GENREALITY

Ideally, my writing space is both fixed and fluid, a set place to create and tools to create anywhere. Because writing is fixed and fluid and happens on schedule and off. Really, if you’re writing a book, you’re always writing until it’s finished.

My writing spaces include sitting in the garden or on the balcony, in bed in that quiet headspace just before sleep when ideas and solutions suddenly click, in the shower (this is so common that you can buy waterproof paper and pens), in the car, on a walk, sitting at a desk, or in a comfy spot with a laptop.

The fixed writing space: it’s good to have ergonomic support, chair and desk adjusted for the right height, a screen that doesn’t cause blindness or headaches, keyboard that doesn’t cause strain. But you can write without these things. If the only equipment you have is a pad of paper and pen, you can write.

I find that the right space for writing changes as the day goes on, as the project goes on. Sometimes I have to get up and stand, or move outside, or sit at the desk focused like a laserbeam or huddle under the laptop until my spine kinks. If the writing is stuck, getting up and changing place or position can unstick things. Just like moving characters in a scene can move the writing along. Physical movement can prompt the words to move.

I’ve written on scribbled scraps of paper, but I don’t recommend this method; too often the results are unreadable later, and loose notes are easy to lose. I’ve written standing, sitting, reclining. I’ve tried dictating but the sound of my own voice drove me nuts. I’ve talked through plot problems while walking, thought them through while doing chores inside or out.

Feng shui may sound all woowoo, but try sitting with your back to a door, then with your back to a wall. Do you suddenly relax? I’ve never been able to write with my back to a door or an open room. I need something to have my back, literally, to relax and create. Pay attention to how your environment feels to you and what your environment is like when the words are flowing. It’s fairly easy to make small changes, move furniture, sit so the window doesn’t reflect on the screen, tidy up, or create an artful clutter that inspires. The Feng Shui Directory by Jane Butler-Biggs is a terrific resource for pointing out small changes that can make a big difference.

And now I’m going to sit out on the balcony and listen to birds and wonder what my characters can hear, feel, smell right now. Keeping your five senses sharp is yet another way writing space feeds the writing, and it’s easy to become dulled to familiar surroundings.

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