Monday 25 April 2016

How to Find the Right Writing Space



Carving out the right space for your writing is an important part of your creative process. Think of it as finding the right habitat in order for your writing to thrive. Here are five factors to consider when choosing where to write…
Location

Finding somewhere you feel safe, relaxed and inspired to create is not always easy. There are always distractions of some kind, so instead of aiming for the perfect spot find somewhere you can get to easily every day, somewhere relatively quiet and somewhere you feel comfortable. For example, writing in a cafĂ© might be perfect if you like the hubbub and chatter around you but might not be so ideal if you feel distracted in that environment. Writing in bed might be great if you want to write first thing in the morning or last thing at night, others might want to carve out a designated space separate to any other spaces in the home. There’s no need to always be in the same place, particularly if you are having to snatch your writing time when you can – public transport, park benches, waiting rooms are good places for making quick notes. The most important thing is finding the right frame of mind to write in – this comes with practice. By simply sitting down each day and committing to your work you’ll form a good habit and writing will become easier wherever you choose to go.
Comfort

Writing is often an uncomfortable task full of frustrations and false starts. Whilst you might be put through creative strain your physical self needn’t suffer. Make sure you have a good seat that you’re happy to stay in for multiple hours. Try and walk around between intensive, creative bursts so you don’t tense up. If the thought of sitting in a chair puts you off, you could always run yourself a bath. Vladimir Nobokov and Agatha Christie are both examples of novelists who preferred rubber ducks to desks. Just don’t drown your drafts!
View

Visual stimulation needs to be considered. For some, the preference is absolutely nothing – they need a blank canvas to watch their own thoughts come to life on. Hemingway preferred to stare at a blank wall. For others, a view can be a point of inspiration and a way in which the work can be shaped. Think of Ted Hughes’ poem ‘The Thought Fox’ where a chance sighting of a fox at his window inspires creative action.
Resources

Having everything you need to hand. Keep notes and research nearby so you can refer to it and keep in the zone.
Extras

Once you’ve decided on the right spot, it’s time to nest. This means making the space your own, filling it with the little things that make it unique and serve you. You might choose to have good luck charms in your eyesight for reassurance, post a positive quote on your wall or have an image board for inspiration. Aislinn Hunter relates to this: ‘Looking up at my own desk now I see the same sorts of identity-solidifying things that I suppose any other writer might keep: photographs, figurines, talismans and totems that connect me to those I love and to the larger world.’ This sentimental furnishing is one way of keeping in touch with the real world when you’re deep in the depths of the world you’ve created.


Do you have a favourite writing space? Let me know in the comment section below!

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...