Setting the mood...

Several people have asked in the past what sets the mood for me to sit down and write...and as I was pouring a glass of wine (hey, it's after noon and I'm unemployed...I can drink, hehehe) I figured I would share.

Obviously my mental mood comes into play, but there are things I do that also help me get my thoughts in order and write...

First I need the place to myself.  Although there have been times I've written with other people around the house, I can't really truly relax unless I'm alone.  This is difficult particularly around the holidays with family around for obvious reasons, so if I don't get much writing done in the next two weeks, it won't be until after New Year's I will once again have some time to myself.

Secondly, I find I am more prone to write in the mornings when I first wake up.  There are times where a story is so much in my head I actually think about it in that time between sleeping and just waking up, so I find once I make my morning coffee/tea (depending on my mood), I'll dive into writing first thing in the morning.  That's not a hard and fast rule, but it's consistent, and if I start in the morning, I'll typically go throughout the day.

Sometimes I'll play music...particularly if I'm writing about a dance scene.  I'll often play the soundtrack of a particular scene over and over as I write just to make sure the music is in synch with the story, but I'll also play random music to set the mood.  Other times, like right now, I'll pour a glass of wine as I'm writing...or maybe some Bailey's or Grey Goose on the rocks.  I don't drink often (this is actually the first drink I've had in probably 2 months), but I find it not only 'free's my mind' so to speak, but also curbs things when I'm on a particularly hot scene, hehehe.  ;)  I remember one session writing Lapdancing 05 where I was up for 24 hours, drank 3 bottles of merlot, and had the speakers blaring music the entire time...although such marathon sessions are far and few in between!

Also, I typically don't just sit down and write and solely write.  Instead, I often multitask, or at least, change things up.  Even now as I'm writing Lapdancing 06 I'm also unzipping/installing graphics packages, looking through e-mail, checking the news, alt-tabbing to Word to write a few paragraphs before bouncing back to something else...all while the television is providing background noise (Comedy Central or History channel are the two most common).

Just thought I'd share as I procrastinate looking for a job some more, LOL  ;)