Nikyatu Jusu
Hello. I really enjoyed watching your short films. I am trying to write some short stories but I keep getting distracted. How do you prepare yourself and your environment for the writing process? Thanks.
Great question. I have an office space in my apartment so I tend to retreat there. It’s quiet isolation. Sometimes when I’m really in tune with my characters and stories and this world is kind of just unfurling before my eyes, I listen to music that reminds me of music I’d use for the actual soundtrack of my films. Other times, I type in complete silence.
I go stir crazy so I’ll retreat to a cafe to write—often times I feel more pressure to make progress in those settings because I’ve spent $ on a croissant or soup or whatever ; )
I also highly suggest a program called FREEDOM: it’s an app that prevents you from accessing the internet for allocated amounts of time. A lot of writers have professed to using it, including one of my idols Zadie Smith. No wandering over to twitter or facebook, you’re stuck writing.