How to get a writing retreat at home
My house is too small. The kids are everywhere. I don't have a space I can call my own and lock the door. Every time I try to write the phone rings or the television volume is turned up. It's too hot to sit outside and write. It's too cold to sit outside and write.
Wouldn't we all love the perfect space to write? I know I definitely would. I've previously written about how hard it can be for me to focus.
I can't work in my office because whenever I'm in that room I think about my "other" work and can't focus on writing. I tried writing in bed but that was very uncomfortable. I considered setting up the guest bedroom as another office but discarded that plan when I checked out the space. I inspected the dining room as a possibility but that is too close to my partner's music room. There is no way I can concentrate while he's practicing electric guitar!
Despite all the hurdles I finally wound up in the kitchen. You might think this would be the least conducive to writing. Oddly enough this is the perfect place. Well, maybe if my house was about two thousand square feet bigger, I wouldn't say that. The fact is that my house isn't bigger and this is the space I've designated.
Here's what I have learned in my search for a place in my home. It's not really about having the perfect desk, perfect chair, great air conditioning/heat, newest laptop or complete solitude. The key is to find a spot and then tune out the rest of the world around you and focus.
Since my house has an open floor plan, I can hear everything going on in the family room and dining room (and the guitar practice sessions). I plug in my headphones and tune in to whatever music I crave at that moment. The volume is just loud enough to override all the other sounds but not so loud that it breaks my concentration.
My chair is hard so I added a pillow behind my back and the light is either too bright or not bright enough but it works for me.
The second thing I learned is that not only must I tune everything else out but I must be committed to the time to write. When the clock strikes it's time to write - period. In my imperfect space, with too many distractions I've been able to focus. I hope you can find the writing retreat in your home and that it's way more comfortable than mine!
Happy trails,
Leslie
Wouldn't we all love the perfect space to write? I know I definitely would. I've previously written about how hard it can be for me to focus.
I can't work in my office because whenever I'm in that room I think about my "other" work and can't focus on writing. I tried writing in bed but that was very uncomfortable. I considered setting up the guest bedroom as another office but discarded that plan when I checked out the space. I inspected the dining room as a possibility but that is too close to my partner's music room. There is no way I can concentrate while he's practicing electric guitar!
Despite all the hurdles I finally wound up in the kitchen. You might think this would be the least conducive to writing. Oddly enough this is the perfect place. Well, maybe if my house was about two thousand square feet bigger, I wouldn't say that. The fact is that my house isn't bigger and this is the space I've designated.
Here's what I have learned in my search for a place in my home. It's not really about having the perfect desk, perfect chair, great air conditioning/heat, newest laptop or complete solitude. The key is to find a spot and then tune out the rest of the world around you and focus.
Since my house has an open floor plan, I can hear everything going on in the family room and dining room (and the guitar practice sessions). I plug in my headphones and tune in to whatever music I crave at that moment. The volume is just loud enough to override all the other sounds but not so loud that it breaks my concentration.
My chair is hard so I added a pillow behind my back and the light is either too bright or not bright enough but it works for me.
The second thing I learned is that not only must I tune everything else out but I must be committed to the time to write. When the clock strikes it's time to write - period. In my imperfect space, with too many distractions I've been able to focus. I hope you can find the writing retreat in your home and that it's way more comfortable than mine!
Happy trails,
Leslie
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