Personally, when I write, I have the TV on in the background, a hot cup of coffee, and a fresh pack of cigarettes.
What is your setting?
What is your setting?
Writers...What is your ideal writing setting?
- Thread starter Fade_To_Black
- Start date
It is very similar to yours. Sometimes I choose music instead of the TV to get in the right mood. And sometimes I replace the hot coffee with a cold beer 
ps: I don't smoke, so replace the cigarette with anything eatable and unhealthy, mostly M&Ms
ps: I don't smoke, so replace the cigarette with anything eatable and unhealthy, mostly M&Ms
I need quiet. The rest is incidental.
Hope this helps.
Depends on which script draft I am working on.
On first draft, noise doesn't affect my writing, I am IN the story. What does help, is to start at 3 A.M. so that I can get sixteen hours in, to get everything on paper. I start to fade, my concentration drops. I try to do the original, first draft in under three days.
On re-writes, I do need more quiet so I can concentrate. I try to work scene to scene. Using music, soundtrack stuff from mood-oriented movie scenes or my old, personally made music that I have archived. Helps me construct images in my head -- see the movie, let it become real.
On polishes, I like to respond to the individual characters more, based upon comments from those that have read the script(s). This takes major silence. I actually read aloud the dialogue.
I work on scripts over a period of months and almost always, over several years.
Last thing, reward yourself. I do. Every writing session starts with one perfect Irish Coffee. One. I just continue to refill with coffee as needed...
Depends on which script draft I am working on.
On first draft, noise doesn't affect my writing, I am IN the story. What does help, is to start at 3 A.M. so that I can get sixteen hours in, to get everything on paper. I start to fade, my concentration drops. I try to do the original, first draft in under three days.
On re-writes, I do need more quiet so I can concentrate. I try to work scene to scene. Using music, soundtrack stuff from mood-oriented movie scenes or my old, personally made music that I have archived. Helps me construct images in my head -- see the movie, let it become real.
On polishes, I like to respond to the individual characters more, based upon comments from those that have read the script(s). This takes major silence. I actually read aloud the dialogue.
I work on scripts over a period of months and almost always, over several years.
Last thing, reward yourself. I do. Every writing session starts with one perfect Irish Coffee. One. I just continue to refill with coffee as needed...
Thats really nice summary! gotta try it.
Lotsa coke, amphetamines, liquor out the wazoo, sluts&whores, wrestling midgets, furries, circus animals running amok, and guns. Lotsa, lotsa guns. Preferably with bullets.
Alternatively...
About a full day of peace and quiet with minimal interruptions.
It's a lot like building a physical something.
- first, I gotta think of an inspiring premise, often several with the weaker ones being rapidly discarded.
- then I fabricate an outline for what will have to go where and when.
- then start finding and assembling parts.
- experiment with rough product.
- refine, review, refine, review, refine, etc, etc. etc.
- Done!
I don't obsess over story details because I'm acutely aware of how much the screenplay will change from script to screen.
- Director's gonna change things.
- Producer/studio's gonna change things
- Actor's gonna change things
- The budget's gonna change things
- The secured locations are gonna change things
- Editor's gonna change things
- Distributor's gonna change things
- MPAA's gonna change things
Water off a duck's back.
Alternatively...
About a full day of peace and quiet with minimal interruptions.
Actually my creativity is all about the process.haha rayw, do you get any writing done with your inspiration set up?? or are you all about the process?
It's a lot like building a physical something.
- first, I gotta think of an inspiring premise, often several with the weaker ones being rapidly discarded.
- then I fabricate an outline for what will have to go where and when.
- then start finding and assembling parts.
- experiment with rough product.
- refine, review, refine, review, refine, etc, etc. etc.
- Done!
I don't obsess over story details because I'm acutely aware of how much the screenplay will change from script to screen.
- Director's gonna change things.
- Producer/studio's gonna change things
- Actor's gonna change things
- The budget's gonna change things
- The secured locations are gonna change things
- Editor's gonna change things
- Distributor's gonna change things
- MPAA's gonna change things
Water off a duck's back.
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haha rayw, do you get any writing done with your inspiration set up?? or are you all about the process?
peace and quite is a must. skull candy earbuds for 12 bucks is the best tool for me. Noise isolated (kind of). put some nature/wave type of a deal... turn off the wireless.... cell phone off... and i get in the zone.
i actually want to try to climb our local 5k feet mountains, and write a story. that d be epic..
peace and quite is a must. skull candy earbuds for 12 bucks is the best tool for me. Noise isolated (kind of). put some nature/wave type of a deal... turn off the wireless.... cell phone off... and i get in the zone.
i actually want to try to climb our local 5k feet mountains, and write a story. that d be epic..
I first emerse myself watching similar or related movies for inspiration.
That helps when I write at home. I also like to have photo reference and illustrations to visualize as I write. Since I'm working on sequels now, I have both photos and illustrations of my characters to work from.
Idealistically, travelling to new environments with atmosphere helps to create new stories.
When I was working on introducing Artemis, I pulled up photos of paintings and statues of her and photos of her temple in Turkey. I also watched Hercules: The Legendary Journies for inspitation about the gods and Wonder Woman for Amazon inspiration. I also dug up facination material on Queen Myrine who is to the Amazon culture like Daniel Boone or Davy Cracket is to American culture. Queen Myrine founded the city in Turkey where the great temple of Artemis still stands today as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Greeks did not create the myths of Artemis. They adopted the goddess to their own religion and turned her into a daughter of Zeus. The Amazons worshpped her as a life giving goddess and fertility who creates and nurishes life around the universe.
Sorry about getting carried away. But, I put a lot into the material in my scripts.
That helps when I write at home. I also like to have photo reference and illustrations to visualize as I write. Since I'm working on sequels now, I have both photos and illustrations of my characters to work from.
Idealistically, travelling to new environments with atmosphere helps to create new stories.
When I was working on introducing Artemis, I pulled up photos of paintings and statues of her and photos of her temple in Turkey. I also watched Hercules: The Legendary Journies for inspitation about the gods and Wonder Woman for Amazon inspiration. I also dug up facination material on Queen Myrine who is to the Amazon culture like Daniel Boone or Davy Cracket is to American culture. Queen Myrine founded the city in Turkey where the great temple of Artemis still stands today as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Greeks did not create the myths of Artemis. They adopted the goddess to their own religion and turned her into a daughter of Zeus. The Amazons worshpped her as a life giving goddess and fertility who creates and nurishes life around the universe.
Sorry about getting carried away. But, I put a lot into the material in my scripts.
I always sit in a cafe with a laptop, which has been my procedure for a long time. (When I was a freelance writer, even had a setup which was a Palm Pilot with a folding keyboard -- nothing was more portable.) But I've cranked out many, many scripts and treatments this way.
Access to caffeine and a low level of background noise helps me concentrate. Home is filled with distractions.
Access to caffeine and a low level of background noise helps me concentrate. Home is filled with distractions.
I would probably do something more like this, if there was a real cafe in my area, just starbucks, and I'd rather not fall into that stereotype.
You're in Georgia, right? I'm mostly in SF, but when I'm down in Los Angeles, it is a little weird to write in a cafe, since that's what everybody expects that you're doing, and what many people seem to be doing.
When typing, ie hammering out a script that's in my head or outlined: headphones on low (Miles and Coltrane ballads usually for writing) and one (or two tops) glass(es) of bourbon to lube things up.
When writing, ie brainstorming/journaling/outlining/sketching with pencil and paper, I like busy lobbies with comfortable chairs. Libraries, museums, rec centers, shopping centers. I enjoy the people watching as my only distraction.
Incidentally, I love that scene in American Movie where Borchardt explains how he does all his writing in his cramped car parked at the airport for minimum distractions. Always wanted to ape that.
When writing, ie brainstorming/journaling/outlining/sketching with pencil and paper, I like busy lobbies with comfortable chairs. Libraries, museums, rec centers, shopping centers. I enjoy the people watching as my only distraction.
Incidentally, I love that scene in American Movie where Borchardt explains how he does all his writing in his cramped car parked at the airport for minimum distractions. Always wanted to ape that.