My tools of writing

On a recent blog interview, I was asked what tools writers need. I went with the normal answers, Internet access, pens, pencils, paper. However, I personally need a few things in additions to those I mentioned.

Coffee, I have to have coffee if it is a cool day. For instance, right now it's about 60 degrees outside and inside our house, I'm cold. We live in a log home and heat with wood and it's not nearly cold enough to build a fire in the stove. We also have electric heaters, but I don't want to run up the electric bill yet either. Besides, I love the cooler weather and a hot cup of coffee was the perfect thing this morning when I sat down to work on some edits. Normally, I drink it with just a little sugar, but this morning I added some French Vanilla Creamer. Oh my gosh, it was so good and really hit the spot.

I enjoy a good cup of hot tea, also. That's usually my choice for nighttime writing. Peppermint or chamomile are then my favorites. With tea, I have a tendency to drink it fast, too fast and then I have to stop writing to make another cup.

Music, it's not always a necessity, but I cannot write in total silence. I have to have some sort of noise in the room, so if I am writing at a coffee shop or the library, I'll make sure I've brought my MP3 player. Now, you would think the perfect music to write by would be something classical. I do have a couple CD's with soft music and either rain showers or thundershowers in the background, but I haven't put them on my MP3 player yet. Even though I do like some good orchestra music from time to time, but my choice for writing music is usually the Eagles, Boston, or Queen. Yep, classic rock is my favorite.

Finally, location, location, location. Some authors can write anywhere. I'm usually one of them, but I have a couple places that are my favorite spots. First would be my couch. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But, my husband works on weekends and I'm home alone. My back won't let me sit at a desk typing all day after doing that every day of the regular work week, so I do the majority of my writing on my couch. Some writers have to be at a desk, some outside, and some at a coffee shop. My dream is to have a small office built out in our side yard with a window in front of my desk, where I can sit and watch the deer that come into our yard to eat the persimmons, the turkeys that crisscross our yard to go to and from the woods, and my cat on the prowl to catch a mouse before it finds its way into our house.

So, now you know what keeps me writing, oh and I understand that Starbucks is now serving their Pumpkin Spice cappuccino for the season. It's probably a good thing that the nearest one is an hour drive away, or I would never get any writing done.

Carol