Where do you plan to write your novel? We’ve discussed finding the right (write) pattern to complete it and that involves the best way to employ your time. But finding a comfortable, quiet space in which to write is a must. Coffee houses are fine if you crave a change of pace, and many novels were written during lunch breaks at work, but you need a dedicated space within your home for when you must concentrate. Here are three tips for setting up your ideal writing space.
If you live alone, hooray! Your whole home can have several nooks dedicated to writing. If you live with at least one other person, you will need to figure out how to make part of your home a space for writing. In my last post, I talked about learning to be flexible, trying to write in any situation. But having a home base for your writing will go a long way toward successfully finishing your novel.
I learned the value of having a space all to myself when I switched library jobs an eon ago. When I worked at Suburban Library, no one but the managers had their own desk. I had a few shelves to store items in the children’s room where I waited on the public, but if I needed a quiet place to work, I had to find one of the community desks empty. If it was empty, and that wasn’t always the case, I hauled everything I needed to work on to the desk, and then when I had to return to the public area, I had to haul it all back to my storage shelves.
When I got a new job at County Library, I got my own desk. I had no idea how much more productive I could be when I had a space to myself. If I was interrupted, the work was still on my desk. When I started my work day, the work from the previous night was still on my desk. No more hauling!
So what do you need for a dedicated writing space?
- You must have a door. Whatever your space looks like, it must have a door to give you peace and quiet when you need it. A closed door should signal to everyone in the house that you’re working. It’ll take a while for the little people in your house to pick up that signal, but a closed door at least slows them down.
- Invest in the best desk chair you can afford. I wish I’d done this years ago. I have a lot of neck and shoulder pain from writing, and I might have prevented a good amount of this pain if I’d taken the time to find a desk chair that met my needs. I’ve had a good one since July and I can see a major difference.
- You don’t need to spend a lot on a desk. It can be a tv table as along as you can reach it comfortably from your chair.
I used to write like this, and in a variety of other places and postures, depending on my mood and circumstances. I typed a lot in this chair. How was this wrong for me?
My head was tilted down and to one side, increasing my neck pain. My arms weren’t fully supported, adding to pain in various places in my back, right shoulder, and torso.
Here’s where I work now.
I have to handwrite my first drafts, and I do that from this recliner. I still have pain, but I’ve learned how to lessen it. I use the headrest, place my feet on the footrest, and bend my knees. Then I place my binder against my bent knees, supporting my elbows. The less I bend my neck, the better. This recliner is in my bedroom, so I can shut the door when I need to.
Here’s my dedicated writing space when I type and do other computer work. I have a desk in a room the also functions as an exercise room and glorified closet. It has a door too. My new chair supports me from the neck down. I have the armrests level with my desk, so my arms are supported from my elbows to my keyboard. I elevate my laptop, so I don’t bend my neck. My husband bought me a fancy stand to lift my computer, but I used a stack of books until then. And those were fully adjustable too.
What tips do you have for setting up your ideal writing space?
Here are more tips on how to get ready to write your novel.
Helpful post! Thank you!