A few months ago I led a flash fiction workshop at a local library. It was a great success, with a fantastic turnout and everyone was incredibly engaged. Toward the end when I was wrapping up, a woman asked, “What advice do you have for someone who’s just starting out writing fiction?”

For a moment I just stared at her like a deer stuck in an intersection with four tractor trailers converging at the same time.

It’s not as though I didn’t have anything to tell her. I had far too much advice to give her about how to find time to write (hey, I should do a blog post about that), how to successfully utilize outlines (I should also do a post about that too) and how hording your rejection letters will eventually help you save money on wallpaper (no one wants to read that post).

The problem was there was so much I wanted to say I just froze and then gave her the default advice that is always given to aspiring authors (myself included): “Never stop. Never give up. No matter how many rejection letters you get, just keep going. You will get better.”

Now there’s a reason why this is a message given at every author’s reading and writer’s conference and on every writing website. It’s really good advice. It’s something all aspiring artists need to remember. However, despite how vital this message is, I wished I had given her something she might not have easily heard somewhere else.

It wasn’t until I was driving home that evening (because this is how all our brains work) that I realized what I should have told her.

Flashback even further to my college days. Right before an exam, my General Biology professor told us (paraphrased and updated): “Everyone says they can only study when they’re distracted, when they have music on and when they’re on social media, but they never actually try to study in a quiet room to see if it’s more effective.”

That’s (more or less) the advice I should’ve given.

Unless you’re regularly meeting your daily goals (1K words a day, 3K words a day, four solid hours spent writing etc.), try shaking things up.

TIME OF DAY: If you write in the evening but find yourself too exhausted to concentrate try waking up early to write before work in the morning. On the other hand, if you find you are in a rush to reach that word count before you have to go to work, try writing in the evenings. I know switching up the time of day you write is easier said than done, but give it a shot. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I realized I was actually a morning person.

MUSIC: If you write while listening to music, try writing in silence. If you write in silence try listening to music. Also, switch up the type of music you listen too. Do you need instrumental or rap? Classical or jazz?

PLACE: If you write at home, check which libraries near you have study rooms. Or try coffee shops or parks. If you generally write outside the house save money and time by seeing what you can get done at home. Try different rooms in your house/apartment. Living room, basement, attic, bathroom. (Unless you find it works perfectly, I would say avoid the bedroom because you will be tempted to take a nap.)

DISTRACTIONS: I’m just going to come out and say it – there probably aren’t all that many people who “need” distractions while writing. That being said, if you’ve been trying to write in an absolute distraction-free environment and it’s just not working out, see if little social media breaks help. On the other hand, if you try to write with ten different social media outlets going and you aren’t meeting your goals try closing those tabs.

What I’m trying to say is, it’s important to mix and match all these different elements of your writing environment to see which one works for you. And the only one that is “right” is the one that helps you produce the most quality pages.

To take this a step further, your writing environment might need to change depending on what stage you are at in the writing process. A little more distraction might be better if you’re working on a rough draft. A little more quiet might be needed if you are revising.

HOW I DO IT: After years of trial and error my ideal writing environment is either a quiet room at the library or my living room couch with a beverage (tea in the morning, beer/whiskey in the afternoon) on my left and a long-haired cat on my right.

I write/edit in approximately 20 minute intervals. I don’t have social media open while writing but I often take social media breaks between these intervals or I spend that time reading a few pages of a graphic novel. Over the years I’ve gotten really good at encouraging myself to get back to work once these breaks are over.

If I’m writing a rough draft or outlining I play instrumental music such as the How to Train your Dragon Theme, or the Best of Hans Zimmer or I just google “Best Epic Music.” If I’m editing or revising I need as close to silence as possible.

But that’s just me.

And that’s the whole point of this. You need to find what kind of writing environment fits you the best. Don’t just stick with your default method that you’ve been using since high school. People change and so do their writing habits. Be aware of what conditions produce the most pages.

In short, if you are meeting your writing goals at least four days out of five, feel free to completely ignore this post. But if you’re struggling to concentrate, and can’t finish your work, consider making a change, shaking things up and finding a more effective environment.