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althewriternyc
Dec '22

Hey guys, I was wondering if an ideal writing space matters.
I am constantly moving around, so I rarely have a "writing space." For that reason, I've adopted the strategy that as long as I can zone out with music somewhere for a few moments, I can write.
I've met many writers that only like to write in coffee shops since it feels alive & they can draw from the energy around them.
I also read Stephen King's book about Writing where his ideal space sounds like the corner of a basement somewhere, with no outside distractions.
I am nomadic at this point, but It had me wondering, does having a writing space matter, and if it does, what does your ideal space look like?

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    Dec '22

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    Feb '23
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Crusoe
Dec '22

Honestly, I'm with Stephen King on this one haha. I can't work if I'm in a loud environment of a busy one. That's why I usually stick to my room, the local library at night or the silent section of my university's library. If an environment is noisy it takes far longer to get into a good writing flow and I can more easily get out of it

Ordinaryaverageguy
Dec '22

I tend to believe that we can write (or at least draft ideas) wherever we are comfortable, and that we can learn to do become comfortable in less than ideal places.

EncryptedWriting
Dec '22

It really depends on the person. When I was younger I could write just about anywhere, but now I need to write only in quiet or familiar spaces (blame the neurodivergent side of me). If it is outside, it needs to be quiet and without people period.

I think that truly gives me the best chance to create the a chapter that I like.

anon74542500
Dec '22

The power of hyperfocus allows me to write anywhere :grin: I think it really depends on how distracted you get by things around you and also if you have the space to create a writing den or not, there are no basements where I live lol

KelheorRegular
Dec '22

I think it's a great advantage if you can create anywhere, including public places! I only wrote when I was a student, just doing the drawing now, but I am physically unable to do anything, writing or drawing, when I know there's a possibility someone can be going behind my back or standing near, glancing at whatever I am doing. Even with earphones, I can usually feel the stare xD The closest I did to this in the last few years is drawing on train, but I had 4 hours to spend there. Coffee shop sounds extremely uncomfortable, unless it's a very secluded seat :sweat_smile:

LWriter
Dec '22

Aww @Kelheor :frowning: feels like guys don’t have that same worry about people sneaking up on them at coffee houses and that’s so unfair to you, girls. I see many who do go write at them, and it sucks they have to keep an eye over their shoulder when they’re trying to work. But yeah, ultimately, find your comfy place. I’ve tried to keep myself able to write on my phone, so I can do it anywhere, but there are days when I absolutely need to be at my desk to write.

coco-ji
Dec '22

I feel like I can technically write anywhere as long as I have my phone, but I think my brain starts getting me in the zone faster if there's a wooden surface of some kind in front of me. idk why, but I always look for wooden tables to sit at when I go to the library or study halls back when I was in college. The same goes for studying too. I'm usually more productive when I'm seated at a wooden desk or table.

On another note, sometimes the ideal writing space isn't always what I'd expect. Example, I've written tons of great stuff while waiting at the doctor's office or 3am in the morning on my phone (happens a lot no matter how hard i try to stop it)

TheLemmaLlama
Dec '22
LWriter

Huh, is that a girl thing? I'm the same; I can't focus if I feel like people can see what I'm doing, but I always thought it had more to do with a general 'my ideas can't flow freely if someone might be watching/judging'^ than the gender I'm perceived as o_o

Otherwise though, I can pretty much work anywhere :stuck_out_tongue: Who even needs a desk? :'D

^ tbf I'm not sure how comfortable livestreaming my process either XD Then again, people being physically behind me also plays a part, since that makes me feel uneasy even when I'm just sitting around and not working (I am very fun at social gatherings :D)

lizzyjones
Dec '22

I think an ideal writing space matters, but that doesn’t mean you always have to write in the same physical location. Or that you’re always writing in ideal circumstances. That’s why there’s so much revision involved in the writing process. I’ve jotted down notes on my phone in a line (coded, usually, in case someone is looking over my shoulder), and used part of my lunch break to get down the important parts of a scene. Not ideal, but getting down the most important parts helps me when I do get back to my space.

For me, my ideal place is anywhere I can have my back to the wall and a bit of background noise. It can’t be music or tv (not unless I’m trying to write a specific mood), and definitely can’t be people taking. Just some general noise. Basically it helps me know where everyone is and that no one is looking over my shoulder reading/judging. Sometimes that means I write in a notebook on my bed. Sometimes that means I’m on the couch with my laptop. I used to be able to write in the library, but I haven’t been there since COVID.

So wherever you’re comfortable and productive is your ideal space.

FliosRegular
Dec '22

Honestly, an ideal writing space for me would just be my very messy desk. It's not that vital to my performance and writing quality, but I'm just so used to it by now. I also recently got a standing desk to replace my regular desk, so it does feel a bit better to me now. Standing somehow stimulates my focus, lol.

LackofCoffee
Dec '22

I'm not good at creating in quite, focused spaces. I found that writing drafts on my phone really helpful for me. Little explosive sprints whenever I have a moment has increased my productivity massively.

I think it is important to find what works for you and just got with it.

Lensing
Dec '22

For me it´s really important. The room I´m in influences my mood and
there are rooms in my house which are better for drawing, writing or
playing the guitar. One example is my kitchen, I sometimes write, sketch
there or play guitar and sing, I have an office where I draw and play upright
bass, I wouldn´t play the upright bass in the kitchen for some reason.
I don´t ever write in the living room.
I also can´t draw or write when someone could sneak up on me and I never
sit with my back to the door, when I´m in a café I also sit with my back to
the wall facing the door.
I sat at the wrong spot when I was doing my last comic day with other
artists. I was sitting in the middle of the room. It was horrible

10 days later
althewriternyc
Jan '23
lizzyjones

My Ideal place is basically the same way, but I use music on low for that bit of background sound. I often use Jazz or music in languages I don't know but has a particular vibe for how I am feeling that day. It goes off just a bit in my ear just so I can feel a vibe-then I zone out. I actually found that writing on my phone & on a train is pretty ideal, especially if its a quiet car with no one talking.

writerhongpao
Jan '23

I guess it depends on your writing style. I know for me, when I'm just looking to get inspiration I listen to music or go out and observe people or watch movies and suddenly I get an idea, so perhaps stimulation is useful in that sense.

But when I'm actually putting ideas into words I like to focus and not have distractions as other people have mentioned.

TheLemmaLlama
Jan '23

Oh yeah, good point wrt ideas vs knuckling down and actually getting the words on paper; that might be why I thought of myself as someone who can write anywhere, because whenever I try to sit somewhere with 'no distractions' with the intention of a serious writing session, that's the absolutely worst thing for my creativity, whereas I got most of my 'writing' so far done when I get spur-of-the-moment inspiration and quickly get it down before I forget :stuck_out_tongue:

But now that I think about it, I don't actually have a lot of coherently written stuff done, and getting the boring but logistically necessary stuff done is something I'll have to do eventually ... and the bits of those I have done were usually through sitting at a desk in concentrated sessions, usually in a pomodoro writing group XD So maybe I do have a preferred writing environment ...

writerhongpao
Jan '23

I hear you. I mostly have training for academic-type writing like essays so for those I tend to create outlines to organize my ideas first then furiously put them down in words second.

My novel I just wrote is technically my second > 50k word novel and is basically a rewrite of my first (someone else on the forums mentioned first novels are pretty much just learning experiences, I couldn't agree more). After what I just did, I feel like the 2 step method I used for essays in college doesn't really work.

I found like what you said LemmaLlama that I'll randomly get some inspiration for dialogue in my head and I'll write it down in a notebook or on my laptop somewhere thinking I'll organize it later, and a month later I have a bunch of hopelessly disorganized (but good) ideas that I can never find again. If I do decide to write again, I think I'll try something different.

1 month later

closed Feb 11, '23

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