Before I Sit (to Write)

 This Week's Topic: Preconditions: What must be true before I sit to write?

The stars must be in alignment. The muse must be chatty. The universe must be in serene balance...

Naaaaah.

Heature of Crabit reporting in! My morning routine: 

• Get Up.
• Get dressed in "you won't get arrested for indecency (but the fashion police will strongly object)" attire.
• I potty.
• Dog potties. 
• Dog gets drugs.
• I get drugs. 
• Dog gets fed. 
• I get coffee.
• Dog gets porch time.
• I get to work.

Yeah,  yeah, yeah, there should be a line about "exercise" and I swear there used to be. Maybe one day there will be again; hopefully, before the weight of my ever-expanding slothfulness breaks my recliner. 

Now, what has to be true before I start drafting? As in what prep work do I need to have done before I take a stab at the opening line? Before I tackle the grabby hook?

• Skeletal outline
• Characters and locations named and briefly described (like a 2-sentence "brief" description). 
• Inspirational images/photos saved to appropriate WiP folder for easy reference.

A mere three things, yet it's the outline that takes time, especially if the plot hasn't matured in my head. You don't want to know how many iterations of the outline happen before the drafting begins in earnest. Oh, you do want to know? Uhm, well, usually between three to sixteen versions of the opening arc (first ~10ish chapters). Once I lock down the opening, then the rest flows pretty easily. But, man, beginnings are the freakin' hardest for me.