Your Ideal Workspace
My former space for writing consisted of a large, metal desk (a teacher’s desk for those of you who know the reference), picture frames with my notes of encouragement from teachers, the letter letting me know I was getting published (my first paying job), and, of course, my knick-knack shelf with my stuffed animals, slinky, rubik’s cube, and other odds and ends. My knick-knack shelf was the equivalent of my muse box.
Having moved not too long ago, I’ve been trying to find my new and improved perfect place for writing. The spare room is a mess of my own creation. The couch is nice, but where to put the notebook… The kitchen table is in the corner, and sitting there makes me feel somewhat like I’m in detention. 
Finding your ideal writing space (or spaces) can be the utterly important key which helps you to write a dozen pages instead of a dozen words. What you need in your space and where it is depends entirely on you as a person. Your space can be as small as the recliner in your living room (another former space of mine when I needed the television background noise) or an entire room all your own. The key is finding a space that won’t distract you.
I read just today that “[we] are only as strong as our will-power. Many of us could stick ourselves in an arctic igloo to write and yet still manage to find distractions (examining snowflakes can be so fascinating).� – Rib Davis, The Writer’s Ultimate Workspace
You know what will distract you and what won’t, which is why you don’t put your video games in your muse box. (You know who you are.) The key is to experiment and find out what works best for you. Maybe the television on low or the presence of your dog are just the right keys for unlocking your inspiration.
Happy writing.
If you write about your writing space in your blog or on your website, let me know and I’ll link to it in the body of this post/
January 4th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
For me, the key is to have a door which I can close. It’s why I have a 3 bedroom apartment, and I am willing to pay for the privilege.
January 4th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
That’s a good point. A door you can close can be such a gift.