In theory, there’s nothing really that hard about it. You sit down at your desk/on the sofa/on the bed, open up a notebook/laptop and write. That’s all you’re doing. You’re just sitting down somewhere and writing.

If only it was that simple in practice. As we all know, writers are experts at finding distractions and putting off actually getting down to business. Even the most dedicated and prolific among us are likely to spend many an hour window-gazing, daydreaming and making cups of tea they don’t really want but are making anyway because it’s easier to put the kettle on than put words on a page.

It’s hard. We all have our own ways of getting around/over the challenges of sitting down to write, but here are some of the best and most common things you should be doing to maximise your chances of a good, productive writing session.

Make sure everyone else in the building knows that you are planning to write, and that if you are interrupted for anything less than a genuine emergency, it will not be appreciated.
Disconnect from that there internet. Sure, it might be tempting to keep it on ‘just in case’ you need to check some vital fact, but a quick Googling session can all too quickly turn into a full-blown case of procrastinationitis. You can check that vital fact later. For now, switch of the net.
For that matter, put your phone on silent too. If possible, put it in a different room so you’re not tempted to check it.
Keep biscuits close by. Writing = snacking.
Get a kindly person to bring you beverages at regular intervals. It saves you getting up but means you’ll still be topped up with tea, which as we all know is very important.
Know vaguely what you’re doing. Even if you’re not someone who loves a detailed plan for your writing, having a vague sense of what you’re planning to do when you sit down to write can help to keep you on the straight and narrow.

What do you like to do to get yourself ready to write? Do you have to have everything just so, or do you just sit down and get on with it?