This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
When I moved into my new flat, the first thing I bought was a desk. Writers need desks, for all their writing and such, right? Sure, in my mind it was a romantic turquoise bureau, and in reality it was a £10 white plastic thing from IKEA. But I was dedicated to my craft, and needs must.
Have I used the damn thing? Nope, it is literally there to put random bits of paper on.
I write in a big comfy armchair that I couldn’t fit in my living room, so is now in the corner of my bedroom. I can curl up in it with a notebook, or I can put my feet up and write on my laptop. I’m sitting in it right now as I write this blog piece!I think I’m a bit like a cat in this way. You know, you’ll spend money getting the cat a really lush bed, and they just want to sleep in the shoebox you forgot to put away. We have an idea of what a writing space should be – somewhere you can concentrate, somewhere you have everything you need, a desk, a chair, but … well, sometimes you just end up working craned over a laptop on the bed and that’s what works.
My chair is comfy enough that I can sit for hours writing, and has an armrest so the cat can come and distract me every hour or so, demanding attention. It’s by a window, so I get light, and fresh air and can occasionally hear ridiculous conversations downstairs, which I usually manage to put into my work in some way. It’s like my own little bubble. It’s not so comfy that I fall asleep and decide to watch Netflix on my laptop instead.
Occasionally, like the cliche hipster I am, I take my laptop and work in a coffee shop. Sometimes it’s easier to work when you don’t have the constant nagging idea that you should really be doing your laundry, or the washing up needs doing. If you’re in a space where you literally can’t do anything else, I always find that forces me to get into my work.
But the thing I’ve realised is that just because something works for you, doesn’t mean it works for everyone. And just because it works for you sometimes, doesn’t mean it will work all the time. I need variety. I am also really funny about how high chairs and table tops are. When in doubt, sit somewhere comfy and quiet, and just give yourself a chance.
Driving Home for Christmas by A.L. Michael is out now.