Share YOUR Writing Environment With The World!

Share your experiences to help others!! Comment answering the following questions:

1)  What grade are you in? ( Freshman-Senior in College or High School)
2)  Male or Female?
3) What is the best environment that works to improve your writing?
4) Do you listen to music while writing?
5) How can you tell? (In order to tell you can do a small test like the post below, write under different environments, try to write about small topics, which ever one was more: fluidity, detail, connections, writers block, length of writing, etc.)
6) Why do you prefer that place? ( do you feel relaxed, is it comfortable, accessible, does it inspires you?)

College Students You May Relate With

Photo Credit:MeFind

"I don’t know what to write.” “I can’t think of a topic.” “My mind is a blank.” “What’s writer’s block? I think I have it.”Have you or has your child ever dreaded facing that blank white page? Most of us have experienced that sinking, stuck feeling as we struggled to begin a writing project for school or work. Fortunately, there are lots of great ways to overcome this anxiety;"  By:Tracy Ostwald Kowald

In order to figure out how environments influenced writers i did a little primary research on my own, basically i had four different student write writing samples under four different environments. I questioned them after each writing to see how they felt while writing in each place, also i analyzed each writing noticing which place was the most influential by the change in writing.

 Hector and Julio are both freshman engineer majors, Tamara a sophomore psychology mayor and Ketsia a freshman biology mayor were all tested under three different environments: outdoors, in a library and in a room (music was an option according to their own writing habits), under each environment they had to write a small paragraph of any simple topic they each preferred. 

1. Both engineer students wrote better with the use of music. When I asked why they preferred music they both answered that music kept them stay focused and be more productive.  Hectors’ writing was more complex and well developed in his bedroom, he stated “its my comfort zone, its bright enough to keep me awake and comfortable to stay relaxed.” Julio in the other hand wrote better outdoors, he said writing in parks helped him get inspired and not feel so stressed with writing assignment.
2. Tamara the psychology student wrote better in coffee shops, “its loud enough to keep me focused but not too loud to affect me,” she preferred no music since she got easily distracted by lyrics.
3.  Ketsia was an exception, she was able to write in depth about the topics under the three different places almost the same, she preferred no music but she did mention places with low noises helped her start writing. 

After examining the four students preferences and writing samples, I came to the conclusion that the environment affects the students moods and productivity, and by being aware of their surroundings and its effects on their writing process they were able to develop better responses to the topics.

How to Avoid Writers Block

Environments can affect the mind by causing stress during the writing thinking process, due to “emotional realm-anxiety, fear of evaluation, insecurities, etc.” or “writers block” as Rose describes it, that prevents writers to critically analyze material in order to develop a rhetorical writing (389).

 

How Can Music help prevent writers block?

 In order to create the proper environment and prevent writers block, sounds have to come to consideration since they take a big part in the psychological process of writing. Music or sounds affect directly our neurotransmitters to release or hold dopamine (hormone that affects emotions), theres two types of sounds high intensity and low intensity. 

1. High intensity sounds like: screams, T. V. and  repetitive high pitch sounds alter the brain, causing a writer to lose focus and increase tension, blood pressure and stress.
2. Low intensity sounds such as classical music, nature sounds as water and wind create the opposite effect, it relaxes the writer, helps the body release tension, regulate blood pressure and stress. 

According to outside researches, “the noise from a coffee shop can be enough to do the trick says a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Moderate background noise (about the volume of a vacuum cleaner) can create enough distraction to allow you to think more imaginatively.” (Cho) Another research based on the effects classical music had on seventh grade students writings during a course of six weeks concluded, “ The use of classical music… may provide powerful means to motivate students to write-and-write more creatively and effectively. It may have the potential to help students with visualizations imagination, description, and expression.” (11)

How does a writing environment influence your writing?

Being able to stay focused makes you more productive and expands your thinking process!

In the book “Creative Knowledge Environments: The Influences on Creativity in Research and Innovation,” they define Creative Knowledge Environments (CKE) as “… those environment’s, context and surroundings the characteristics of which are such that they exert positive influence on human beings engaged in creative work aiming to produce new knowledge or innovations…” to find a CKE the non-experienced writers must be aware of what inspires them and distracts them to be creative and productive in order to develop a creative writing (1). 

For example me, as a first year composition freshman, in order to be able to write or create an idea to begin writing I need to be listening to something, loud enough to hear but not too noisy to distract me or make me feel anxious. I prefer to write in my bedroom, with bright sunlight and the wall calm olive green, the place I write helps me maintain focus since it is familiar and confortable enough to help me keep developing ideas.

Secret Writing Environments Just for You!

1) Find a location that works for you, it can be anywhere!!

• The amazing outdoors! it can be your backyard or a park anything with natures sounds and inspiration.
• Your bedroom: some people are more productive laying down in bed in order to finish writing
• An office: set up your ideal office, with conformable chair and assessable material to help not distract your writing
• The library: if hiding in the corner of a room works for you, the great! 
• A coffee Shop: the smooth music can help you remain awake and interested in writing, also the place relaxes you to avoid writers block.

2) Be aware of your surroundings:

• The Lightning: Sun Light vs. Artificial 
• Color: Bright Colors vs. Opaque Colors
• Set Up: An Office set up vs. a Bedroom set up
• Sounds: Music vs. Silence
• Materials: Pen and Pencil vs. Computer
• Organization!

***Make sure the surroundings are comfortable and prevent distractions***
IF YOU NEED MORE IDEAS CHECK OUT: 40 Inspiring Workspaces Of The Famously Creative

Misconceptions about Writing Environments

The problem is the concept we think the environment our writing area should be composed of, not the purpose behind of the study room.  As children, working in the study room seemed like punishment simply because it was boring and unentertaining, the same concept remains as students grow up. When students begin doing an assignment in a library for example, they end up daydreaming into the white ceiling for inspiration; the lack of sunlight and constant silent view makes the time writing there an eternity, which leads to the misconception that a silent simple room is the ideal place to begin writing assignment.