Got any writers around? Then you must know the struggle of finding the right time and space to spend those couple of hours you devote to your craft daily. But what if there is no ideal time, and ideal space? What if the ideal space is right here?
I always imagined that growing up I would have a home office where I would work on my novels, undisturbed. It would be minimal and organized and I would have anything I needed to write at arms length. And now at 26 I own a tiny desk right next to the entrance of our home, where I have to work on my day job, my PhD and my novels (at the time of writing this blog post, I have ordered a new desk, slightly bigger than the one I have right now).
When I realized I wouldn't have any personal space, like, for myself only, at our new home, I thought I'd still make the most of it. In my previous home I had a study, which was perfect, and now I have this IKEA desk I could hardly fit a monitor, a keyboard and a cup of coffee.
These last months since we moved, I found out you don't need to have a perfectly designed space to get inspired, because writing doesn't come with inspiration. It comes with discipline. So display your home office with all the inspiration you want, put some music in to set the mood, but that won't help. For the past two years I've been writing every day, building a habit, which could not be broken when I stopped having a space to write.
So I've found out the best space to write is right where you are. And that's as far as your inspiration goes. You don't have to have the quietest, most isolated space where you can work undisturbed. Writing has nothing to do with being undisturbed. When ideas come, they roll, they roam, and they rule. You can't avoid a good story idea. It follows you around and it whispers in your ear whether you're in the most quiet space or in the most busy street during rush hour. A story idea never leaves your head. So write right where you are. Now. (Don't write if you're driving in a busy street during rush hour.)
Yet, don't forget about your health. You have to make some adjustments to your space, to stay away from any form of spine problems.
The top of your computer screen should be at eye level, directly in front of you. If you don’t have an adjustable chair or a high enough surface to set up your writing space, you can boost the height of your screen with a stand or books. A pile of books is a writer's best friend.
Be sure to keep your back straight the whole time you're seated. Elbows and knees should bend in a 90-degree angle. Every 25 minutes, get up and walk around for 5 minutes. Stay focused while you sit, and stay away from your computer while you walk.
Now write.
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