How do you get in your zone?

[BURN_BT]

What inspires you to write? What gets the ideas flowing? I'd like to hear your creative processes!

Personally I listen to music, be it soundtracks or otherwise, and try to picture a scene that fits the tone of the music I'm listening to. It's how I've always done it but for some reason it just works. Once I have the basic idea of a scene, I usually write a few notes and either try to develop it further and move onto the next. This has resulted in some pretty huge playlists on Spotify! When it comes to writing out a scene, I either have the playlist I just made super quiet in the background or sometimes no music at all. It kinda depends on what mood I'm in.

[mountainwolves]

I just set a timer and start working. Inspiration strikes if I'm lucky. It usually does so in the latter stages of production.

[Pony_wearing_a_hat]

I also use music! For my current character-study-heavy novel I have a playlist for each of the five main characters and alternate between those playlists based on which character is most important in the current scene. Each playlist is a mix of songs that relate to the themes, personality, and history of the character, songs that are just the kind of thing they would listen to, and a lot of songs that serve both categories. It really helps me set into the character's shoes and write them more easily and consistently.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Metal music and caffeine mainly. Also working a repetitive and physical daily job kind of helps a little too. I get most of my ideas while I'm at work.

[EncryptedWriting]

Legit no idea. Once I have that inspiration, I run with it. It is not often where I obtain it, so, today, I wrote a solid 1.2k words, finishing my fourth chapter. Now, I am attempting to start writing the fifth, however, I need to do research first which might fizzle the inspiration.

[YS_og]

Inspiration hits when I shower, so I hold the idea until I write later the same evening. Rinse, repeat. I dont know why resolutions, ideas, epiphanies etc. never come any other time.

[MeltingCORE]

I'm very much the same with music. That's what gets me into my work flow! Mainly things like jazz, Trance, k-pop/j-pop, and metal. Also, remixes. I'm a huge fan of remixes. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Ozric Tentacles! The psychedelic nature of the music fits both of my series.

[IzzyBloom91]

listening to music! depending what music I hear makes the scene! nothing really special gets me going really, I just love to draw, and some weirds thoughts just start to flow...

Infinite Strike | Tapas

[N1ghtm4r3]

i set soem music a good mix of metal and hard rock and just do stuff ,it feels so good to tune out this crappy reality at times,as far as inspiration thye hit at random and try see if it can work with the story i try to tell

[C.L.G]

I listen to instrumental music, mainly piano, when I'm stuck. However, I mostly turn off the lights and work in a dark room with a cup of coffee, water, or tea and maybe some snacks. Sometimes I would write dialogue to get my brain working.

[AxeWinston]

I get into the groove by blasting my music speaker in the garage and work till the sun comes up. I'm not a morning person most the time but can adjust to a flexible schedule.

For my writing process. I like slow romantic songs, smooth jazz and soft 80s ballads when writing violent scenes. It help keep my mind calm and relaxed. For action paced battles and happy scenes I like listening to metal, classic rock, pop songs.

[simplykit]

i play video games

watch tv

i doodle, draw random stuff

i do some basic exercises

then the brain juices flow and i get my mojo going

[SoulSean]

Almost everyone will have the same method. Music is the most convinient way to get your idea moving. The mood came rush like a rollercoaster, as well as when you want to devolope your character.
Be it classical, mood swinging and violin influence me the most into developing my book character.

Final Realms - Another Realm | Tapas

[Dreampup]

Music is definitely my way to go too, I have that thing where you see visuals when you listen to music and that definitely helps me a lot. ^^ doing anything else will usually break my flow though.

[powerplantanimations]

Moosic. I did this thing where I put my favorite songs on a Spotify playlist and whenever it lands on someone, I click on their profile and listen to five of their songs just to broaden my horizons and listen to new sounds. After listening to five songs, I return to my favorite song playlist and repeat the process. I try to be as varied as possible. (No K-Pop)

[CleverGoat]

A variety of things, music sometimes helps ideas on where to take my story just pop up when I do things like taking the train. When I get writer's block, I step away for a bit, and then I think about the result I want and the different situations to get there.

[MottotteShinji]

I honestly don't know how I get in my zone... HAHAHHA I listen to Yorushika's songs and I've been addicted to Nautilus Live version for more than a month now and I listen to it when reading other novels. Anyway, I usually just ponder about the chapter or the volume in my mind and if I get an Idea I write it down, after sometime I refine it or scratch the idea if I get a better one. Right now I'm actually struggling to write Chapter 2 (Volume 2) of my novel, but I'm coming up with ideas to refine it... somehow. XD

[simonitropunk]

• Music especially METAL!!!
• YouTube podcasts
• Drinking coffee

[Lensing]

One example: I can be in the zone when I´m sitting with the back to the wall facing the open door.
I personally don´t believe in art/writing blocks but I believe in habits and the right
work enviroment, that means that I can be in the zone when I want to be in it

[TheLemmaLlama]

Fools, I have no zone! Mwahahaha ... haha ... ha ... :'D

What inspires you to write? What gets the ideas flowing?

Basically, what everyone else mentioned. But these flashes of inspiration last like 10 minutes, after which I'm left spinning around aimlessly on a chair when I really should move on and do the more rote parts of comic making or something else entirely