A Better Writing Experience

How can you enjoy a better writing experience?

I don’t mean “become a better writer”. I mean: how can you enhance the experience of writing, to make it simpler, more enjoyable, and ultimately more rewarding.

Here are some of my top tips:

A routine place

Find a regular place where you are happy and comfortable to write.

It might be a cosy corner of a room, or somewhere there is plenty of natural light.

Whichever the room, it will be a place you associate with your writing work.

Sweet distraction

Can you write if there are distractions and noise around you? In an ideal world, we would close the door to the outside world and settle down to our quiet place.

But that’s not always an option.

So, I’d suggest losing yourself in your story. Instead of hearing the sound of car engines outside, or clinking coffee cups from your loved ones, tune in instead to the sights and sounds in your own story worlds.

Quite often the only outside sound you hear then is the rhythmic tapping on your keyboard as your imagination unfolds.

The right tech

Have the right computer tech to work with, whether that’s a laptop or desktop computer.

You could have the latest computer available, but if you are typing on a keyboard that could double up as a piece of toast, then your typing will suffer as a result.

You’ll hopefully be spending many happy hours at your writing desk, so you want to have the right peripherals to work with; none more so that your computer screen.

If there was only one thing I’d advise you to invest in, it would be a good monitor.

The longer you spend writing, the more you want a screen you are happy to stare at. Be kind to your eyes.

Regular breaks

Not only will regular breaks rest your eyes and joints, it will help you switch off for a short while.

We’ve all been there: “I must get this story finished”, or “Just one more paragraph . . .”

But how often does that one paragraph become another, and that story doesn’t quite seem to finish?

Creativity and the imagination shouldn’t be rushed and pressurised.

Your characters and storylines will still be there when you return to your desk, and often with unexpected and happy results.

Hopefully these tips will improve your writing experience, and make it easier to write your next story for “The People’s Friend”!

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