Three Ways to Create Motivating Writing Space

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Three Ways to Create Motivating Writing Space

May 15, 2012 by jessicaschaubbooks

Finding time to write and crank out that best-selling novel is difficult enough, but when you do carve out a few minutes here and an hour or two there to write, you want to have the space to be completely effective. With a small amount of preparation once a week, you can maintain the ‘space’ you need to let the creativity pour out and pen those spine-tingling scenes.

The space between your ears must be clear of clutter. Yep. Your brain is the first area to spring clean. A wise woman once told me, “Leave your issues at the door. I promise they will still be there when you leave.” Put that into practice. When you come to your computer or your pen-and-paper to work on writing, leave everything else behind. Problems at work, marriage issues, kids, in-laws, financial troubles, pesky neighbors – they will all still be problematic stressors when your writing time is up. I’m not suggesting that you not deal with any of these problems, but during the time you have designated to write…write!
When you write, face a direction that is clean. For some, this will mean keeping your dining room table just for writing. For others, writing outside is best because the fresh air is your ‘clean’ feeling. For me, I face a wall. I know, sounds terribly uninspiring, but it works for me. I can’t write when the house is messy; which it often is with four homeschooling children. My solution? Turn my back on the mess and face the wall. Presto! Clutter-free line of vision and my creative-self is free to roam. To make the wall more interesting, I hung an empty picture frame above my desk – something I can gaze at and visualize the “movie” in my head.
Fill the air around you with pleasant noise. Try a sound spa, which has settings for rain forest, waterfall, and rain storms – a variety of white noise fillers to drown out the busy sounds of life. Use instrumental music. I like George Winston, violin music or the soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans. If neither of those sounds right for you, purchase ear plugs. The point is to focus your senses on the task of writing by unplugging your sense of hearing, thus allowing your other senses to heighten.
A Bonus Tip – When you’re writing time is finished, take a moment and write down what you accomplished on a post-it. On another post-it, write down what you will work on during your next writing marathon. Why? Keeps you focused on small successes and moves you forward by planning what to do next. Consistency and continuity are necessary for anyone looking to achieve a huge project divided over weeks and months and separated between day jobs, families, and sleep.