Finding a Writing Space in Your Home

Posted by Guest Writer in Strategies      22 comments

Feb
6

A recent conversation with a WriteByNighter got me thinking about the places and spaces in which we write. “My challenge is that I have to find a place to write away from home since there are so many distractions,” she told me. “My brain has to strain away the chaos so I can find the creative elements that let me write.”

Finding a writing space is a common challenge. Technically, writing is portable and so we can write wherever we want. But we can’t write well wherever we want. That’s the catch. To be at our best, we need a space in which we feel comfortable (physically), safe (from the distractions and demands of daily life), and free (to express ourselves on the page without fear of judgment or censorship).

That’s a tall order, sure, but it’s far from impossible.

There will be obstacles—there always are—but with a little thought and experimentation, you should be able to discover or construct a writing space that works for you.

In-Home DIY

If you struggle with finding a writing space outside of your home, you might try instead to create a dedicated, inviting writer’s haven in your home. That way, the option to write is more readily available to you, instead of needing to travel just to get some creative work done.

I know, I know. You don’t have enough room, you don’t live alone, the house is too noisy; there are these and a hundred other reasons why you just can’t do it. But a solution exists for every one of them; you just haven’t found it yet. Try this on for size:

Small home: Find a nook, a corner—even a closet will do.

Housemates: Write “I am writing. Do not disturb!” on a piece of paper and hang it on your door and/or near your nook.

Noisy: If your nook has a door, close it. If not, invest in noise-cancelling headphones.

[Tweet “”To be at our best, we need a writing space in which we feel comfortable, safe and free.””]

As you consider your own ideal writing space, take a page out of WriteByNight client Simone Fuselier’s book. The start of her writing coaching with WBN marked a new phase in her writing life. She’s now ready, she tells me, “to put some serious time into honing my craft and developing a robust writing practice,” and finding a writing space in her home is part of that newfound commitment.

Simone agreed to share with us her thought process in carving out her dream writing space.

A WriteByNighter’s Must-Haves

“I’m a spatial person and a natural light person—if I could live in a glass house I would,” she tells us. “I like contemporary style for its clean lines and spatial characteristics. So, I chose a glass writing desk and glass computer desk to enhance the feeling of space because the room is a little small. I also chose bookshelves with open backs to enhance the sense of space as well. And I positioned both desks near French patio doors to optimize light and fresh air and the outside world.

“Here were some of my must-have criteria:

1. Adequate space for my books. Need to be near my books for inspiration/references/research material/etc.

2. Big desk – for writing and reading only

3. Computer desk – for computer/printer only

4. Lack of clutter/organized well

5. Lots of natural light

6. Comfortable desk chair, essential

7. Cozy reading chair, essential as well

8. Quiet & peaceful

“To put a more poetic and less practical/technical spin on space, when I envisioned a writing space, I actually envisioned a ‘creative space,’ not just a place for writing but also a space for meditating, for pondering, for reading, for art, for music. Other than life itself and the experiences it brings to my writing, these other aspects inform my writing and are integral to my pen-to-paper process.

“Writing is challenging enough without putting oneself in a position to be aggravated by the outer environment. First and foremost, I was most concerned and cognizant of how I would FEEL in it. I am quite a spiritual/mindful/meditative person, so the outer needs to support my inner world so that I can bridge the gap to express what lies inside. I needed it to be functional yet inspiring at the same time and it needed to fill me with joy so that I am repeatedly drawn to be in it. My ultimate goal was to create a space that I would want to WANT to be in—often.”

[Tweet ““Writing is challenging enough without [being] aggravated by the outer environment.””]

Discussion

As for me, I wander. I float. I move from the kitchen table to the couch to the bed, and back again. I go where the spirit moves me, and if I’m lucky, the writing itself will take me away.

Do you have trouble finding a writing space? Where in your home do you write? Have you carefully constructed an ideal space? What does it look like? What does it feel like? What do you have in it? What do you like about it?

WriteByNight owner Justine Duhr is an award-winning writer and editor of both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in Anomalous Press, Whiskey Island, Fringe Magazine, The Review Review, and other publications. She holds an MFA in creative writing and has provided writing instruction at Vassar College and Emerson College.