In book writing class a couple weeks ago, Stacy Corrigan, of Manifest Your Man, shared that the chapters she wrote in her summer cottage flowed easily. Now that she’s closed the cottage and is writing in her office, the writing became more clinical–with fewer details and less emotion.
She decided to return to the cottage for inspiration, despite the fact that the loo is off for winter. We all had suggestions for her for solving this problem, but, apparently, there are plenty of establishments in walking distance with working loos, making our suggestions superfluous.
All bathroom talk aside, where you write can affect your creativity and productivity, as well as your tone, how well the writing flows and the quality of the writing itself.
Try writing in:
- A cafe
- Your office
- By a warm fire with a cup of tea
- Outdoors (if you’re not in New England in January)
- Bed
- Curled up with your cat or dog on the couch
- On a plane, train or ferry
Compare the writing and see how the venue affects it. What works? Different things may work best at different times–maybe a cafe for idea generation, by a fire for inspiration, near crashing waves for impact and at a river for flow. I’d love to hear your experiences!
One of my students painted her writing room an exotic Moroccan red to inspire her. What can you do to make your writing space conducive to inspired writing that flows? Or what have you done? Please share with us all as a comment below.
I posted a blog yesterday about writing every day and the milestone I hit Sunday on 1 year. For me I am addicted to writing on my laptop. I can sit anywhere and write as long as I’m on the laptop. Although, since I moved out on my own I can’t seem to bring myself to go to the bedroom and write. Part of that is one year of the time I spent with living with my sister I tended to write when I was upstairs in my room. I thought the other day I could set up an office in my bedroom and I was told myself absolutely not a year plus stuck in my room was plenty. I will get around to fixing up the spare bedroom like I want it for an office one day. For now sitting on the couch works.
Congratulations on your one year anniversary as a blogger, Kathy!