Give Me Couches or Give Me Writer's Block

Between catching up with old friends and making a dent in my reading list, I've been writing everyday. I think I've become a bit more simplistic with what I need in order to write these days...

1. New glasses. My prescription hasn't changed, but I splurged on a new pair of glasses to change my look. I needed a bit of refreshing, considering that I had my old pair for five years. So I got giant hipster glasses that I'm madly in love with (pictured above). Totally makes me want to write... even though I'm getting used to that extra weight balancing on my nose, haha!

2. Netbook. I'm entirely dependent on Spell Check and Google while writing, so I couldn't possibly write without my trusty netbook in my lap! Yes, that is a Rarity sticker. Mr. Daydream is there too, reminding me to write weird stuff.

3. Couch. Maybe I haven't met a chair I liked, but I write best when I'm sitting on a comfy couch.

4. Notes. Even though I don't write my projects on paper, I do take a lot of notes. I carry little notebooks with me wherever I go. Whether I collect my notes on paper or on my netbook, it usually consists of snippets - things my characters will say, plot twists, backstories, etc.


Music and snacks tend to vary per project. I don't actually eat while writing, but if I'm stuck and I pace around the house, I may reach for Cherry Twizzlers Bites. I've been listening to a lot of show theme's (Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who) and Sea Wolf albums while writing.


What do you need in order to write? Have your habits changed recently? 

Welcome Home, Roppongi!

A blog within a blog, haha...

I'm a homebody.

My idea of a wonderful afternoon is to sit on a large, soft couch. The ethereal music of ice cubes clinking glass fills the quiet room. A pile of well-loved library books slowly slide into the dip between cushions. I'm cozy in a cardigan or woolly sweater, barefoot, and balancing a tiny laptop in my lap. Yes, yes, the laptop is always involved, it seems. But it's consistent warmth and gentle hum, like a long sigh, adds to the familiar atmosphere.

You may not believe me, but I'm a bona fide Gemini. And it makes sense - I make sense - as a child of the star twins until we crash headfirst into this issue. I like to settle into my space. I feel that when I am surrounded by what inspires me (via posters, knick-knacks, etc), I can tap into those creative zones that help me keep writing. While my astrological genes say I should be fluttering from party to party, I find that a trip to the outdoor mall makes my cheeks glow with fresh adventure.

As much as I love the tranquility of home, I still love to explore new places and find little spots to sit and think and write. I used to have a few I would wander to in undergraduate school. I remember a grassy field next to the music building that overlooked the lake. There was also a leafy hill that sloped down from the side of the science building - if you sat at the top, you could peek in through a set of windows to see a lab below.

As I started my graduate journey, however, I have spent most of my time on campus in my office. When I'm there for a good few hours, grading or researching or just rocking back and forth in my chair, the fluorescent lights start to burn and the walls of the pumpkin-colored cubicle shrinks. Why don't I get out and explore the miles of university land, sprawling and endless compared to my small college? Well, I need a computer. All the time. Emails plop into my inbox like raindrops every few minutes and work doesn't slink into the shadows for later. It's always there. I figured out that simply allocating time away from the computer was not going to work: these school days are rarely that predictable. So, instead, I would purchase a companion who would free me from my office, but would allow me to keep up with steady flow of work. This pal: a netbook.

The Dell Inspiron mini was officially born today. This afternoon, when I dropped my duffel bag and Christmas presents for the family onto the tile floor, I saw the cardboard box waiting. Yay, no one opened it while I was away. We gathered around and watched it come to life. I stuck a big sticker on the front; the sad animals seem to be saying, "Take care of the environment, please." Very compelling. The pictures I've posed thus far feature it: I named him Roppongi.

Okay, so technically, Roppongi is the name of a train station and a whole district in Tokyo, Japan. But this netbook is named after the character, a personification of the district and station in a show called Miracle Train. If you have never seen it, I sincerely recommend it. Especially if you don't watch anime often. It's a show about a mythical train that helps lost ladies. It's very sweet and funny. Check out episode 1 here. And don't forget to turn on the closed captioning (CC). I know I did, haha.

Left: Roppongi. Right: My Roppongi.

So with Roppongi happily by my side (I'm thinking even lapdog. Very odd), I am embarking on my mission to become a nomad on campus. I don't want to say that, at the end of my three years, I had never stepped foot outside of my office. While the air is cool, I'm going to enjoy each change of scenery that I encounter. It's going to be great.