Edited a little over seventy-five pages yesterday, and wrote about five brainstorming-related pages for Teh New Shiny. It was a long day, in between e-mail, planning something for Dork Storm Press, and a few food-related chores, but very productive. It was the kind of productivity where you look back and go: “Wow, that was a lot of fun. More, more, MORE!”

I slept amazingly well and feel totally, utterly at peace. My office is finally situated, save for the reorganization of beads, my filing, and a pile of “I have no idea what this is” in the corner. But? It’ll get done. I know it will, because with the shift in my priorities, so required a necessary change in habits and work environment. In a way, it’s like managing noise. And where that used to be watching television at night (which I don’t do anymore), now it’s Twitter this, Facebook that, e-mail this, and all the other publicity ephemera necessary to put oneself out there.

I was trying to allude to that when I wrote a post earlier titled “Words, Words, Too Many Words,” but I don’t think I quite got there. That, sometimes, when I’m focused on writing or editing words, I have to consume less of them to focus.

Now that isn’t always the case. On occasion, it’s helpful to have wholly unrelated narratives on in the background so I can tune out whatever it is to focus. I don’t have “one way” of diving into the page; this particular moment, I’m honing in on what makes a good daily work habit. It’s different, too, depending upon where I am. If I don’t have an office, and I’m in a fishbowl, then I like having other noises that I can control to create a sort of buffer against everything else that’s going on around me.

Even then, what I’m relearning is that I always have worked best when I mini-task. I break the day up into smaller chunks and, if yesterday was any indication, hour-long increments. So, at the half hour or hour mark, I work consistently through to the next one where I can take a break.

To help me focus on my current priority list, I removed my second monitor (which isn’t necessary at the moment) and re-positioned my desk so not only is it facing the wall, I also have my back to the door. Straight in front of me, is the oldest poster I have since I first started having offices — a Millenium Falcon procured back in the days when I was one of the first people to sign up for the Star Wars fan club. Below that, is an artist rendering of Thor from the comics. (OF COURSE IT WOULD BE.) An official soot sprite from Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. . . Shut up, I like anime. . .) looks at me with those googily eyes of his. And, of course, various other paraphernalia and essentials, like the Mega-Chibithulhu. . . So cute, so cuddly, so sanity-blasting. . . and a lot of Hellboy. I should post some pictures of my favorites. Hrmm. . .

Doing this, setting up my office to fit my priorities, was really important because it basically created an environment where I had no excuse but to work or create. This isn’t coffee shop-style writing or meeting where it’s casual or I’m out for the day to listen and observe. This is where the bulk of my career rests on a space that I’m comfortable with long-term for hours at a time. It also means, however, that certain things had to be re-jiggled and adjusted. What I’m doing now is very different than what it’s been like for over a year. I’m still in the same space, though, so that means I had to get a fresh physical perspective to move forward.

But it’s also an auditory one, too. I’ve fallen in love with the Discworld and I’m hoping to do a read-through of the entire series beginning with the first volume. (Yay, libraries!) In the meantime, however, I have a few books on audiotape. When I’m cleaning or doing something where I need a break from plotting, hatching plans for world domination, or what have you — then I play an audiobook on iTunes and listen to the stories. When I’m working and feeling anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated, or just plain scared? I am finding that the best and fastest way to calm nerves is to clear my auditory palette with instrumental music set up into different playlist.

Here’s an example of that. My Cyber Sci-Fi playlist includes these albums:

• Tron: Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Avatar (Music from the Motion Picture)
• Final Fantasy XIII (Original Soundtrack)
• Dredd (Original Film Soundtrack)
• Battlestar Galactica (Series Soundtrack)
• The Matrix Reloaded [Disc 2]

Ninety percent of these songs don’t have any words in them and they all convey a similar tone and feel. That emotion, as expressed through song, is what I am hoping to capture in [redacted]. It allows me to “hear” the beats of these scenes and get a sense of characterization. (With the exception of Avatar. I just liked the soundtrack.) If the sound doesn’t fit the movie (many people have heard me complain when it doesn’t, like in The Transporter) then I’m totally thrown out of the experience. Sounds are so, so, so important to me both externally and, as I’m finding out more and more? Internally, too.

Before I leave you, I do have to laugh for a second and release some Inner Critic tension. I remember the last time I was explaining work habits and whatnot to someone who wasn’t creative or who didn’t understand the writer brain. “You think too much!” was the complaint. Well, duh!

Fortunately, the more writers and artists and beaders and creative people I meet? The more I realize we all do — because we’re always “working.”

It feels great to be in such good company.

Mood: Waking up. Sort of.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: I REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT ON THE GROUNDS I’LL INCRIMINATE SELF.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Stairs, stairs, up and down.
In My Ears: Darkness Immortal from Darklore Manor by Nox Arcana
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter collection
Latest Artistic Project: In progress!
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press