December 2003/January 2004

Volume 44, Number 3

Where do you write: Here, there, or everywhere?

by Ron Arner, Managing Editor

Where do you do your best writing? Do you prefer to write in a peaceful place where there are no distractions, or do you prefer a populated, noisy atmosphere? If you work in more than one location, do you find one type of environment to be more conducive to productivity than another? Do you like to do your writing in one place and your computer work somewhere else?

I thought I knew exactly what kind of a space I wanted to write in, so I began planning to finish a spare bedroom in my basement into a deluxe home office. I wanted a sophisticated home network, high-speed Internet access, a drawing table, bookcases, and, most importantly, bright colors, stress-relieving gadgets, and fun posters. In my opinion, keeping my home office fun would keep me interested in my work and therefore more productive. I even planned to turn the rest of the basement into a home entertainment center, so I could take TV and/or video game breaks from my work whenever I wanted.

I was a little disappointed, therefore, when listening to the audio version of Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. To my amazement, this world famous author did not think like I did. In fact, here's how he describes the ideal writing space:

So I'm going in the wrong direction with my home office design? If I understand King correctly, I'm about to make a major mistake that will stifle my creativity rather than support it. Should I have one office for my computers, Web design work, home finances, etc., and another (simple) office just for writing? How many rooms in my house is it going to take to be able to work from home?

While pondering my options, I remembered another book I'd recently read, Lillian Too's Easy-to-use Feng Shui. I didn't think her advice on office décor would be much different than Stephen King's, but I wanted a second opinion anyway. Too's advice deals mainly with the layout of the office—never sit with your back facing the door, for example—and the shape of office furniture. What she did mention about the décor itself wasn't anything like what I was thinking. I'd even planned on using AOL CD-roms for a window curtain; my tribute to Trading Spaces. Definitely not auspicious in the Feng Shui sense of the word.

I decided to investigate one more aspect of work place layout to see if it would shed any light on the subject: ergonomics. 3M has a wonderful "self-help" ergonomics site at: http://www.3m.com/cws/selfhelp/index.html. There's a nineteen-question workplace evaluation survey, a list of stretches for different parts of the body, and advice on how to set up an ergonomically sound workstation. While I found the input on the Web site invaluable as far as how to make an office physically comfortable, it still didn't shed any new light on the debate about what a writing space should be.

I started to doubt that I could be productive in a "loud" atmosphere. Then I remembered seeing a story on J.K. Rowling some time ago, which said that she spent a great deal of time writing in a café when she was working on the first Harry Potter book. In order to make sure I wasn't just imagining things, I did some research on the Web and found an interview with her from Febrary 3, 2000, in which she was asked if she still writes in cafés. "I still write in cafés, but I go to different ones now!" was her response. (http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript1.htm)

Well! At least I have one kindred spirit who doesn't always write in mystical silence. Nevertheless, I think I'll give the issue a little more thought before I commit to painting my basement walls fluorescent orange. Perhaps the best thing I can do is try writing in several different locations to see which one I like the best. I think I'll try a library, a Starbuck's, and someplace in-between, like the Tattered Cover. Then I'll look over the writing I did in each location and judge it for length, grammar, and overall quality. I think this will be the best determinant in deciding what kind of a writing place is best for me. Then I'll make up my mind and choose between a simple door and a beaded door curtain, have my basement re-wired, and write away.