When you sit down to write, what helps you to be effective?  What hinders you?  There are probably as many methods of getting and staying in the “creative zone” as there are writers.  Here are a few things that have helped me over the last few years.

Time Management
I have a few time timeslots in my weekly schedule that are allocated just for writing.  Beyond the obvious, it helps motivate me to complete other items on life’s “to do” list so that when it’s time to write, my precious writing time is not encroached upon by other responsibilities or feelings of guilt about what I should be doing instead.

Planning
When I sit down to write, it is imperative that I know what I’m going to write.  I don’t mean every little detail.  Even though I’m a more of a planner than some people, I recognize the value in leaving a portion of the writing experience to spontaneity.  But already knowing what I’m trying to accomplish reduces wasted time reviewing notes, doing research, or just staring at the ceiling waiting for inspiration.

And since I’m on the topic…

Inspiration
I’m a visual person in how I learn and also how I process information.  So if I can somehow manage to get a clear visual of a scene running in my head, all I have to do is observe and take notes.  When writing The Awakened, I was inspired by travel photos of the Greek Isles.  Once I had the visual, it was easy to go to that place mentally as the backdrop for most of my scenes.

Oddly enough, music also helps me visualize.  And what type of music could be better than that which is specifically written to evoke emotions and enhance visual stories?  You guessed it: musical scores.  When I’m writing large-scale battle scenes, I’ll listen to The Lord of the Rings.  Hand-to-hand fight sequences are much easier to write when The Matrix is pounding in the background.

In the Zone
When I’m in the creative zone, it feels amazing!  Words pour effortlessly onto the screen through my fingertips.  But I’ve noticed that the magic is not in the scene itself.  It’s in the moment.  If I step away from the computer—because it’s late and I really should get some sleep—and come back to it later, it’s gone.  So when the words are flowing, I try to stick with it for as long as reasonably possible.

My recommendation—figure out what type of environment cultivates your creativity.  And make this method part of your writing time.

Good luck and happy writing.