The Pure Magic of Having a Writing Place and How I Use It

Relaxing in the living room 

A few months ago I got rid of my writing desk. It was old and small and I figured that I often write in different places, so I probably didn’t need a desk anyway. But was I right?

Well, it’s true that I didn’t always use my desk to write, but it turned out I still needed a space that was mine to use just for writing.

What I discovered is that when I’m in my writing place, my desk, my brain automatically switches into writing mode.

The same brain switch happens if I go out to write, either at the park or the local library, but at home, that automatic brain switch didn’t always happen unless I was already in writing mode.

So if I sat on the couch to write, I felt like watching TV instead. If I sat at the dining table, I wanted to eat or drink coffee and read a book. And sitting at the breakfast bar felt like I should be cooking or looking through recipe books.

I realised that working as a creative person is a fickle thing and sometimes my brain, or more correctly my muse, doesn’t turn up for work until I do, so when I sat at my desk my muse would arrive because it knew where I was.

And I only EVER use my writing place for writing. I never play computer games or surf online or check emails, because if I did, it would interfere with my ability to write, and distract my muse from showing up.

But I didn’t want to have another desk, partly because I’d already filled the window nook where it used to be, with a window seat. I also wanted something that was a piece of furniture for the home rather than something that looked like it belonged in an office.

So in the end I opted for a writing bureau and I found a really good one of FaceBook Market Place. It has some beautiful carvings all over it and when opened, it’s really sturdy to write on.

And when I’m finished writing, I can close it up and walk away so that I know I’m finished for the day. Unless of course, I feel like writing at night, in which case it’s a cosy place to sit and carry on.

So it turns out that not only is it important for me to have a place to write, but not to desecrate it by doing non-writing activities there, so that as soon as I sit down, my mind can switch to writing mode immediately and I can get straight down to work, which makes it even more enjoyable (and easy) to write.

My New Writing Bureau

Writing News - July 2024

French startup AdCreative.ai has launched a new large language model built exclusively for advertising

Named AdLLM Spark, the system was built to craft ad text with high conversion rates on every major advertising platform.

AdCreative.ai said the LLM (Large Language Model) combines two unique features: instant text generation and accurate performance prediction.
https://thenextweb.com/news/french-startup-adcreative-launches-llm-for-advertising-copy

Hilarious PETA billboard births the internet's new favourite phrase

The viral billboard ad (which is affectionately referred to as "Just spay me Denise") imagines a conversation between a dog and her owner. It aims to show that we humans overcomplicate our relationship with our pets, applying inappropriate emotions to their humble doggy existence. 
https://www.creativebloq.com/news/peta-billboard-dog

Nine Secrets to Content Writing Success

By focusing on the needs and interests of your audience, providing valuable insights and maintaining a professional yet accessible tone, you can significantly enhance your engagement and establish yourself as a thought leader. 
It’s not easy to start from a blank screen or piece of paper, so hopefully these tips will help get you on the right foot quickly.
https://natlawreview.com/article/nine-secrets-content-writing-success

Fans left in tears after watching true crime doc on murder of Harry Potter actor

Harry Potter fans have been left in tears over a documentary on the murder of one of its cast members, Rob Knox.
The movie star, who was just 18, was stabbed to death in 2008.
Rob had just wrapped filming on the sixth instalment of the fantasy series, Half Blood Prince, and was set to appear in the final Harry Potter film, Deathly Hallows. This is despite his character, Marcus Belby, not appearing in the seventh book written by J. K. Rowling.
https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/news/rob-knox-harry-potter-murder-documentary-255834-20240718

Sesame Workshop Writers Ratify Strike-Averting Deal

After mounting a strike threat that was later averted, Sesame Workshop writers have ratified a new five-year labor contract that their union president is touting as “groundbreaking.”
The new agreement expands the Writers Guild of America's jurisdiction at the shop to include writing for social media platforms, animated projects and all streaming titles.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sesame-workshop-writers-union-ratifies-contract-1235895984/

Russian trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich resumes after being brought forward

The espionage trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich resumed in a Russian court on Thursday after being brought forward at the request of his defense.
Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War, first went on trial on June 26 at the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in the city of Yekaterinburg, where he appeared in a courtroom’s glass cage with his head shaved.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/18/media/evan-gershkovich-trial-resumes-russia-intl/index.html

Romance Writers of America files for bankruptcy amid bitter racism battle

The RWA filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing millions of dollars it owes in contracts with conference centers for hotel rooms its shrinking membership can no longer fill. Since 2019, the RWA’s membership has decreased from 10,000 people to roughly 2,000, according to court records.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/may/30/romance-writers-america-bankruptcy

Studies reveal the importance of print marketing

In an increasingly digitalized world, science shows print media still wins in some critical aspects of marketing. Print marketing should not be a dying art.
On a whole, digital marketing is fast and cost-effective. However, print is often more memorable than digital content, and some feel it is more authentic.
https://webwriterspotlight.com/importance-of-print-marketing

Netflix’s latest hit adaptations have also boosted book sales

Netflix Vice President Jinny Howe, who oversees drama series, says books and television series have storytelling parallels.
The process for finding books they can adapt into a series is ongoing.
However, it’s not always about looking at the “hot book” of the moment.
“We have also seen adaptations of novels that are lesser known have just as much success on Netflix, like with ‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ which is one of our most popular series,” said Howe.
“We’re always reading across a variety of genres and authors, and have a great in-house team who helps us track upcoming properties,” Howe said. “We’re not just looking at the genre, but also for fresh voices and perspectives, and bold and original narratives.”
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-07-08/netflix-book-adaptations-bridgerton-good-girls-guide-to-murder

Elon Musk Wants His AI Bot to Deliver the News. It Is Struggling With the Job

Grok posted incorrect information, amplified unverified claims and failed to identify sarcasm as details of Trump shooting unfolded
The artificial-intelligence model’s limitations were on display in the hours after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, when it served up some erroneous headlines based on its read of content on X.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/musks-ai-headlines-on-x-show-risks-of-aggregating-social-media-22a6e64c

Knowing When I’m Too Ill To Write

 I’ve been ill with a flu-type of virus that’s been going around. Nearly everyone I know has caught it in one level of severity or another. I guess it’s just part of winter flu season.

I rarely get ill, and even when I do it’s only just a bit of a touch of whatever dreaded lergy is doing the rounds at the time.

The reason I rarely get ill is because I pay attention to my health. I have a vegan (or plant based as they now call it) diet which means I don’t consume dead body parts or any animal products. When I was younger I ate meat like most people, but as an adult I looked into the logic and cruelty of slaughter houses and animal “farms” and how bad eating these animals is for our health, and decided it was a bad idea.

So I transitioned to being a vegetarian for many years and then cut animals out of my diet completely. And I’ve never looked back. In fact, I found that some of the things I was eating were making me ill. For example, I’ve always suffered from headaches. It didn’t take much to give me a headache and they were painful and long-lasting. I also constantly came down with colds. If someone had a cold, I knew I’d catch it because I always did.

Once I gave up dairy and eggs, my colds and headaches disappeared. Gone! Just like that. All my life I’d thought it was just my bad luck that I was susceptible to head colds and bad headaches, but it turned out to be my diet. For the last 3+ years I haven’t even been to see my GP at all because I’ve never had anything medically wrong with me. My health has been great. The last time I saw my GP was because I’d hurt my foot.

My usual good health is probably why, when I caught this flu bug, it took me completely by surprise. The worst thing about it is that it’s so long lasting and has been driving me crazy because I’m so used to being healthy.

It started three weeks ago. I woke up one day with an incredibly sore throat. It hurt so much I could barely swallow and my head hurt and my nose wouldn’t stop running. 

I suffered through it for 7 days. It did start easing after the first 3 days but I felt miserable the whole time. The first day I thought I’d be ill for just that day. But nope. I spent the whole week laid on the couch, watching TV, napping, and feeling downright sorry for myself.

I even thought I’d try and get some writing done during that first week, but I found that I was too ill to think and I didn’t really want to sit up for too long either. 

I thought about it while I was laid there wallowing in self-pity, trying to figure out how being ill meant that thinking was hard, after all, it wasn’t a physical thing. Thinking was just thinking. But even trying to concentrate on something on TV felt taxing and I kept nodding off.

I thought about reading instead, but just the thought of picking up a book felt like too much hard work, which didn’t make sense to me because I love to read.

After 5 days of kidding myself that I wasn’t really THAT ill and if I put my mind to it I’d be able to write, I gave in. I figured that when I had a regular job and I had a boss and had to go out to work every day, when I was too ill to work, I’d take a few days off to rest and get better so that I could go back to work as soon as possible.

That being the case, I figured that working at home shouldn't be any different and if I rested, I’d get better faster. After all, it worked when I had a regular job. I never thought of doing anything but getting better when I wasn’t working so that I wouldn’t miss too many days away from my job.

So that’s what I did. I laid down and did nothing but rest and nap, even though I didn’t want to, and it worked. By the eighth day, I was not only sitting up but moving around a little and I was back in my writing chair. But I still had to be careful not to overdo anything because even though I was up and about, everything I did, even mental things like reading and writing, felt exhausting.

And now it’s 3 weeks later and I still haven’t shifted the virus completely. To anyone looking at me I look fine and I’m living my usual life. But I still don’t feel 100% well and I’m not doing as much in a day as I usually do and I’ve been avoiding socialising because that seems way too hard right now, even short conversations seem hard. I’m not comfortable with socialising anyway, but now it feels harder than ever. It’s easier to stay at home and write and not talk to anyone, except Dean of course, who caught the same illness I did but only mildly for a couple of days and then he was okay again, although even he isn’t 100% yet either.

But what this whole experience has taught me is that (and it was a hard lesson because I’m not used to being ill anymore) is that I need to treat my writing as a job and if I’m ill it’s okay to take some time off to get better and not feel guilty about not getting my writing done.

And treating my writing as a job isn’t just good advice for when I’m ill, but for always.

That’s why I have set writing times every week to make sure I get to work and get my writing done.

Mission Critical For Life

Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/MCFL.html

Overcoming Procrastination: Strategies for Achieving Your Goals

Image courtesy of Stephanie Ghesquier

The following is an extract from my book: 

Stop Procrastinating And Take Back Control of Your Life

Why Do We Procrastinate?

No one really knows why we procrastinate, not even ourselves, yet we all do it all the time.

Strangely enough, it’s not just the unpleasant things that we procrastinate about, but also the things we say we enjoy doing.

How often have you said you’re going to do something like go for a day out, or go to the cinema, or spend time doing something else you enjoy, only to change your mind at the last minute and binge watch TV instead?

And we do the same with important things we need to do.

As a writer, I often find myself reluctant to sit down and write even though writing is something I enjoy doing. Some days I’ll even think a pile of ironing looks more interesting than the writing I have to do.

No matter what it is, we all procrastinate in our own way for reasons we don’t understand, and probably never will.

According to studies that have been done on this subject, there are three reasons why we procrastinate.

1. Fear. We fear criticism, failure, and starting something. It’s easy to understand being afraid of criticism and failure, yet it’s starting that most of us fear.

2. Laziness. Doing something new is hard. It takes us out of our comfort zone. Not doing something is so much easier than doing something.

3. Lack of Interest. We don’t know how to do something until we start, so have no interest in starting something new, nor in learning the process of doing it. We just can’t be bothered to even think about it.

What is Procrastination?

To procrastinate means to put off, delay, or postpone doing something.

It comes from the16th Century Latin word, “procrastinat” which means “deferred till morning.”

This comes from the verb “procrastinare” with ‘pro’ meaning ‘forward’ and ‘crastinus’ meaning ‘belonging to tomorrow (from ‘cras’ tomorrow).

The word “procrastinate” is similar to the word “prevaricate” meaning to speak or act in an evasive way, in much the way politicians do when speaking with journalists.

In Latin, prevaricate means to ‘walk crookedly’ or ‘deviate.’

If someone prevaricates, they often also procrastinate, which gives rise to confusion with the two words.

Overcome Procrastination

What we’re going to be looking at in this book is how you can stop procrastinating and get back control of your life; not just now, but for the rest of your life.

Procrastination excels at one thing; making you feel bad. It’s a power struggle that goes on in your mind and if you let procrastination win, not only will you suffer mentally and emotionally, but it will also ruin your life.

This is why it’s imperative to stop wasting time and start living up to your full potential. This will not only have a positive impact on your physical and mental health, but it will help improve the life of those around you. It’s win-win all the way and in everything you do.

So how do you begin?

You start by not procrastinating. Quit stalling on things you need to do. It sounds simple and it is because all you need to do is take the first step, and all the others will follow on naturally.

You see, procrastination is all in your mind. There’s nothing physically holding you back from anything. It’s just all in your mind. Every time you’re not doing what you should be doing, it’s because you don’t want to start.

Starting something is always the hardest, yet surprisingly simple, part of doing anything. Once you take that first step and start, it’s easier to keep going. Yet every day you have to overcome the resistance to starting.

Starting any project soon leads to feeling motivated to keep going, because once we’ve invested our time in something, even if it’s only a few minutes, we don’t want to stop and waste our investment.

The motivation you feel to keep going once you start leads to enjoying the process, which leads to achievement, money, satisfaction, education, no more stress over inaction, a better life, and accomplishment.

Once you’ve finished what you needed to do, it also leads to looking at others who’ve done it (or do it) too and see how they do it for more and better ideas so that you can improve and do more.

Starting something that you’ve been putting off, guarantees a feeling of achievement, even if you only commit to doing something for 30 minutes a day, it’s still better than doing nothing at all.

A lot of people think that to do something you don’t want to do (or can’t be bothered to do) takes strong willpower or brute force, or a forced routine. But it takes none of that.

What you need is a commitment to change, a new mindset that you’re going to start doing whatever needs to be done. No excuses. You’ll do it no matter what. But you must WANT to change.

You just need to make a small start, even if it’s a huge project, just doing one little thing makes all the difference. 

Next you need to keep going, no matter what else comes up to try and distract you. 

Finally, you must finish what you start.

Start something. Even if you only commit to doing it for 2 minutes, do it. (Put down your phone)

Keep going. Don’t give up after the first blush. Keep starting again every day.

Finish it. See it through to the end. Finish your task. If something comes up, see to it, then get back to your task and finish it. This is mindset and commitment.

https://www.cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/sp.html