Does everything have to be just right before you can write?

Well? Does it?

Do you have to have the coffee in place, the curtains at the correct angle, the heating on/off/at exactly nineteen degrees? Some of this applies to me, I'm really bothered by extraneous noise and light that is too bright for me. So, as I know this, I prepare in advance. I have earplugs in my pocket and blinds on my windows - simple. The main thing that bothers me is, when I go somewhere else to write, like the library or University computer labs. What irks me is the fact the computer is different. It ain't set up how I like it. It has different applications, icons etc.
To combat this, I've started using google's online storage/email/documents facilities. Which is great until they fail or malfunction as they did this week. But, it is a free service, whaddyagonndo? I Personally suggest using Netvibes as well as a kind of back up (or primary) service. Yes it is a little bit of a pain setting it all up twice and remembering to copy content over as and when you add stuff, but, just how important is it to you to have that same 'feel' at every computer you log on at? Most 'writers' are quite precious (or do I mean precocious) about this kind of thing, playing the angst-y artist card about why they can't create until they've had their cranberry porridge and peppermint tea. I'm a but like this too believe it or not. That's why I've started using both services as well as carrying around a portable office and internet suite from the nice people at Portableapps.com.

I love this, I've used a portable version of Opera for some time as it has the built in mail client so I could retrieve all my mail from whichever PC I was sat at, anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Sweet 'eh?

So now there are no excuses, you can write anywhere, on any computer.
Blimey, you could even try a pen and paper

All the best

Mark www.markchambers.org.uk