much work, so I had no choice but to finish my work, which would be the easier thing to do then getting to bed.

    10. Adjust Intensity To Improve Writing Conditions

    The tenth tip is to increase the intensity depending on the severity of the problem.

    Now, sometimes you will find that even though you’ve placed the distractions far away, you still manage to find a way of going to get the distractions.

    Sometimes you just get new distractions.

    For me that was maladaptive daydreaming. In order to fight this, I learned from another author who chained themselves to their table. but I didn’t go that far.

    I just bought a comfortable looking scarf, and tied by leg to the leg of the table, then I got this durag, and tied it around my mouth (I speak to myself out loud when I am having my daydreams/fantasies).

    This ended the daydreams, and today, every time I want to get in the mood of extreme concentration, I just tie my mouth with something. Make sure no one is around to entice you with more advanced BDSM progressions.

    11. Use A Schedule To Improve Overall Writing Conditions

    Make sure you use a schedule.

    We have covered many tips here, and you may be asking yourself, how could you possibly remember all of this.

    The secret to that is a schedule. If you can create a schedule, you will be able to perfect execute all these things, and you will see immediate improvements in your writing consistency.

    To craft you schedule, you first need to select the days. I prefer days either than dates because days are consistent. Basically you may have multiple Mondays in a year, but only one 14th of February.

    So I just grab a pen, and paper, which I honestly prefer, or you can take this excel spreadsheet, and fill it in, then print it out, and paste on your wall. I prefer physical things.

    12. Observe Performance, and adjust accordingly To Improve Overall Writing Conditions

    The twelfth tip is to observe your performance.

    If the month finished, look back at your month, and see how well you kept your schedule.

    Have some sort of marking mechanism, and see how often it is marked out. if it is marked out often, well done. Just keep it up another month, and your writing space will be made permanent, with no need for the tying yourself down and stuff,

    Once you learn how to improve your writing conditions on command, you will be that much closer to mastering mastery.

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