When I write, I usually listen to something I’m aware of but that doesn’t distract me: classical music or something like Brian Eno’s Music for Airports. For some reason, if I hear lyrics or even words, my writing brain stops functioning. My head is like a swinging door in the kitchen of a restaurant: I can put things out and take things in, just not at the same time. As a result, I don’t really listen to songs as I write.
I do take breaks, however. Many, many breaks. (Some days are more breaking than writing.) On these breaks, I either go for long walks or short walks. On the long walks, I bring nothing; I really try to lose myself and just walk. The long walks are usually in response to a fundamental issue in whatever I’m working on: is this voice working? Do I need to scrap this character or storyline? Why in the world did I decide to write a short story set in Kuala Lumpur, where I’ve never been to and know nothing about?
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