No Blaring Music From Across the Pond

Thomas Bosch, a writer in Germany, tells us how he sticks to his writing schedule during the holidays and everyday:

I've tried lots of things in an attempt to best optimize my writing environment and I have found that the best things are as follows. First, I need the apartment to be very clean. If the place is a complete mess, then I just don't feel comfortable and relaxed and that affects my concentration. Instead of writing, I am eyeing the big pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen. So a spotless home can do wonders to relax you and relaxation helps the writing inspiration flow. Next, I've found my best hours of work to be between midnight and 4.00am. Some people swear by getting up at 6.00am and working throughout the morning but I have found the best hours to be VERY late at night. Why? Probably because the rest of the world is sleeping so there are no interruptions. No girlfriend asking for attention, no phones ringing, no demanding clients with pressing deadlines.....plus it's strangely comforting to work in the dark. Just pop on a small desk lamp to illuminate your keyboard but apart from that, work in the dark.

One last thing - try to avoid listening to music before you start. When I hear music, the song gets stuck in my head in one continual agonizing loop and that totally wrecks my concentration.