11 little things : writing essentials for the procrastinating writer
Art and Text : Kasturi Roy
It's the little things that bring joy, and procrastination is one such big little thing. In the interest of making the little things count, here are 11 essentials (and yet non-essentials) that help Make My Procrastination Awesome.
A Spot In The Park: Getting out of the study/ bed area to get out of a particular mental headspace refreshes my mind. Sometimes, a favourite spot at the park or people-watching from a park bench kickstarts a new chapter.
Snacks: Junk food may not be the best but who will deny that it’s a perk for mindless munching. But for what it’s worth, I can sometimes switch out the Cream & Onion for popcorn.
A Favourite Pen: I have a very aggressive obsession with stationery and sometimes they detract me from doing the actual job. But, that smooth fountain pen, or my favourite ink gets those creative juices flowing.
Post Its: Blue, green, yellow strips of paper that remind me of all the things to get done. Motivation is key and checking off stuff from lists is the best motivation for my writer’s block (aka procrastination)
A Plant: For the gloomy days, a bit of greenery on the desk works magic—not just for oxygen intake, but also the more than perfect #OnTheDesk Instagram as a bonus.
Writing essentials, by Kasturi Roy for TLJ
Books: I read. A lot. Newspapers, articles, books, fiction, non-fiction, and even complete trash. There’s so much I owe on a daily basis to great writers, content creators, ranters and Medium.
Coffee: Do I need to say more?
Tickets: Bus ticket stubs, museums tickets and passport stamps never fail to inspire me, so I always keep these around. So far, either my past travels have informed my writing or the anticipation of a next trip has got me excited to jot down my thoughts.
A View: All we Millenials need is a view— from our desks, rooms, apartments, alcoves. A closed room with minimal natural light calls for blank noise and a closed thought process and that isn't something anyone should ever settle for.
Freshly Sharpened Pencils: While the actual sharpening can be quite therapeutic, the vibe of a stand full of colourful sharpened pencils definitely gets my fingers itchy to create something just as beautiful.
Comfy Clothes: The mere thought of a snugly worn-out sweater, warm socks, a cup of tea and a scarf makes me want to watch Love Actually; cry buckets and then churn out morbidly cute romantic letters and friendship odes. Win-win.
I keep adding to this list. They aren’t things that I HAVE TO have, nor do I aim for all of these things at the same time. But these are the little things that make the writing process a tad bit easier for me. What are your little things?