Your Writing Room

Everyone needs a writing room, a special place that nurtures creative endeavors. Your room will reflect your personality, but should also include, 1) An ambiance that helps you create, 2) Soothing colors and sounds.

Start with your ambiance. Do you like to be surrounded by sound and activity when writing? If so, your writing room could be the kitchen. In between meals, family members still congregate in the kitchen. It is a place not just for eating but for whispering secrets and sharing the trials of the day. If you are inspired by this kind of ambiance, set up your writing computer or station in the kitchen, or in at local coffee shop. The diversity of a constant stream of varied personalities and their interactions can inspire your creative efforts.

Does your ideal ambiance include a window? For some writers a view is essential to the writing process. To others it is a distraction, a prospect of visual cues that constantly derails their writing process. Personally, I love a view, but a view from the second floor. As long as the window is not directly behind my computer, a view is refreshing, especially when not invaded by noisy passersby.

Next, make sure that your room has colors that harmonize with your personality. Deep creams and jewel tones are my favorites. My room has cream-colored walls, with jewel toned tiffany lamps and a soft-toned tapestry. A forest green-and-gold runner, combined with cherry wood furniture completes my ideal writing retreat. Yet, this room is very small…even tiny. You don’t need a large room to write in, just an appealing one.

Every writing room should have a current dictionary, thesaurus, and Writers Market. Other favorite resources (which I draw upon regularly) include, Six Figure Freelancing by Kelly James-Enger, Eats Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, The Writers Essential Tackle-Box by Lynn Price and If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. Inspiring fictional works also empower my vocabulary, so favorite paperbacks also have an important place on my writing room shelves…these range from Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis to Ariel by Steven R. Boyett, from the Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, vol. 2, edited by George Mann, to Mystic Quest by Tracy & Laura Hickman. When my mind is fatigued picking up one of these books can renew my creativity and re-sharpen my focus.

 Shelves and files support your writing efforts with an organized system. However, I make sure that everything that could distract is neatly tucked into a drawer. No hanging wires or messy papers for me! That would just drive me into a cleaning frenzy, which would distract from my writing time. So determine what supports you, what appeals to you and what inspires you. Your writing room can be an Eden, as long as you include what you want and need.