Do you have to write in the same place all the time? Do you prefer a coffee shop, or a bus, or a subway, or a room in your home?
Do you have to have total quiet, or do you have music playing to break the quietness?
People all have different ways of writing and need different settings in order to get their writing done.
My own writing space
For me, I have a quiet place in my house where I usually do my writing. However, I can write at a coffee shop like Starbucks or even during down time when I substitute teach.
I can be easily distracted if I am not into my writing. If I’m at Starbucks, many times I will put my earbuds in to keep me focused on the laptop’s screen in front of me.
And, no, many times, I am not even listening to the music. It keeps me from hearing the sounds around me.
You may think it’s crazy that I go to a coffee shop to begin with. I find that I actually most productive with my writing when I’m sitting there in my own little world.
I am away from home so I don’t procrastinate by doing other things when I should be writing. Of course, reading a book called Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day by fellow writer Katharine Grubb says that’s okay to write for ten minutes, do housework, or whatever, and then write again.
I am trying to do better at that, too, and need to practice more.
When I’m plotting the outline of a novel, I do need total quiet. That is the only time music is a distraction to me. I have to be able to think without hearing something in my ears.
Finding your own writing space
So, how do you find your own ideal writing space? Think about what you need and ask yourself these questions.
1. Do I need a quiet place, like a home office or the library?
2. Could I be productive writing in a public place like a coffee shop?
2. Will listening to music distract me?
3. Will music help me focus?
4. What would your view look like?
5. Do you want to see the street in front of your house, the beach, the mountains, or some place else?
Think about these questions. We’re all different people with different ways of getting our writing done.
While at the moment, what I described above is my reality I have a different ideal writing space if my dream gets fulfilled sometime in the future.
My ideal location would be either sitting on a chair under an umbrella on the beach or sitting on a balcony or porch overlooking the ocean, a cup of coffee on the table next to me, and the ocean breeze hitting me in the face.
Now how does that sound? Like the ideal writing space for me!
You’ve had a minute or two to think about your ideal writing space. Share your thoughts below. I would love to hear them!
I used to think my ideal writing space was sitting in bed, propped up with pillows. But I’m thinking I might start experimenting with different places – sitting outside, a coffee shop, the library. I tend to get stuck in rigid inflexible patterns, and I’m sure changing things up would help make me more productive.
I’ve been struggling with this recently. I often end up writing in my office, which I’ve set up well, but it’s the distractions of family life that help me procrastinate. I struggle for routine, and I think if I found a good place I could sit and write and think, without little people coming in for more milk or juice, then maybe I’d have a LOT more confidence and productivity!
I discovered lately that I can work and write better in a place like Starbucks than in my own office or at our beautiful pond. In my office I get distracted by my to-do list, incoming emails, phone calls etc. At the pond, well there I start to relax too much and nothing gets done, but when I am in the noisy Starbucks (or any other coffee shop) I can focus and get stuff done. This was a big surprise to me and I still have to force myself to pack up my things and go to the coffee shop to work 😉
That is the same for me! I can put my headphones in and focus no matter how busy Starbucks is.
I love the image of you writing on a wide veranda overlooking the ocean, cup of coffee at the ready … for me, it depends completely on what I’m writing. Sometimes I do better with an actual show playing (gotta throw my active mind a ball) … sometimes utter quiet. I also agree that it can be easier to take my writing somewhere else to avoid the temptation to drift.
Thanks. The beach is truly my happy place.