My Writing Necessities
I probably don’t have to tell you that, as a writer, there are certain things that make life more convenient. I used to write on a laptop that sat on my coffee table. It was quite uncomfortable as I hunched over from the couch to get at the keyboard. But I was too stubborn to change. Well, I’m older now and realize my bones and muscles are a bit less forgiving. As I began writing more, I decided I needed to introduce comfort and convenience into my life. Here’s a list of 5 things I picked up to do just that.
ONE | The Desk
I’ve worked in offices my entire career. I thought I knew what a good desk was. Turns out, like so many other things in life, I only thought I knew. And then the wife comes along and explains things. She was as tired of watching me struggle with the couch-coffee table-laptop setup as I was of watching me struggle. She suggested a corner desk, and none of that wasteful file cabinet nonsense either. Full range of motion with absolutely no knee bumping. She chose this one. I spent days trying to find a rival, but in the end had to admit she was right again. It is a damn nice heavy, sturdy desk. I love it.
TWO | An Ergonomic Chair
Yep, an ergo chair with back and lumbar support allowed me to sit comfortably upright while typing. It allowed me to pull the little lever thingy and recline a bit while I was thinking (no jokes, please). And it allowed for just enough cushion on the old buttocks that I didn’t get comfortable enough to fall asleep. This is the one I went with and I’m happy with it.
THREE | Keyboard and Mouse
So I have just as much love for nostalgia as the next guy or gal. I’ll admit, I sometimes think it would be cool to break out the old Underwood. But I’m also a realist. I can’t type for crap. Yes, I’d spend all day with correction tape if I tried writing on an old school typewriter. I know my limitations. I’m a bluetooth and mouse guy and I’ve been using said combo for as long as I can remember. With that said, I recently came across what I consider to be the best combo package on the planet, at least for me—the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard and MX Master 3 Mac mouse. The keyboard and mouse are the most comfortable, responsive, flawlessly integrated devices I’ve ever used on my Mac. Hands down. Full stop. The combo was pricey, but in the end, well worth it. Here are the links.
FOUR | Thesaurus, Dictionary, Wiki
I am always in the market for unfamiliar words and their variations. My mental retention is not what it used to be, so I reach for the dictionary as needed. I use a Mac with dual monitors and the built-in dictionary app works just fine. I throw it in a corner of the secondary screen, and I have instant access to the dictionary, thesaurus, and Wikipedia articles. Do I trust it always? No, but it is useful and convenient for quick lookups.
FIVE | A Handy Way to Jot Down Notes
So right out of the gate, I’ll admit that for years I was that guy. You know, the Post-it® notes guy. I had scraps of paper freaking everywhere. But the new me, Mr. convenience finally gave all that up. Now I use the Mac Notes app. I can tuck it in right under the dictionary app on my secondary monitor and it’s there all the time, automatically saving entries to the cloud.
So this is my home setup. I’ve finally gotten off the couch and I notice a dramatic increase in productivity. When on flights, depending on legroom or how far back the person in front of me decides to recline, I’ll either use a laptop or an iPad.
