“What is your favorite time or space for writing?”
My favorite time of writing is early in the morning when my husband is not awake and I’m all alone in the quiet of the house. For some reason, it lets my thoughts flow easily and I can express myself freely. I feel like it is a fresh day and I have a fresh new start. My ideas are overflowing in my brain and can’t wait to be put into words. I may choose to use a pen and paper or I may just type it into my computer. It all depends on my mood and whether I have my computer handy or not.
When I was writing my book, I was on a cruise ship and I got up very early in the morning and went to the upper deck where there were hot tea and coffee available. Usually, the lights were still dim, and the night cleaning crew was working quietly. I found a table to sit at to right and no one bothered me for a few hours until other guests started waking up. Before long, my husband was awake and ready for breakfast. Then it was time to put my computer away and enjoy the day.
Sometimes I like to put soft meditative music on that also calms me and lets the words move through my head without any trouble. It also helps keep distracting thoughts from entering my head and block my writing.
When I decided to get in shape in the winter, I started walking on the treadmill. I walked when I felt I was at my best and kept the temperature in the room pretty cool. As the weather started getting nicer outdoors, I would walk in the neighborhood when the temperature warmed up but wasn’t too hot. I also liked to walk when it was not raining.
I wonder when we ask our students to write on demand, whether we think about the environment that works best for them. I know that during testing, they will have to write when and how they are expected to write. But when they are training for the test, maybe we should help them write in a way that suits them.
While they are getting comfortable with writing, let them have music of their choice playing if it stimulates their writing muse. Let them choose when they want to write such as when they start the class or near the end of class. While they are writing, have another activity for those who are not writing at that time.
What is your favorite time and space for writing? How do you accommodate your student’s needs for writing? Please share.
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