I don’t think writers talk enough about the impact that external conditions have on the writing process. I’ve heard a lot about mood, time of day, competing priorities and routines before and after writing, but for me the most powerful way to get me to focus (and the easiest way to pull me violently out of it) is my surroundings.

First things first, I need a clear, simple space. Very few items should be on my desk, only one or two applications open on my laptop, and my phone should be upside-down and placed away from me or in another room.

Ideally, I like to have my back to a wall in the corner or the edge of a room. It’s probably something to do with the fear of someone seeing my screen or sneaking up behind me when I’m mid-flow, but also I like to look about me when I have mini brain breaks.

I also like to have soft lighting in the room, but a really brightly lit screen. This helps me to immerse myself in the story, but has undoubtedly contributed to my failing eyesight.

Having two drinks is necessary, but three is ideal. I like a water (preferably sparkling, but tap will do), a caffeinated or warm drink, and a fun drink. For me, juice is deemed fun. No food though, food is a distraction.

I like the temperature of the room to be cool enough for me to need a jumper, but warm enough that I can be in shorts with nothing on my feet. This is an outfit choice my husband finds absurd, but for me it makes perfect sense. Jumpers are cosy, but covering your legs and feet is akin to suffocating, you know? Or maybe you don’t, I’m not sure if this is just a ‘me’ thing. I am wearing that combination at this very moment, and I am positively storming through this Substack post as a result.

I like a pleasant, singular smell. I currently have a candle on my desk that is very pungent that I like to huff every now and then, but I have also had bars of soap that overwhelm the room and perfumed jumper sleeves to breathe in. Just one, strong smell though, I don’t like them to compete, and something that is sweet and powdery – and of course not the smell of food. Never food.

Finally, music is an essential accompaniment to my writing routine. I’m very sensitive to sounds generally, and when writing I either like my environment to be perfectly silent (which is rarely possible) or I’ll listen to an instrumental playlist. No singing, and the music must be of a similar ‘mood’ to whatever I’m writing, but not overly emotive so that it distracts me. While writing and editing my upcoming novel, The Pit, I listened to a soundtrack I named ‘Yeehaw’ so many times that those songs put me in the mood to write even now, almost a year after I finished it. So yes, we can safely say I have effectively Pavlov-dogged myself.

If you would like to listen to the Yeehaw playlist (now more appropriately named The Pit) to get a feel for the vibe of my upcoming novel, you can listen on Spotify.

What are your conditions for writing or reading? Or are you one of those infurtiating people who aren’t impacted by food smells and singing? God, I envy you.

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Can’t wait for The Pit to come out?

How about trying out my Christmas-themed horror novella, The Festivities of Morkwood?

You probably haven’t heard of a village called Morkwood.

It’s unlikely you would have passed through it, let alone stopped to visit – Morkwood sits in the corner of nowhere, unassuming and quiet.

Until December, that is.

Each day in the lead up to Christmas, the villagers of Morkwood come together to open the doors of a giant advent calendar called the Advent House. Everyone is expected to participate in a tradition steeped in local legend.

But not every door of the Advent House is something to look forward to. Like most long-established rituals, this one is rooted in fear.

Think The Wicker Man, but set at the most wonderful time of the year.

This is perhaps my favourite review of The Festivities of Morkwood:

This was a brilliant novella. Confidently written with a great pace and moments that were genuinely unsettling. I started it and finished it in one night and then had a screaming nightmare where I thought my wife was drowning and shook her awake. Consequently, she doesn’t like this story but I really do. Great work, looking forward to reading much more of Babb’s work.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you fancy giving it a read, you can get The Festivities of Morkwood now on ebook or paperback.