One of the most difficult parts of writing is figuring out when and where to squeeze it into our busy lives. But writing spaces are crucial, and there is a reason for this. As animals, we like to fall into the groove of routine. It makes things easier on our brains. A habit drops us into mode and eliminates the need to waste energy on making decisions.
A writing space may be a particular corner of the house, a Starbucks, or a closet. Wherever it may be, if you write there frequently, you will notice that once you get there, you are more likely to be ready to write (or ready as you’ll ever be when it comes to writing).
At this time last year, I was on my seventh month of being stuck in Florida due to COVID airport closures. I didn’t know when or if I would ever get home. This sense of waiting spilled over into my writing. Psychologically, everything was on pause. I was blocked creatively until life flowed freely again.
During that time, I began Zoom Write-Ins at the Writers’ Mastermind. Zoom Write-Ins are live meetings where writers from all over the world get together online for an hour of undistracted writing time. Afterward, we all stay for a quick chat and to trade resources and advice.
This write-in ritual gave me the routine my brain needed. When working alongside fellow writers in this virtual space, I felt motivated and inspired. These meetings have become my new “writing place.”
I know many writers struggle to carve out time to write, and the new normal is still restrictive. We wonder when or if life will get back to the way it used to be.
Claiming a writing space is an effective way to get our heads in the game, no matter how crazy the world is.
We may have to squeeze it in on the train, or in the middle of the night, or on lunch break or in a noisy household. We have to be adaptable and write wherever we can and make the most of what we got.
If we wait until conditions are perfect, we may wait forever.
It’s up to us to actively design a safe place for the muses to land and for creativity to flourish.
10 Tips to Create Your Writing Space
- How can you make the most of your current situation?
- What can you do to remove distractions and feel safe from interruptions?
- How can you change the atmosphere or shape your environment to cue you creatively? Plants, paint colors, incense or essential oils
- How can you ritualize your routine and transform whatever spot you’re in into your writing place?
- Can you team up with other writers to hold yourself accountable?
- Change the lighting–close the shades, brighten the lights, light a candle
- Attach writing to another habit—start with the first cup of tea, after a workout, before bedtime
- Cover your walls with inspiration—your favorite quotes, pictures of your writing heroes, artwork that stirs you
- Cue your brain with sound—classical music, a writing playlist, or white/brown/pink noise
- Wear a writing “uniform”—a favorite robe, a special pair of reading glasses, a lucky T-shirt
Where is the most unusual place you’ve written?
What is the best time and place for you to write?
What tip do you have for creating a writing space?
I can write anywhere when it comes to writing fiction. It’s coming up with topics to write about,
for example, WordPress posts, that’s my issue,
I’m finding more and more I need a space, a special space and am in the process of working out some changes.