Do you ever do something special to prepare for expressing your creativity? Please explain.

Wish I could I could decorate your nice question with a cool answer. But truth is, when I get feeling that way, I just go do something.

@josie -I’ve got to have my music straight with the MP3 and speaker charged or else it changes my tune.lol!

I listen to music. I always start out with Queen greatest hits. Always. Then any order of other CDs.

I tend to develope detailed relationships with my characters. I know them well enough to recognize them if they walked into a public place while I am there. While I make myself ready to settle into my work nest, I think to myself I wonder what they are up to now.

I roll my own cigarettes, so I make sure I have that well supplied (re: any sixties movie about writers, visual of overfull ashtray.)
I have beverage well supplied within reach.
I require background noise initially, but after a while I can dispense with that.
As I said, while making ready I make a point of wondering what my characters are up to. It is sort of like seeing a television program which is to be continued next week, and mulling over what the outcome might be.
Sometimes my characters argue with me, and tell me that this or that does not mesh with their personality type.
By the time I have my laptop set up, I have a pretty good idea of what they are going to be facing, and what their actions will involve.
I am currently stuck, however, because I am working a project which I have an exciting bit coming up, but the story is not there yet. I am so focused on that part coming soon, i am having trouble reining myself back, and focusing on the now. My biggest problem is rushing through the story to get to a next thing. My characters don’t help me with that. I get basically an eye roll, reminding me I’m the author, and they are just waiting for me to make up my mind. It is like my stuck is a rain for them, and they are watching out the window sipping hot tea until my mind clears and directs the next few pages for them.

I am currently in the Jurassic era, and I have a wildlife scene coming up which will be terribly intense. I am trying to work through some regular everyday life adapting to a foreign environment first. They have a genius idea for catching fish, but now I need to have some just being and interacting before the next big thing.
It helps to visualize my characters as feeling impatient about waiting for me.
Of course, I don’t actually see people. They are in my head, something like thinking about the details of a dream.
Mentally consulting with my characters helps to draw me into the project and advance to the next thing.

@chyna-I have that CD as well :)
@Patty_Melt -You’ve painted quite a picture! I hope things go well with your current project.

Music.

@raum – Give us a sample,please :)

Depends on the project and my mood! Don’t have a go-to like @chyna. :)

@raum- Could you just sing one right now?