The other day, while I was innocently watching Atypical and eating my lunch in the bedroom, Mike set up twinkle lights around the threshold of my office. When it was time for me to work again, I was greeted by these sparkling wonders. It was the best gift ever, and it got me to thinking about my writing environment and the decisions I've made to make my writing practice fun.
I want my creative surroundings to feel magical, whimsical, and special. Twinkle lights fit right into this vibe. So do pens with flowers taped on to them so that you can imagine your writing blooming. And all around me, there's blank books with covers of my favorite color or with images on them that mean things to me, waiting to be filled. How can I say no?
When I write, there's always music. For me, I write to jazz standards. These songs have gotten into my bloodstream., and I can listen to them forever. During my practice, I listen to these songs through headphones. This is a private experience. They're telling me things directly. I also have a writing tree, Isabella, who looks out for me outside my window. I have images of cats, horses, owls, and the ocean on my walls surrounding me. (And I write in bed. I feel that's a given to me for so long that I now forget to mention it. I have this great big, blue support pillow that I call “Cookie” after Cookie Monster that hugs me while I work. It's comfortable and luxurious, and it makes me want to be here.)
Finally, there's our cats. I write about cats. I live with cats. They're part of our family. Our eldest cat, Scooter, has lately let me know that he wants to be around me when I work. So I make sure that happens. He's the eldest member of our family. He's a cat. He has earned my reverence.
So that's how I've made writing fun for me. What do you do? What works for you?