This is a guest post by Jade Anderson is an experienced In-house Editor at Upskilled. With a background in online marketing, Jade runs some successful websites of her own. Her passion for the education industry and content is displayed through the quality of work she offers.
6 Tips for Making a Workspace Conducive to Writing
No matter what type of content you’re writing, whether it’s fiction, investigative journalism, feature pieces or academic articles, the environment that you write in has a big impact on how well you put that piece together. Writing takes skill, for sure, but where you write can affect how you write because if there are distractions in your workplace, your writing is likely to reflect that. As a writer, your workspace should be inspiring and comfortable in equal measure. It should be somewhere you can focus and reflect. Here are five tips for creating the perfect writing workspace.
2. Make Sure You Have Privacy
One criterion for success when it comes to writing is consistency. Often, this means writing something every day. But it also means trying to work in the space every time you write. In order to find a space where you are going to be able to be productive most days, you need to consider the level of privacy you will have. Choose a space where you’re able to be alone with your projects and your thoughts without being distracted by background noise or other people. This can simply mean working in a room in your house that has a door or finding an area where there is little to no foot traffic. Having a private, dedicated area that is yours allows you to have a distraction-free workspace.
3. Consider Your Desk And Chair
How comfortable your desk and chair are, are important factors that affect how productive you are. If you feel cramped or uncomfortable, you’re far more likely to get distracted and want to stop working. Chances are, you’ll be sitting and typing for long stretches of time, so you need a space that is ergonomic. Make sure that your desk and chair are at the right height so you don’t have to strain or hunch to work on your computer. You need a chair that will support your back and encourage good posture. As for your desk, it must provide enough space for everything you need.
4. Declutter
It is hard to work amongst clutter. Physical clutter can cause mental clutter, leaving us feeling distracted and unfocused. Getting rid of unnecessary mess and creating a clutter-free space is one of the key steps in creating an environment conducive to writing. While decluttering can take some time and hard work, it pays off. Set aside a day to declutter the space you wish to work in and decide what items you will throw out, what you’ll donate, and what you’ll keep. If you have furniture, files or belongings that you want to keep but don’t necessarily need right now, consider putting these things into storage. Using community storage is an affordable and convenient option should you find yourself in this situation.
5. Make It Yours
Your workspace is a space for you. You want it to reflect your personality and to be a place where you feel comfortable and at home. While you shouldn’t fill it with personal belongings that may be distracting or cause clutter, you should put some effort into personalizing the area. This can be with artwork, photos or other decorative features that you feel express your personality. As a writer, you may wish to personalize your space by filling it with your favorite books or quotes from your favorite authors!
6. Go For Natural Light
Regardless of your industry, natural light has been proven to impact productivity. The sun boosts your mood, gives you energy, and can stimulate creativity. For these reasons, natural light is particularly important for writers. If you’re working from home, it might be difficult to find a room with natural light to work in. However, even if you can work in front of a window or in a room with a skylight, this is better than nothing. Adequate light is important no matter what time of the day. If you’re working into the evenings, ensure that you have artificial lighting so you can read and write without straining your eyes.
7. Have What You Need On Hand
In order to work productively in your workspace, you should have everything you need to work on hand and ready to go. In the digital age, this might mean having all your tech accessories, chargers, and screens neatly arranged by your desk so they are easily accessible at all times. For writers, having two screens can be particularly useful. This allows you to have multiple windows open if you are researching and writing at the same time. If you still like the traditional pen-to-paper method when you’re figuring out your ideas, ensure you have plenty of supplies at hand in your desk drawers or on your desk.
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M.L. Davis said:
Great post. I love my writing space, and all this points are so important ❤
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Dustin said:
These are excellent and important tips that I think we all too often forget. Even right now I’m at a desk which should be moved out for something more comfortable.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I hear you 🙂
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Charles Yallowitz said:
Well, at least I tend to have that last one. 😐
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol-I know the feeling 😀
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doublegenealogytheadoptionwitness said:
Love the declutter point. It makes one feel as though something has already been accomplished. My experience is that natural light least fatigues the eyes, so long as it is not bright sunshine.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Light is such a hard one, isn’t it?
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Willow Croft said:
My writing desk is an old Heywood Wakefield desk 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Ooh, sweet!
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Bryan Fagan said:
For reasons I can’t explain I seem to gravitate to the kitchen table. I always have to sit on a certain side. I need to see our deck and, weather permitting, door open so I can hear the outdoors. I have a nice set-up in my office but it doesn’t work.
I’ve learned not to explain certain things. I simply roll with it.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
A wise man, you are 🙂
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The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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melanievlogan said:
Reblogged this on Melanie V. Logan and commented:
I didn’t. realize how important it was to delegate a space or the use of natural light for writing. Both make a very important difference in how well the creativity flows. For example, there’s a park I like to go to. Being outdoors and in the space that’s comfortable gave me such inspiration. It’s where I wrote Comfortable in My Own Skin which is still one of my top reviewed posts.
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Jacquie Biggar said:
Declutter, hmm. I’ll have to work on that one! lol
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol-you and everyone else I know 😀
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The Owl Lady said:
Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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rijanjks said:
Great tips, Nicholas. I suffer from back pain and haven’t found the “Perfect” chair yet.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sorry to hear that! A few years ago, I discovered the importance of properly supporting my lumbar region. It’s made a world of a difference, even though my chair isn’t that great.
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Don Massenzio said:
Reblogged this on DSM Publications and commented:
Check out this great post from Nicholas Rossis’ blog on making a workspace conducive to writing.
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Anna Dobritt said:
Reblogged this on Anna Dobritt — Author.
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kimwrtr said:
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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Marcos McPeek Villatoro said:
This is all such wonderful advice–I never was one to be able to write in a coffee shop or any place where there were people, I get so easily distracted. A sense of place, Woolf’s “a room of one’s own,” I’ve always needed that. Thanks for such a great article.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I’m like you: I just can’t write in public or with distractions!
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