Move Your Chair
I've been talking to a writer friend of mine a lot lately about our processes, including our little rituals and the locations that help us get words onto the page. During one such chat, I realized how much my writing area has changed since we moved to the townhouse, and how it no longer fits some of my own previously defined "musts" for an ideal flow of creativity.
Years back, before I began writing, shall we say, the "spicier stuff", I used to blog about Feng Shui for writers. Specifically, I discussed how some simple strategies for arranging writing space can make huge strides in our careers and creativity. There's a whole process that goes along with this, but even quick, easy changes in clutter, light, color, and positioning of furniture can make an amazing difference in your productivity.
Using my own Feng Shui advice back then, my writing went to a whole new level, and I wound up hitting my new publisher's bestseller list several times.
So the weird tip is: Move your writing chair to an "ideal" location as identified by the principles of Feng Shui.
Here's how to do this:
The image at right is called a "bagua", or a Feng Shui octagon. It shows what aspect of our lives is affected by each area within a given space (a house, a room, or even a desk). Mentally overlay this octagon on the room you write in, making sure the "Career" side of the octagon is positioned along the wall where the door is.
Now, consider where within this octagon your writing chair is located. If you write in the Marriage, Family, Health, or, to a lesser degree, Knowledge area, this isn't as desirable (unless you write non-fiction, in which case, the Knowledge zone might work well). Consider a move according to your current writing goals.
*The Children's area is also called the Creative area. Good for obvious reasons, especially if you've suffered writer's block.
*The Fame or Career areas are nice places to write when you're wanting to get published, increase visibility for your writing brand, or are moving into writing as a full-time job.
*The Wealth area can help you earn more money for your writing.
If it's not practical to rearrange your writing chair, try writing in these zones anyway. Hopefully a couch or seat is already located there, but if not, pull up a rolling or dining chair, a beanbag, whatever. Give it a shot. Look around and see how it "feels" to write in this zone. If there's just no good spot in that room, go to the ideal zones in a different room (the living room, for instance) and see if it works better for your needs.
Years back, before I began writing, shall we say, the "spicier stuff", I used to blog about Feng Shui for writers. Specifically, I discussed how some simple strategies for arranging writing space can make huge strides in our careers and creativity. There's a whole process that goes along with this, but even quick, easy changes in clutter, light, color, and positioning of furniture can make an amazing difference in your productivity.
Using my own Feng Shui advice back then, my writing went to a whole new level, and I wound up hitting my new publisher's bestseller list several times.
So the weird tip is: Move your writing chair to an "ideal" location as identified by the principles of Feng Shui.
Here's how to do this:
 |
| WALL WITH DOOR HERE |
The image at right is called a "bagua", or a Feng Shui octagon. It shows what aspect of our lives is affected by each area within a given space (a house, a room, or even a desk). Mentally overlay this octagon on the room you write in, making sure the "Career" side of the octagon is positioned along the wall where the door is.
Now, consider where within this octagon your writing chair is located. If you write in the Marriage, Family, Health, or, to a lesser degree, Knowledge area, this isn't as desirable (unless you write non-fiction, in which case, the Knowledge zone might work well). Consider a move according to your current writing goals.
*The Children's area is also called the Creative area. Good for obvious reasons, especially if you've suffered writer's block.
*The Fame or Career areas are nice places to write when you're wanting to get published, increase visibility for your writing brand, or are moving into writing as a full-time job.
*The Wealth area can help you earn more money for your writing.
If it's not practical to rearrange your writing chair, try writing in these zones anyway. Hopefully a couch or seat is already located there, but if not, pull up a rolling or dining chair, a beanbag, whatever. Give it a shot. Look around and see how it "feels" to write in this zone. If there's just no good spot in that room, go to the ideal zones in a different room (the living room, for instance) and see if it works better for your needs.
Have fun, and have at it!
~~~
J. Rose Allister is the author of more than twenty-five books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.
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