Write

This small article has been written by María Pérez, fourth year student of Literature and Creative Writing. On this occasion, we will talk about the ideal place to start writing, and some necessary routines to create the habit of writing. Is there a perfect place for the muses to visit us? Is it possible to write anywhere and in any way?

Muses, Pen, Action!

If you write too, you'll already know that we writers can't wait for ideal circumstances to do so. That's just the way it is. Many times you have dreamed of finding yourself on a desert island with sandy beaches, lying in a hammock in the shade of a palm tree full of coconuts. Or in an old attic, like the one in my grandmother's house, stocked with antiques, mysterious books, stuffed animals and lots of dust. Or a little house in the mountains, with a fireplace burning at your back, and a window through which the blue light of a clear sun enters.

This is all very nice. But, as I said before, we can't wait for ideal situations to start writing. Instead of waiting, my friend, what you have to do is to look for those situations, which, even if they are not ideal, will be pretty close to what you need for the muses to visit you. Let's take a look at some requirements must-haves to achieve this purpose. I hope you're taking note.

1.-A literary corner.

The first step is to find the ideal place to write. It does not have to meet specific characteristics, for each person this place will have completely different features. It can range from a crowded cafeteria to the most inhospitable corner of a library. Julio Cortázar confessed that most of Rayuela was written in different cafés in Paris. Navarra is not like Paris, it must be said; but the cafeteria Faustinos is an ideal place to let your imagination run wild, and the Main Library is the sanctuary of silence and concentration. We are not lacking in variety, hey.

LITERARY TIP: Get together with a friend who shares the same enthusiasm for writing, go to Library Services, a park or a cafeteria and start writing. You will need a sheet of paper, a pen and keep your mouth closed for at least average hour. No cell phones or laptops. Don't be fooled: we all get distracted by a screen, and so do you. Be alone with your sheet of paper, and let the magic happen!

You don't always have to use the same place, because there will be times when the muses will pounce on you in the most unexpected places (from the inside of the bed, to the bathroom, to be precise). The important thing is that the place you choose serves you to get you to write. Have you already thought about it?

2.- The sacred hour.

Now that we have a concrete space to develop our masterpiece, the next thing you need is a schedule. This is the hardest part of all, because if there's one thing we can't spare in this life, it's time. Choose a time of the day when you are usually fresh; depending on your personality, it will vary: it can be just after waking up or 12:44 at night. The only thing I recommend is that you don't start writing as soon as you eat, because at that time of the day no one can get a single useful word out of it.

LITERARY TIP: set an alarm on your cell phone. For you, writing has to be as important as getting out of bed in the morning: if you don't do it, you won't be able to continue with your normal life. Don't worry if the first few days you don't succeed, or if you have to change the time you write. The important thing is that you fight to find the ideal time. And when you do, defend it tooth and nail.

3.- The ritual.

We already have the time and the place. Now it's time to have some fun. It's important that you enjoy the writing process, because if your mind thinks of it as an obligation, it will block and deny you its most delicious treasures. So, set up your own routine, find yourself a couple of hobbies and introduce them into the creative process.

LITERARY TIP: there's nothing more poetic than making yourself a cup of tea or coffee before you start writing. And if you also have a lucky pen or an old-fashioned looking paper, you're going to have a blast. In your literary corner you can add pictures or phrases that encourage you and remind you how much you love writing. Become a geek and you will never give up.

4.- The dictionary, my best friend.

Don't give me that face: without a dictionary you are lost. It is important that you lose your fear and laziness of this instrument. And it is essential that you stop using Wikipedia or looking for synonyms on the Internet, because, apart from the fact that you will get distracted and lose your concentration searching on Google, you will kill the little creativity you have left in that gnat brain of yours. The Internet is the writer's greatest enemy.

Finally, I leave you with an excerpt from an interview with García Márquez, which I hope will inspire you:

"-What is, for you, the ideal place to write?

-I have said it several times: a deserted island in the morning and a big city at night. In the morning, I need silence. At night, a little alcohol and good friends to talk to. I always have the need to be at contact with the people on the street and well aware of current events." (Gabriel García Márquez, El olor de la Guayaba. Interview with Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza).

Brief aside: I can assure you with full conviction that García Márquez did not use Wikipedia. I have no proof, but no doubts either.

So now you know. All you need is a place, a moment, a precious hobby and a good dictionary. Let's get writing!

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