Wednesday Wonderings 1

Hello everyone,

The problem with this series of Wednesday posts is going to be choice. More specifically too much choice. If I can talk about anything, you never know what will happen.

So, do I go off on a tangent that has nothing to do with anything and tell you that I saw a fox eating a bag of chips just down the road from my house last night? (I actually did. Someone had dropped a bag of chips and there was a fox right in the middle of town making the most of his lucky find. I watched him from my doorstep for about five minutes - simple things please simple minds.)

Or do I talk about something related to writing?

Well, on the writing front, I've been thinking quite a bit about how and where I write. This is mostly because I've recently moved into a lovely new writing space and my writing habits have changed a little bit and got a bit more organised.

I'm completely hopeless with pen and paper, so I always write straight onto a computer. And I've found I edit best during the day time and write best at night, so I split my time accordingly.

The day is spent behind my nice new desk (curvy and beech, in case your wondering) editing on my desk top PC. Nice and quiet, no distractions, big computer screen so I can see what I'm working on and an Internet connection so I can look up things I'm not sure about. I try to get a bit of editing done most days.

Then about ten pm, it's on to my lap top on one of those cushion tray thingamabobs to work on the current first draft. Cozy and comfortable in an armchair, but no Internet connection - so no temptation to check my e-mails one last time before I get some work done. I write first drafts much better at that time of night.

I try to do at least 1000 words on my main first draft in progress every day, no matter what. 500 words takes me about 20 minutes. I write for about an hour and a half and try for 2000 words whenever I can. If I need more than 2000 words a day to keep up to day, I'll write a bit in the day time too - but it never seems to flow in quite the same way.

So, what about everyone else? How do you write yours?