To Write, or Not to Write?

That certainly is the question. So many factors determine the appropriate writing environment, and not everyone agrees on what that environment consists of. I prefer a quiet setting. I've always struggled to remain focused if anything distracting lies anywhere within earshot. The television offers a tempting escape from sometimes tiring work. What might take me five or ten minutes could suddenly consume an hour of my time if I glance up at the newest episode of How I Met Your Mother every thirty seconds or so.

I've also found that I can't work in the company of others. Does it ever seem like people absolutely love to interrupt your diligent work with trivial chatter? I feel like such a dreadful trait has spread like a contagious disease. The occasional musings of my chatty neighbor tend to detract from my work. Nothing seems to convince these social butterflies to find another listener, either. This is precisely why I regret typing this blog from my living room. I already miss the sweet silence of the library.

Some people swear that their work shines brightest in the daylight, while others feel that their creative juices flourish under the stars. I'm nocturnal, myself. If even a shred of sunlight is peeking over the horizon, then I cringe like a vampire at the thought of writing. I have no logical explanation for this quirk. My brain seems to enjoy the tranquility of night. Maybe I should start wearing sunglasses inside so that I can finish my work earlier in the day.

As a perfectionist, I twitch a little when I concede that I must leave my work half-done for the day. I learned this tragic lesson later in high school. Paper lengths jumped from three pages to eight pages, and suddenly, I couldn't belt out a research paper in one sitting. I've gradually adjusted to writing in bits at a time. These are organized bits, mind you. Everything has a system in my life. If I have a week to write a seven-page paper, then I'll write a page a day. This also means that I have to make certain that my work is right the first time. I've never liked revising things later. I revise as I work, and I can't let myself move on until I've perfected the section before it, which meas that I must work in a linear fashion. This is another bug that I've been conquering as I've encountered longer and longer papers. Whether that endeavor is going well is an entirely different story altogether.

I've never much cared for blogs, so forgive me if I seem a little unfit for the trade. Despite that, I've listed my quirky yet functional methods of writing for whoever would like to read this lengthy list. I'm interested to read about how my classmates differ.