There are times as a writer when you have so many ideas running through your head that you feel like you’re going to explode. Then there are times when you stare at a blank computer screen, begging the universe for inspiration. All writers have experienced both. Distractions are a writer’s worst enemy, whether it be an inspiration overload or a case of writer’s block. I liken it to doing a complicated math problem in your head and being interrupted. You lose your place and have to start over and even sometimes forget how to solve the equation. Therefore it is crucial for a writer to make themselves a quiet space designated to their writing and make it as distraction-free as possible.

In my writing space, I have a computer that is strictly dedicated to my writing. This computer never connects to the internet. I have made this a rule that I strictly adhere to for two reasons. The first reason is to protect my computer from viruses that could crash it and cause me to lose my work. This happened to my mother when I was a child and she lost almost two hundred pages of a novel she was writing. It devastated her so much that she never tried to rewrite that story. I'll never forget how devastated she was and therefore I take precautions to protect my work from a similar fate. The second reason is to eliminate the temptation to do mindless internet browsing or games when I am having no inspiration. My writing space is also decorated with things to inspire me and put me into the world of my characters. Depending on what book I am writing, the items in the space change. For example, I have a statue that looks like Neith in the Legions of Lilith Series that has a prominent place on my desk with a statue of her owl companion Spyros. When working on my new series The Soldier, I have things around me from my military career. It is a small thing but it can really help to keep your mind in the game. When I am working, the door to this room is closed and it is a strict rule in my household that everyone knows not to interrupt me unless there is an emergency.

My writing room is not the only place that I write. I often find myself jotting down notes in my notebook even when I am out shopping or waiting in my car for my kids to get out of school so I can drive them home. I often get inspiration for new characters from watching people around me as well. My favorite place for character inspiration is the local shopping mall; there are many unique people there. Even so, I am much more productive in my writing room and can accomplish a lot more in a smaller amount of time. The world around us is so busy and chaotic and therefore countless distractions exist. That is why a designated quiet writing space is so important. It may seem like a small thing but, in my experience, it makes a big difference.