Dedication Feeds Inspiration

Tip Of The Day — Time, place, space — on creating a cultural crucible

This is part of a series of daily tips for writers, published to share ideas and suggestions on our craft. Everyone will have different advice on writing, so the tip below is just a personal selection which I hope you will find useful. Do share any of your own in the comments.

This tip is to recommend setting aside a dedicated time for writing each day, with a comfortable, distraction-free workspace. However, this is such a personal thing, that there are no hard and fast rules. Some people can manage to multi-task, balancing a laptop on their knees, while watching television and shouting at the kids to get on with their homework, with a partner complaining about how long we spend on that b***y Medium programme. Not me!

Making time

Finding time to write is also a very personal thing. There are a few people making a living by writing on Medium, but this is a very small percentage. For most of us, writing time has to be squeezed around a day job and multiple other commitments, to family and friends, housework and life’s many distractions.

So writing time is precious — tempus fugit as the Romans used to say. Sometimes there is very little to show for it, especially if earnings are not as good as they might be. Hours spent writing when we probably should have been clearing out the garage, putting up some shelves, or doing some cleaning! However, as we know, Medium time is the best time, so it is important to fit it in among everything else. To borrow from the Romans again, carpe diem: seize the day, and get writing!

Place and space

It is important to create the optimal environment for creativity. Being old school, I like to have my notebook to hand whenever I write. It is divided into three sections: article ideas, new words and phrases, and Medium friends (don’t worry, you are in there!). So if I think of the subject for a killer article to write at a later date, I jot it down. If I come across a new word or phrase, it goes into the book. If I make a new friend on Medium I jot down their name and a few words to remind me of their interests or how the connection was made, a sort of pen picture. It may help to have pen and paper as well, a dictionary, perhaps a book of quotations or other writing aids, unless we prefer everything online.

A change of scene

If we are lucky we may have the ideal space to write. I think mine would be to have a study overlooking Salcombe estuary. I discovered the place a few years ago and my jaw dropped at the beautiful scenery. Or Juliet’s Garden on the Isles of Scilly. Or “The Island” headland at St. Ives. I guess we would all have our favourite place.

However, the reality for many of us may be writing on the dining room table or if we are lucky a spare room. Or it may be the back of a van, squeezed on the tube, or a bus seat. Life is rarely ideal, but wherever we write, the thing is to make it most conducive to inspiration.

Although it can help to have a set routine and space, every so often I like to go somewhere completely different, as a change of scene can generate new ideas. So writing in a library or a café, on the train, or when visiting somewhere else can spark creativity.

Mood music

Then there is music. Sometimes it can be a distraction, at other times you can pick a playlist that matches the mood you want to create for your cultural crucible. Think also about lighting, the best temperature, ventilation, and a good supply of drinks and snacks to keep you fuelled for the writing journey.

However as already stated, the time and place which works best for each of us, is very individual and different. It would be interesting to know what works for you.

I hope you found this article useful, and any tips of your own in the comments.

Previous tips:

Day 22 — On spell-checking, Grammarly and proof-reading

Day 21 — The five unspoken commandments of Medium

Day 20 — George Orwell’s six tips on writing style

Day 19 — The importance of interaction

Day 18 — Replying to comments

Day 17: Engagement

Day 16- Attention-seeking behaviour — the importance of your first sentence –

Day 15 — Keep it snappy — headlines —

Day 14- Subject selection —

Day 13 — Making time —

Day 12 — Deadlines —

Day 11 — Layout —

Day 10 — Niches for Riches —

Day 9 — Do your own research —

Day 8 — Choosing your subject —

Day 7 — Reverse engineering success —

Day 6 — Planning —

Day 5 — Location —

Day 4 — Dictionary and thesaurus —

Day 3 –Quotations

Day 2 — Mind your language — learning new words

Day 1- The Notebook

As always, thank you for reading.

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