Friday Fives: The Necessary Tools
This week’s Friday Fives challenge from Paper Hangover is: “The FIVE things you need to write with, other than pen, paper, and a computer.” Here are mine, in no particular order:
- No music. I know that’s a negative, but it’s important. I can write with white noise, some level of chatter, or even in silence. But music is too distracting. I end up listening to the music and not writing. TV creates a similar issue, but it’s not as powerful a distraction as music. So white noise or silence is a must-have.
- An idea. It doesn’t have to be a great idea, or a fully-developed idea, but I need something. I don’t just throw words on a page until something comes out. There has to be a theme, a character, a situation–something I can get my writerly hands around.
- Tea. Not absolutely essential–but very helpful. Hot tea, of course. Preferably Assam. With a dash of milk.
- Sleep. Seems rather obvious, but there’s really not a whole lot else I need to write so I’m trying to come up with a couple more things. I don’t write well when I’m tired, and that probably goes for a lot of people.
- Comfortable temperature. Again, seems a bit obvious, but I’m trying to think of my ideal writing environment. At the very least, a heater in the winter, a fan in the summer, and I’m good to go.
So no, I don’t have any mascots, or rituals, or anything like that. As long as I’m reasonably awake, and I have pen and paper (or computer), tea, and a comfortable room, I’m good to go! Check out Paper Hangover to see what others are saying, or post your own response on your blog and add your name to the links there.
Sleep – didn’t thing of that one, but it’s pretty crucial! Both coffee (first thing) and tea (afternoon) are important for me.
Good list! Nice to see what’s important for other people’s process 🙂
I write well to the TV and music, but I can’t stand silence. I don’t know why. Well, I at least have to have some sort of noise, like you said. White noise. Anyway, comfortable temperature is also a good one. I forgot about that. Right now my dorm is freezing and I’m wrapped like a papoose in my fleece blanket and drinking hot coffee to stay alive. 😀
I have a hard time writing in silence — usually, when it gets quiet, I fall asleep. Ha. 😉
You have tea, so I’ll forgive you for not using music.
😉
So, with music, I can write with it, but not always. And never coming from my computer. It has to be from a more distant source, like the stereo across the room, and it has to be quiet. One time while waiting in the car to pick up my husband, I wrote for a long time with the car radio on and never noticed it. But if it’s coming out of my computer (or if I’m listening on head phones) I get too distracted for real writing. Outlining and note taking are fair game, though.