For some writers it is imperative that they have a dedicated area for practicing their craft. You can find decorating advice out there on creating the perfect writing mecca and it is even possible to tour famous authors homes to get a feel for the spaces they wrote in. Jane Austen, for example, sat at a small table by a window in her room and Rudyard Kipling had a whole room of books and a writing desk.
Just the thought of having a special area in my home with reams of quality, white paper, blank journals of my choosing, and having my writing tools and reference books at ready makes me giddy. However, the reality of living in a home that has been undergoing DIY renovations for eight years means I’ve had to adapt so that what makes me inspired to write is not necessarily my local. I have found that I’ve had to pay attention to what situations make me feel like writing; this includes the habits and rituals that I do to put me in the right mind space to be creative. Here are some settings that inspire me to write:
- Solitude. Sometimes. Being in a busy placearound activity. Sometimes. People watching can be very inspiring for me so sitting at a coffee shop (I should have shares in Starbucks) is a prime spot.
- Spending time with other writers or attending writing group meetings. I attend a writing group at work each week and find inspiration not only in the members but in the meeting rooms themselves; one room has a window and a tree view and the other enclosed dead air enclave has a ceiling fan that threatens to separate from its moorings and decapitate all of us.
- Being home alone and sitting on my couch with the sunshine reflecting on the clean hardwood floors and a quiet, relatively dust-free house (notice I said relatively, gyproc dust is pervasive & long-lasting) definitely puts me in a writing mood.
- Sitting at the beach or the banks of the river with or without my family; this tends to be reserved for weekends and holidays, not the day-to-day.
- Driving in the car listening to Jazz or Classical music, especially if my husband is driving and I allow myself to nod off into that space and time between awake and asleep. I’ve written the outlines of at least two novels this way.
Maybe one day a “physical” writing spot to call my own will be important and something I cannot live without. It will then be time to get out the house plans again, convince my husband into working on another project and living with another round of dust. For now though, judging by my list, finding a writing place is more about a block of time, clearing my mind and having the head space to write.
By Susan Greig, Author/BC Fed Member
Contact: abcdattelus.net
Website: http://www.susangreig.com
Visit her blog: www.lazysusan.com
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