Topic Tuesday - Ideal Writing Situations

This week's blogging assignment: Okay, every writer has an ideal situation to write in. What's yours? Specific room? Specific view? Surrounded by what things? Listening to music? If so, what kind? Where do you get the most inspiration for your creative impulses? Describe it. Be specific. Cite examples.

I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom and pursue writing as a career.  My seven year old is my best friend so when he’s home I spend a lot of time being with him.  That gives me about five hours, while he’s in school, to write (and other things like exercise and/or errands). 

And because I tend to cater to my son (yes, he’s a spoiled mama’s boy) he gets the TV all night long, allowing me to watch Pixar or Dreamworks moves over and over and over again.  Yes, I can quote all of Cars and Madagascar 3.  So, when I sit down to write, I take my laptop into the living room, make three large cups of Earl Grey tea, put on my shows and write.  I’m able to concentrate on both things at the same time and it’s like the television noise makes all my focus a little sharper. 

If I’m not watching TV shows then I pull up YouTube and put on soundtracks.  I like listening to emotional music, sometimes to Enya, sometimes to Blackmore’s Night (which, is a type of Renaissance/Folk Art band). 

Music is one of my number one inspirations for ideas.  While a lot of writers have a playlist for a book, I usually have just an inspirational song that I listen to over and over again to stay in my character’s mindset.  As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs,  one of my favorite bands is Linkin Park.  I’m in the middle of writing an MC trilogy (motorcycle club) that’s a cross between Sons of Anarchy and Longmire.  For the first book, the signature song was “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes.  For the second, I went with “If I Didn’t Have You” by Thompson Square.  (Two fabulous songs if you haven’t heard of either one, although if you hate Country you might want to skip.)

This year, 2013, I was able to publish eight novels.  So I guess, for me, my work ethic is working! :-)