I write best by candlelight. Whether in the dark of night or in the early hours of the morning, there is something about the glow of the flame that inspires my soul.
Writing takes incredible focus. For me, the hardest part is finding that focus – sitting down and getting back into the story, blocking out all sounds, all sources of distraction. Returning mentally to the 19th century. Once I’m there, I can write. It’s getting there that’s hard.
The flame helps.
Do you have some object that helps you take off and soar with your writing? Maybe you have a favorite chair or some seen-better-days sweats. Perhaps you have an angel muse perched nearby. Or maybe you find the sweet sound of music brings inspiration. I’d love to hear about what works for you.
Happy writing to all.
Stringing Beads 
Debra:
The difficult part for me is getting the initial story written down before I change my mind. Then, once I have what I call my rough skeleton, I begin to edit, add things here and there, rearrange sentences and paragraphs and so on. What I call the meat. But those initial words is the big barrier. To get started, I need a quiet space, good lighting, and easy access to all of my notes and other resources. Plus I need a glass of ice water. That’s absolute, because for some reason, heavy concentration gives me a dry mouth. Go figure. Anyway, I like the room to be dark except the area right around my computer, and my chair has to be comfortable. If all of those things are in place, just maybe, I can pound out the first page. But, having said all of that, nothing kills my inspiration more than a malfunctioning computer. If anything happens with the technology, I lose it.
Happy trails.
I agree – initial words are the big barrier. Much easier to edit. I’m smiling about the ice water. I drink a lot when I’m writing too (only cold water or hot coffee, nothing stronger ). On occasion I also enjoy nibbling on M&M’s.
Thanks for the comment. Keep writing!
I feel like I wrote that post. With the exception of the 19th century setting for the writing. I burn incense too, many times, so that more senses are transported away.