Writing Space?

Do you have a laptop? Have laptop, will travel. I spend most of my time on my couch with my feet on the coffee table, but can also be found at Barnes & Noble or the library on occasion.

I think it does, yes.

I like to have some space around me so I can stare at something distant. The favourite writing spot I've found so far is a comfy window sill in a country house, where I was in holiday. I could look at the chicken outside when I was bored / daydreaming.

ETA: I had to write in a notebook, though.

I wish I had a choice. The only time I get a chance to write is in bed, with my beautiful wife snoring softly at my side. I am simply too busy to do it any other time, so writing is the primary reason I consistently get 2 hours less sleep a night than her

Its more important for me to write SOMETHING than to care if I have the ability to wear a suede smoking jacket, whilst sitting in my leather, brass studded chair with in my private library with the thermostat set at a nippy 72 degrees, surrounded by lit, half burnt candles and using a Mont Blanc pen on paper made up of 50% papyrus, 40% hemp and 10% imported African giraffe fetus.

Can you go ahead and move the computer down to the future library now? At least then you'd have some space.

Having too nice a writing space is as big a problem (or sometimes bigger) than having a crappy space -- if you're distracted by the view/falling asleep in the comfy chair/reading the books in your personal library/etc., you're not writing. That said, I think there are two essentials for any writer's workspace: (a) a baseline level of comfort, not necessarily super-cozy but enough to make sure you don't have eyestrain or back trouble from the hours spent there, and (b) as much freedom from distraction as possible.

I can't write amongst clutter. Hell, I can't live amongst clutter.

My actual writing is the only part of my life which isn't scheduled, planned and regimented. I have days for cleaning each room in my house, that's how bad I am.

When it comes to the story, I don't outline. In life, everything is scheduled down to the millisecond. I don't know why this is.

Someone once walked into my living room and asked, "Where's all your stuff?" I asked what they meant and they said, "You know. Stuff. Nick-nacks. Ornaments. Clutter."

I replied, "I don't do clutter."

Maybe it's about control. I control my environment and my characters control me (because I like them better than real people).

ClaudiaGray said:

Having too nice a writing space is as big a problem (or sometimes bigger) than having a crappy space -- if you're distracted by the view/falling asleep in the comfy chair/reading the books in your personal library/etc., you're not writing. That said, I think there are two essentials for any writer's workspace: (a) a baseline level of comfort, not necessarily super-cozy but enough to make sure you don't have eyestrain or back trouble from the hours spent there, and (b) as much freedom from distraction as possible.

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lol. its funny you say that. We sleep in my room with it fairly cold, and when I go to write in bed, I lay on top of the covers, that way I'm too cold to fall asleep.

If it feels like it's not working well for you I'd try to make a change.

There's something to be said for having a dedicated writing space that you sit down to regularly - I think it can work to "turn on" the flow and make it easier to get started and to pick up where you left off.

I have had private spaces that I loved, which worked really well - but right now I'm set up with a desktop in the hub of the household, where I have the kitchen to my left, the living room to my right, and the laundry room in close vicinity. There have been times when this location would have been terrible, but for this past six months and at present, for whatever reason, I am feeling stimulated by all the activity around me as I write.

This set-up was fueled by my developing some issues using the laptop - tingly fingers and sore wrists - so I set up an ergonomic work area and I love it.

All that said, I often write "on location." I wrote about 25 pages one day driving up in the mountains, pulling over at every turn-around to write on a legal pad I had in the front seat. I was writing about a MC's emotional return to the mtns. after many years away, and the immediacy of the setting really made the words flow.

I've also written a big chunk of a novel hunched over my laptop in a dark, noisy, crowded bar - another MC's hang-out. I had only meant to write there once for ambiance, but my writing group responded so positively to what was written there I kept going back - and ended up having to finish the first draft there.

I did the final edit of my first novel, with notes from agent, in a tiny room at a tiny mtn. inn that literally hung off the side of a mountain. It was storming and lightning was striking right outside the open windows of my room - as I sat on the bed cross-legged with my laptop front and center, the hard copy to my left, notes from agent to the right, and a blank pad for times when I needed to write in longhand for a bit. Sat there that way for nearly 24 hours straight.

Go where it feels right for you - whether that's about comfort or getting in the right atmosphere for what you're writing.

I have a lot of what I call "flair" - but the space needs to be neat. Seems every day I have to neaten up the area before I get to work (damn kitty) I am very much affected by my workspace. I gotta have pictures and things for inspiration. I could not write at a sterile desk facing a wall with nothing on it.

I used to write in the basement, in the coldest freaking corner of the house. That's where our bed is, because it's cooler in the summer, and me typing away in the dark didn't wake him. I've been wanting to move upstairs, to the smallroom where I do my crafts, for years, and I finally did it when I got a desk on sale. Big mistake. The livingroom is only a few feet down a short hall, and the tv noises funnel down the hall, straight into my lovely little den. But the worst thing is, since he had to actually work at bothering me before (had to go downstairs) now my husband wanders by several times an evening "just to see what I'm doing."

I'm working, goddammit!

And if I close the door, my dog scratches at it, because he's used to coming and going. I think I'm going to cut an Executive Entrance into the bottom of the door, so the perro can remind me that I need to get up and stretch, and Writer's Block Senior would actually have to turn the knob and open the door to bug me.

bettielee said:

I have a lot of what I call "flair" - but the space needs to be neat. Seems every day I have to neaten up the area before I get to work (damn kitty) I am very much affected by my workspace. I gotta have pictures and things for inspiration. I could not write at a sterile desk facing a wall with nothing on it.

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I could. Blandness without would force me to create universes within.

(Ooh, deep).

So I should probably delete my Jeff Goldblum wallpaper, but he so purdy...*sigh*...

i sometimes curl up in a pretzel on the cement front porch with my laptop.

it makes no difference where you are.

I usually write sitting in bed.

Once you're into your writing, I don't think it really matters where you are.

I think I read somewhere that Roald Dahl wrote in an old, messy shed thing. You can find the pictures somewhere.

xx

(Post 1000. Woop. Lol.)

x

I have my laptop on a TV table in the living room.

scarletpeaches said:

I can't write amongst clutter. Hell, I can't live amongst clutter.

My actual writing is the only part of my life which isn't scheduled, planned and regimented. I have days for cleaning each room in my house, that's how bad I am.

When it comes to the story, I don't outline. In life, everything is scheduled down to the millisecond. I don't know why this is.

Someone once walked into my living room and asked, "Where's all your stuff?" I asked what they meant and they said, "You know. Stuff. Nick-nacks. Ornaments. Clutter."

I replied, "I don't do clutter."

Maybe it's about control. I control my environment and my characters control me (because I like them better than real people).

Click to expand...

I am the exact opposite of this. My desk is a solid mass of empty coffee cups and I live in constant fear of clutter avalanches (those knickknacks can be deadly). The idea of scheduling my days makes me laugh. But I'm a dedicated outliner, who plans out all the details of the books before I even start writing. I have detailed plans and schedules for completing them as well. I guess writing is the only thing I care about enough to take control over. Either that, or I just hate cleaning, and like shiny things.

The only important thing about my writing space is that it's comfortable and private. It could be a closet as long as it's big enough for my easy-chair and has an outlet so I can plug in my laptop. I keep my eyes on the computer screen when I'm writing anyway.

It is likely I could write anywhere at anytime but I can optimize my output by having a clean space of any kind. I recently bought a home and have an office though it is currently the place where all the unpacked nonsense lives. So I write at the kitchen table, on the couch, at the breakfast table, after I clock out at work, in a notebook on the bus or at the beach, etc.

I really want my office clean. It has a door.

I think the space needs to be comfortable and with a fair amount of room to put your laptop or desktop and other tools around you like cups of tea.

Though I have a temptation to litter my space with nick nacks, pictures and "everything" I need which tends to create too many distractions. I'd recommend a sparse space but I can't keep to this advice myself.

I think for some who are easily distracted (throws blame at others, then promptly vanishes) having clutter and bills and such can be an issue.

I've written stuff I plan on keeping in a courtroom gallery during a murder trial, on a train, in bed, at the dining room table, on the couch, etc. I've gotten ideas in restaurants, in the car, at a friend's place, awoken from a dream, in the shower...

In each of these places the electric bill was nowhere to be seen. This is key to my success as a writer. Also that they do not shut off my electric.

I guess it depends on me. I can often be easily distracted unless inspiration and the need to write is overwhelming then I can write anywhere.

Also, I can sometimes write at work because writing becomes the form of distraction and procrastination. It feels much more fun then.

brainstorm77 said:

Can having a crappy writing space affect creativity?
I have a cramped corner in my bedroom for my small desk and computer and it kinda sucks. View? Opinions?
I am in the process of remodeling the dining room downstairs to use as a office/library but its going to take some time.

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As you can see from the variety comments, it all depends on the person. I think it's very common for newer writers (or painters, sculptors, etc) to dream up their ideal work area (in your case, an office/library), especially if they're stuck with a less-than-ideal work area right now. But don't believe that having that ideal work area will magically make the words flow from your fingers and create beauty on the page. It may, it may not. Remember that the creativity comes from inside you- not necessarily your location.

I think the only thing that is universal is to make sure your work area doesn't distract you from your writing. Different things distract different people.

Not all noises distract me- I can handle birds outside my window, but I can't handle conversation (my mind falls into eaves-dropping mode). I can't handle clutter in my range of vision as I'm writing- if there's a conglomeration of crap behind me, I don't care because it's out of my field of view. The smallest things distract me. Sometimes, if I'm struggling with my WIP, EVERYTHING distracts me. I could have a completely bare desk, and the desk itself distracts me. That's when I switch off the lights and write in darkness.

You might be different. For you, a busy location might be a source of inspiration, rather than distraction. Find out what works for you, and build your work space around that.

Yeah, what Pepper said.

I'm crashing at a friend's place, in the dining room. I write there. The only rule for me is I have to be in a room alone, or in a public space without any personal interruptions. I put on music or put on headphones.

I sit at the desk if my wrists are good, and if not, I balance the laptop on a cushion and write in an armchair. And then I just SEIZE the moment and write.

I think I associate the one room with socializing and for that reason even the "public space" I do write in feels private in comparison. And that's all I currently need. Lack of interruption...

The most writing I ever did was when I took a 3 day holiday by myself to a B&B in a sleepy little town. I was the only guest, the room had no TV, and I think I brought along one book. I would go out and wander around whenever I needed to eat, but that was it. I had a huge binder with a bunch of blank paper, which I laid out flat on top of the bed. I sat on my knees and wrote and filled every page. I think a lack of distractions is more important to productivity than what your writing space looks like.