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08.05.2018: One Chapter of Nonfiction

Today's soundtrack is Electric Sound Continuum: Songs Dissolved in the Dawn, a really cool experimental solo project that I came across on a Reddit post; some of the lyrics are in English, others are in Greek. Musically, it's beautifully structured; the overall vibe is very chill. It would be the perfect album to listen to on a warm summer evening.

This morning, I'm reading the third chapter of the second part of Stephen King's On Writing.

Once the writer has "settled on a daily writing goal" (p. 155), there are two things, says King, that a writer needs: a place with no distractions to write, and a closed door. The writing goal should be attainable from the outset; it can always be increased later, but if the bar is set too high initially, the prospect of writing may become a daunting task. King suggests starting with "a thousand words a day [and] one day a week off" (p. 156).

Studies have shown that a bedroom that only serves as a bedroom improves sleep; similarly, an office that is only for writing is more conducive to written productivity. King calls this concept "creative sleep" (p. 156).

King sums it up thus: "[Y]ou need the room, you need the door, and you need the determination to shut the door. You need a concrete goal, as well" (p. 157). We can't wait for the inspiration to show up. We need to tell the muse where we will be every day. Only then will it show up.

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