During the course of previous Blaugust events, I’ve discussed my writing environment several times. Where and how you write is a subject that is worth revisiting because having a place where you can work unimpeded is an important factor in blogging regularly and successfully. Some people are very easy going when it comes to when and where they write. They will blog on a phone or tablet while commuting, or on their laptop while eating lunch in their work cafeteria. Others prefer a quiet office, free from distractions where they can collate their thoughts in comfort. I personally favour the latter and use the spare bedroom in our bungalow as an office. Looking back over my prior posts, it is clear that my physical writing environment seems to be growing over time. Curiously, despite acquiring more peripherals, the basic tools that I use to write have broadly remained the same for the last decade or so.

I subscribe to Office 365 primarily to have access to Outlook, which I use to manage eleven email accounts. It is a hangover from my working days and although there are alternatives products, I just like the functionality that Outlook offers and the fact that I’m very familiar with it. However, despite having Office 365 I don’t use Word as my primary means of writing blog posts. I use Google Drive for this and have it as one of the tabs that opens by default when I launch Google Chrome. Subsequently it is easy to start a new document or return to one that requires editing. Complete documents can be downloaded and archived in Word format. Google Drive also has the advantage of being readily accessible on other devices, which prior to my retirement was very useful when travelling between multiple sites. I use Microsoft Paint to resize images and if a picture needs any tinkering or fine tuning, I use whatever free online tools are available.

I have recently added the extension New Tab Draft to Google Chrome. This adds the functionality of Notepad to a new tab opened in your web browser. This is excellent for writing notes, copying text and removing formatting. Furthermore any text written persists after closing your browser. It is stored safely in Chrome Local Storage not via the cloud. Before anyone takes umbrage at my use of Google Chrome, I also have Firefox, Edge and Opera installed on my PC. All are used for specific tasks. Opera is especially useful as it has a basic VPN functionality. I run AdBlocker Ultimate to keep the scourge of pop-ups at bay and manage my password via Bitwarden. I previously used LastPass. Archive Page is another extension that I find very useful. This is a public means of archiving news posts and retrieving them. It is excellent for accessing posts that are gated behind paywalls.

I still have the same desk I bought four years ago. I have two FHD monitors and a fairly decent soundbar for my audio needs. We recently upgraded our internet connection and received a new router which sits behind my screens out of the way. There is a Yeti X microphone gathering dust on my desk, along with a Nintendo Switch. I have a wireless Xbox controller for the games I deem require it. There is also a charging cradle for my phone. Next to the desk is a small table with a Brother multifunction wireless laser printer (MFC-L2710DW). It’s a black and white only model but it suits my needs and is cheap to run. I have a pair of Sony bluetooth headphones which also doubles as a gaming headset. As I am a fastidious creature, I have a USB vacuum cleaner and a keyboard cleaning kit. My desk is a dust magnet and so I clean it weekly.

I always keep a notebook to hand and I have my trusty Feather’s McGraw water bottle so that I can stay hydrated. There’s a coaster for cups of coffee or bottles of beer. Over time, ornaments, novelty items and lucky gonks have been removed from my desk. This decluttering process has mainly been driven by my grandson, who is now banned from my office unsupervised. He likes to spin in my computer chair and mess with my shit. I used to buy fancy mouse mats and at one point had one of those ones that takes up most of your desk and has LEDs around the edge. However I find that fabric mouse mats get dirty quickly, so I now buy multipacks of them and change them every quarter. My wired Razer keyboard and mouse are holding up well despite my heavy handling. I’ve written before about how I get through a lot of peripherals.

My PC is not just for writing. I use it for gaming, listening to music, watching films and perusing the internet and keeping an eye on social media. It is a multipurpose tool which tends to be turned on first thing in the morning and turned off just before bed. As a concession to old school administration, I have an “in tray” on the shelf under my printer where any mail that I receive is stored. It remains there until it is actioned and then it is filed away in a box file. I favour a closed door policy when writing as I like to be free from distractions and able to concentrate. I tend to write notes first and then flesh them out and put them in a relevant order. Some posts will take less than an hour to write and others several. I find the act of writing very calming, even if it’s a subject that troubles me. I suspect the comfort of my environment contributes to my writing process and is thus part of the overall catharsis.

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