Programming is much like writing. You need the solitary (confinement) to get into the flow. You can learn a thing or two emulating past masters. Dahl recongnised that to write you need the discipline of regular practice in an environment free from distraction.
I've long been interested in Dahl and his work area.
He did his writing in a shed in the back yard of his house, Gypsy House ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/2837817746/ The description of the setup is fascinating. The shed contained an old chair. His feet would rest on a his an old suitcase his mother had discarded. On his lap would be a large board that he would sit over his lap. Within his reach would be half a dozen sharpened pencils and some writing pads. This is all he needed to write. You can see some images of the setup here ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/2837817764/ here ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/2837817762/ As for my work area isn't a patch on Dahls. An overview you can view here ~ http://flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/1131207/
Programming is much like writing. You need the solitary (confinement) to get into the flow. You can learn a thing or two emulating past masters. Dahl recongnised that to write you need the discipline of regular practice in an environment free from distraction.