"How I Write"

I found this one recently at the library and while it's not particularly awe-inspiring, and I know virtually none of the authors featured, it is an interesting perusal. It reminds me of times when Jenny gets going with questions. Her stand-by is "What are you reading?" which goes around in a circle until everyone's answered, but she's asked just about everything.


This book is like sitting at a table in Red Robin (where our post-writing group meeting dinners take place) and listening to a Jenny-question go 'round. The fun part is how many of the authors name tea/coffee or cigarettes as a necessary part of being able to write. Even more fun, though, is the other, more odd-ball necessities - like a maglite, a big desk, or photos of strangers.

In the spirit of a Jenny-question, I'll offer my necessities and encourage anyone reading this to post a comment about theirs. For me, my main necessity is background noise. Whether I'm writing longhand in one of my notebooks or typing on my computer, I want to have some kind of noise. The radio is good, or the TV sometimes.

Writing in my notebook opens up even more opportunities. When I worked in the kitchen at the bar, I liked to write at work after I clocked out. I could sip a cocktail, and have lots of background chatter and jukebox music. Of course, since I would be sitting at the bar writing, there were always people who assumed that meant I wanted to have a conversation with them. Jenny used to give me a hard time when we had a class together and she'd look over and see me writing and writing, then she'd look closer and see that I wasn't writing notes. Boring classes are a great incentive to write.