1. A Desk Tidy
This is the current state of my desk. I'm not sure a desk tidy would actually help me keep it tidier, but it's got to be worth a try.
2. Snacks
Every writer needs snacks. I don't mind what as long as it's something that can be eaten one-handed whilst writing with the other hand.
3. Ink
I bought my first fountain pen about 18 months ago, silently laughing at people who had whole collections of the things because why would you need more than one refillable pen? Now I have four fountain pens and I'm developing a fascination for little bottles of ink.
4. Book reviews
A nice review is a gift that costs nothing, and every author will love it.
5. Notebooks
I used to have an entire cupboard of notebooks. Now that I've switched to writing first drafts by hand, I'm using them up at a satisfying rate. Give me more! I generally go for traditional lined paper, but I hear dotted and squared paper is great for journaling and planning.
6. Woolly socks
You can't write with cold feet. Come to think of it, I get cold feet about a lot of things as a writer - pitching a new idea to my agent, going on submission, doing an event. Woolly socks would solve all that.
7. A Book on Writing
If I could only have one, I'd go for Ursula Le Guin's because it has lots of practical exercises. Stephen King's On Writing is also a classic, while Wired for Story by Lisa Kron has an interesting neuro-science approach.
8. A cat
Useful for company in the day, for making sure you get up from your desk and play at regular intervals, and for social media photographs.
9. Noise-cancelling headphones
I bought my pair at the start of lockdown and they're still going strong, and have probably saved my marriage.
10. Time
There is never enough time. I'd like an extra eight hours in my Christmas stocking, please, to be spent throughout the year as needed.
Failing that, some time-management tools would be useful. I'm currently using Todoist to keep track of my various writing projects, and Clockify to track how long I'm spending on each. All I need now is a reminder to tell me to turn Clockify on and off and I'll be sorted.
A happy early Christmas to you all. See you in the New Year!
2 comments:
I love all of this, although I have to say that I think your desk is already very tidy, in my eyes! I definitely love notebooks, and I don't have a cat but I do have a dog, and he does insist I get up and move. The fountain pen thing is beckoning to me...But I need to start avoiding snacks - or making them healthier!
P.S. I have never heard of Ursula Le Guin's book, and am going to track it down. Thank you for recommending it!
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