​Call me crazy – but I don’t enjoy working or writing in complete and utter silence. But I also don’t like getting distracted. I need to get in a Zen-like zone every time I try and write a poem. 

Music helps me whilst I attempt to express my genius and wit. But it certainly does not help when I have to change the song every few seconds – most of time it’s because a rubbish pop or RnB number starts blaring out of my laptop speakers, one that my brother downloaded eight years ago (Peter Andre’s Insania comes to mind). Therefore I want to share with you my quick tips on how to make the ultimate writing playlist that will keep you scribbling until the cows come home.
 
It does NOT have to include classical music
They say classical music is good for concentration, but I don’t always find that the case. Everyone is different and maybe you don’t even want to listen to music – that’s no problem! But if you do want music to help you focus, it’s okay to have songs that have lyrics. Every song does not have to be performed by the London Symphony Orchestra without a vocalist. In fact, if anything you should...
 
Pick songs you actually like
You should pick some tunes (probably around 30 in total) that you always enjoy listening to and not feel tempted to skip. Skipping is where the distractions start – get your finger off that next button. You’ll need it for super speedy typing.
 
No loud songs please - or anything else distracting
It might sound obvious, but having songs that are loud or make you want to get up and dance the funky chicken is a NO. NO SERIOUSLY. STOP IT NOW. Get it out of that playlist. It does not belong here.  Sorted? Good, let’s continue.
 
Keep it mellow
Your playlist should be nice and easy to listen to. The less you pay attention to it, the better. Think about the music they play in coffee shops – it’s easy to ignore. You don’t hit up Costa to rock out, do you? If you do, get help.
 
So with these tips in mind, I came up with my own writing playlist that I think that I’ll start to use from now on.  You can check mine out now on iTunes here. Hopefully you can also create a playlist that you can use to get the creative juices flowing.  Hope you have fun making one and enjoy your writing this weekend.
 
And hey – if you found this blog useful or thought that it exudes brilliance, why not give it a like or share on Facebook or Twitter? It would make me warm and fuzzy inside. 

All the gear, but no idea.

A phrase that I find rings very true. Particularly as a writer – you don’t need a MacBook Air or a library room in your house to be half decent at it. You mostly need a sense of imagination and an ounce of dedication. But a headful of dreams can only get you anywhere.

So, here are five essentials that might help get you started:

A word processor accompanied with a solid hard drive
I admit the first of these is pretty obvious. But the second one is a no-joke essential. ALWAYS have a back up of your next masterpiece. You’ve seen what happens if you don’t in that Love Actually pond scene...

No, no – you won’t get sexy Europeans clambering to get it back for you! It will just be a soggy, illegible papery mess. Nobody wants that.
 
Your favourite book 
Always handy to have if you’re low on inspiration. You might read something in here to reignite that spark and remember why you wanted to write in the first place. Possibly a ‘eureka’ moment! Just avoid that dangerous path of plagiarism though... 

​A notebook and a trusty pen on the go – There’s only so many places your laptop can go with you. I mean you could take it to the beach...oh wait....

A pocket-sized one would be ideal just to take down ideas, notes or even that golden line for your next piece of imaginative awesomeness.
 
Thesaurus – Let’s be honest – there’s only so many words you know for “just” or “too” or “limited”. If your brain can hold that many words then well done – now sign up for Countdown. Whether it’s a hard copy or an online one, it’s always handy to have a word to describe these people that can store so many words in the brain. Like “smart-arse”. 

Snacks – Oh, because we all love some fuel to keep us going. I’m a sucker for black coffee and whatever is festering in the fridge myself. But anything will do just to keep you ticking over. Before the hanger kicks in.  Hard.