New House, New Writing Spots

on Thursday, May 5, 2016
    In case you missed my recent posts, we moved a few weeks ago. For most people it means piles of boxes, maybe some new furniture, and the hope of a new life. For me, it means my whole writing schedule is thrown out of whack. Again.
    The biggest pain about this move was that because Husband of Mine was finishing school, I had to pack everything myself which took away a month of writing time. But now that we're all moved in, the biggest problem is that my writing chair is gone. It's in storage. RIP recliner writing.
    So where do I write now? I'm still in the process of figuring that out. Because we're temporarily living with family until we get our own place again, I not only have to work around new spaces, I have to work around people. The good news is that there is a lot of space in this house.
    First, I have my bedroom to write in.



    It's not a bad space. It's quiet (for the most part, but when the tv is on, it can get fairly loud), secluded, and comfy. But it's not the best place. I do like laying in bed to write, which I can do here, but I'm not propped up enough to be super productive, and I also get drowsy and less productive. The dog likes to come in and out so sometimes I have to leave the door opened for her (she has to come check on me every few minutes). Plus, the tv is right there and Netflix is so tempting...
    To make this space ideal, I need to learn how to control my Netflix addiction, put in my headphones so I don't hear the outside noise, and I need something like this to prop me up.


    Plus it has a cupholder so I can drink my Dr. Pepper while writing! But I don't have one yet, so I'm using squishy pillows for right now, and it's hard to stay upright. So, I end up not using my room very often, except when I need absolute quiet (because this is the only spot with a door).
    The next spot is my other writing chair, which I managed to save from storage.


    The biggest problem with this spot is that it's in the center of the house and when I'm sitting on my computer, no one realizes that I'm working and they all think they can distract me. Plus, the dog likes to assume I'm free to play with her and that's a major distraction. The lighting is nice, though, and I get a good view. So, it's a good spot when the house is empty.
    A similar spot to this is upstairs in the bonus room.


    It's fairly secluded, but when my mom or sisters are crafting, they're up here with the tv on. I've written up here in silence while my mom is doing homework (she's taking online classes) and I've been fairly productive, but she does interrupt a lot to ask for help on her writing assignments. Again, people think that because I'm sitting on my computer, I'm not doing anything. And the couches aren't too terribly comfortable. But, it's usually doable.
    The last spot, is one of my favorites, but also one of my least favorites. Outside in the backyard.


    I'll list off the problems first. It's outside. The sun gives me frequent headaches, the bugs are constantly after me, and it's noisy depending on the neighbors. The pros? The dog loves to sit with me without bothering me. I've got great lighting and a great view, both which can help me focus a lot. My family doesn't bother me out here, and there's no tv. But again, the sunlight can be a real problem because I'm prone to headaches, and my glasses only make it more intense. If I had prescription sunglasses, that would be perfect. But I don't. So for now, I'm hiding in my room.
    Where do you write? How do you make that spot ideal? And which of these spots would you pick to make your writing spot?
    ~Allie

5 comments:

Elise Edmonds said...

My ideal spot is my lounge at home. But of course there is only two of us, and my other half uses the study to work, so the lounge is reasonably productive.

Have you thought about getting out of the house and trying a library or coffee shop? I do this at lunchtimes sometimes and find it pretty effective.

Heather Hayden said...

I'm grateful to have my own room with a door that, when shut, makes it clear that I'm not to be disturbed (or at least lowers the chances of someone barging in and demanding attention.)

I have the same issue with getting sleepy, but I've been trying to sit up more rather than lay on my stomach (also better for my wrists), and I have a huge pile of squishables to lean against, so support isn't an issue. (Though that back-and-armrest chair thing looks awesome!)

I love being out in the sun, too, and would probably pick that as my favorite place, though I'd need a chair with one of those back umbrellas--my computer is touchscreen and the screen is so glare-y in direct sunlight you can't see anything on it.

lisax31 said...

Oh how I would love to have my own writing room! Every time writers share their writing spaces I'm so envious. Thanks for showing the reality that for many of us, we find a nook where we can. I write sat on the sofa as we live in a flat with not many rooms. It's comfortable but the TV in front of me tries to lure me away. I'm learning the art of willpower!

lisax31 said...

Oh how I would love to have my own writing room! Every time writers share their writing spaces I'm so envious. Thanks for showing the reality that for many of us, we find a nook where we can. I write sat on the sofa as we live in a flat with not many rooms. It's comfortable but the TV in front of me tries to lure me away. I'm learning the art of willpower!

Margaret said...

Congratulations on the new house! You should have no trouble writing in that room, the open space and all those windows really make it an inviting little area. The best thing you can do is leave those curtains open and just zone out with that view you have. When we left the city for the country, I remember thinking why we didn't make this move sooner.

Post a Comment