Does your writing workspace inspire you?
Is it a tranquil and comfortable place where you can shut out all distractions? A private laboratory to experiment with new ideas and plan out new projects?
The other day I was looking through the photos of the workplaces of a number of famous authors. They were all unique: some were large and sprawling while others were cramped and disorderly.
But all of them shared five important characteristics that seemed essential when creating an inspiring workspace. Read on to discover these five important traits and how you too can create your own writing laboratory.
1. Your workspace should be far from distractions
(Check out photos of Mark Twain’s study on this page!)
In the summertime, Mark Twain and his family loved to travel to Elmira, New York to stay with his wife’s sister, Susan, at Quarry Farm.
Susan built Twain a little study removed from the main house so Twain would have a quiet place to work. Designed in the shape of a Victorian gazebo, this little house saw the first drafts of several of Twain’s most famous creations, including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
In a letter to a friend, Twain wrote,
It is the loveliest study you ever saw…octagonal with a peaked roof, each face filled with a spacious window…perched in complete isolation on the top of an elevation that commands leagues of valley and city and retreating ranges of distant blue hills.
It is a cozy nest and just room in it for a sofa, table, and three or four chairs, and when the storms sweep down the remote valley and the lightning flashes behind the hills beyond and the rain beats upon the roof over my head—imagine the luxury of it.
To another friend, he rhapsodized, “On hot days I spread the study wide open, anchor my papers down with brickbats and write in the midst of the hurricanes, clothed in the same thin linen we make shirts of…The Study is 30 yards below the old arbor and 100 yards above the dwelling-house—it is remote from all noises.”
Twain wasn’t the only one who relished the solitude of a writing sanctuary. One Christmas, a friend of Charles Dickens gifted the famous writer with the pieces of a pre-fabricated Swiss chalet in fifty-eight boxes.
Dickens wrote, “It will really be a very pretty thing, and in the summer (supposing it not to be blown away in the spring), the upper room will make a charming study. It is much higher than we supposed.”
An architect helped Dickens assemble the chalet at his country home Gads Hill, and the top floor did indeed become his personal study. It was there that he worked on many of his novels, and where he died while working on his unfinished manuscript of Edwin Drood.
Not all of us have the luxury of owning acres of land where we can assemble a writing hut or a writing chalet (I certainly don’t), but the workspaces of Dickens and Twain emphasize the importance of a distraction free environment, the importance of converting a space in one’s house that can be used exclusively for writing.
2. Your workspace should have a desk and comfortable chair
(Check out a photo of Pearl S. Buck at her writing desk!)
Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck observed, “In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write.”
In every one of the photos of famous writers’ workplaces, a desk was a prominent feature. Some desks were small and others were quite large and solidly built. But regardless of the shape or size, it seems that a desk was an important part of the writing process.
I personally have found that I become much more focused on my work when I am at my desk. Since I only sit at my desk when I am working on my writing projects, my brain knows that it should get to work as soon I am stationed there, and I am less tempted to procrastinate.
Southern writer Flannery O’Connor, who suffered from Lupus, noted, “I write only about two hours every day because that’s all the energy I have, but I don’t let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.”
(Check out Flannery O’Connors desk here!)
The importance of a comfortable chair cannot be overstated. If you are writing at your desk for hours, having good posture is paramount. Back pain is certainly not very inspiring.
3. Your workspace should be filled with natural light
(Check out Rudyard Kipling’s study here!)
Another prominent feature of nearly every writer’s workspace was a large window (or several windows) bathing the room in sunlight.
This fascinating article explains how artificial light causes drowsiness and can wreak havoc with our melatonin levels. Natural light, on the other hand, awakens a room, energizing us and stimulating creativity.
Some writers like to place their desk right in front of the window, but others can find this a tad bit distracting as they end up gazing out the window rather than focusing on their work.
My desk faces one wall of my room with a window directly behind me on the opposite wall. I open the blinds, and the soft gray light of morning pours across my keyboard.
As the writer Jean Rhys, author of Wide Sargasso Sea, mused, “I sit at my window and the words fly past me like birds — with God’s help I catch some.”
4. Your workspace should be surrounded by books
(Here’s a photo of Lew Wallace in his study!)
Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur, once wrote,
I know what I should love to do – to build a study; to write, and to think of nothing else.
I want to bury myself in a den of books. I want to saturate myself with the elements of which they are made, and breathe their atmosphere until I am of it.
Not a bookworm, being which is to give off no utterances; but a man in the world of writing – one with a pen that shall stop men to listen to it, whether they wish to or not.
Wallace was not the only writer who dreamed of a den of books. Many of the writers’ studies in the photos I browsed through had floor to ceiling bookcases or stacks of books on their desk or even piled on the floor.
I wonder if this was simply a reflection of the time they lived in: an age before computers when research had to be done by hand, leafing through the pages of thick tomes.
However, there is a lot to be said for the inspirational quality that books bring to a room. If you are trying to write your first novel or even just an essay for school, those books on your bookshelf stand for what you can one day achieve: your own name on the cover of a book.
There are also times when words escape me as I stare into the overwhelming whiteness of a blank Word document. I get up from my desk and away from my computer, go to my bookcase and select a random title, and hope that a writer who lived hundreds of years ago will be able to inspire me.
5. Your workspace should reflect your personality
(Check out Charles Dickens at his desk in his chalet!)
As I wrote at the beginning of this post, the writers’ studies in each of the photos were unique. Some were very neat and minimalistic while others were quite disorderly.
I tend to like a cluttered desk (all of the little knickknacks feed my creativity), but I know several people who find a tidier workspace less distracting. Ultimately, there is no hard and fast rule over how you should decorate and organize your workspace.
Once you have chosen your writing sanctuary, placed your desk and chair near the window, and stocked the place with your favorite books, you are good to go. It’s up to you to then make that space uniquely your own: to fill it with the things that will inspire and encourage you.
In the end, no matter how perfect your writing space is, no matter if you buy yourself the most expensive chair or build yourself a Swiss chalet, it’s up to you to pick up the pen and start writing.
In his memoir (affiliate link), Stephen King observes, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
What does your writing workspace look like? What are you planning to write today? If you enjoyed this post, leave a comment below and share with someone you would like to inspire.
David Nelson says
Hi, Nicole. Great article. I know that my comment is a bit late (5 years, but who’s counting?), but I can certainly relate to the other commenters who have a problem with having a writing space. My home office, already kind of small, didn’t take long to get turned into a storage room for the (grown) kids’ things. Then my parents moved and had to downsize. So they gave me back a bunch of stuff that I had given them when I was a kid.
At the moment, because of an injury, the most comfortable place for me to sit right now is on the side of the bed. My “desk” is a veneered pressboard shelf my wife bought for me. It sits across the upper support brackets, but under the hand grips, of an old-fashioned walker, the kind some folks put tennis balls on the legs. It works. Someday I’ll have an office again. But until then, I shall use my walker/veneer shelf desk as if it were the finest teak and mahogany desk in the world. Thank you for your article.
And as an ordained minister, I especially appreciate your bio stating for Whom you work.
Karen H says
I enjoyed your article very much. I am sitting in bed, (It is late evening in this part of the world,) surrounded by books, mostly poetry, an assortment of notebooks and cards with with my draft poems on and my iPad, containing more draft work, trying to get in the mood to edit and submit my poems for tomorrow’s end of the month deadline. Despite the fact that I write in bed and submit my work electronically quite a lot because I have chronic pain and fatigue, I know deep down that I am avoiding climbing stairs and clearing the clutter off my desk upstairs in the beautiful dormer window which looks out to sea. Once there I know I would be in the ‘zone,’ more likely to succeed and possibly not to leave everything to the last minute again but it is such an effort. Don’t get me wrong, I am moderately successful. My poems are quite frequently published online and in print magazines and anthologies but just think of how much more I could do if I organised myself.
I Am going to pick up my notebook and write a To Do List. In capitals. I can’t forget I’ve written a To Do List, if the evidence is right in front of me in the morning. Now where did I put my pen?
Nicole Bianchi says
Hi, Karen! Thank you for your lovely comment. 🙂 I am so glad you enjoyed the article! (I am guilty of writing from bed at times too. 😉 )
Kayla says
All of these, in one form or another, are musts! It’s definitely interesting to hear about Dickens’s chalet; writing goals, I think?
Nicole Bianchi says
Yes, I want a chalet! 😀
Rachel @ RachelMcMichael.com says
I loved this!! “In the end, no matter how perfect your writing space is, no matter if you buy yourself the most expensive chair or build yourself a Swiss chalet, it’s up to you to pick up the pen and start writing.” #truth
Nicole Bianchi says
Thanks, Rachel! 🙂
Rachel says
I loved reading this! I definitely have workspace envy for these authors.
Nicole Bianchi says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Rachel! 🙂 Me too.
Mehar says
What a lovely read. Great posts
Nicole Bianchi says
Thanks so much, Mehar!
Freedom Chevalier says
Great read! A dedicated writing space makes all the difference! (I especially love #4!!)
Nicole Bianchi says
Yes, it’s such an essential part of one’s writing process.
Jill Wiley says
I would love to have a writing space… Thanks for collecting and sharing. Great read!
Nicole Bianchi says
Thanks, Jill! 🙂
Dana says
Tip #4 is something that is ALWAYS present in my workspace. I have so many books and I feel inspired just having them around.
Nicole Bianchi says
I absolutely agree. I love having a bookcase in my workspace too.
Emily says
Thank you for this post! I am inspired! And pensive, and melancholy, because it shows me why I have trouble getting my work done.
It’s not free from distractions. I write music as well as prose, and I have to work hard to block out the sounds of three different televisions, which are all usually going at the same time. Combine that with the fact that when I moved home with my parents all of my boxes ended up in my workspace and that’s already a recipe for disaster. It does have great natural light, so that’s a plus! Great desk, but an uncomfortable chair. All my books are in my bedroom while my workspace is bare. And it’s thrown together with what I have, it doesn’t reflect me.
If I could trade my workspace for my bedroom I would, but I don’t think my parents want me sleeping in the sunroom. My bedroom has one lonely window but it’s so quiet, I love it. I’ve considered just making my bedroom my workspace and putting a loft bed or a day bed in there.
More to think about. We’ll see what works. Thank you again for this piece. I’m saving it for future reference!
Nicole Bianchi says
Hi, Emily! Thank you so much for your comment. 🙂 I am so happy to hear you found the post inspiring.
I completely sympathize with you about finding a distraction-free place to write. This is very difficult when living with other people who all have different schedules. It sounds like your bedroom might make a nice writing workspace.
What I like to do is move my workspace around the house. Early in the morning, I’ll write in the living room. Most everyone else in the house is still asleep so it is distraction-free. I can type on my laptop and there is a large picture window. Then later on I might work in my bedroom at my desk if I still need to have the door closed and no distractions. I usually update social media and write emails and respond to blog comments in the evening back in the living room. There are other people in the room, but I find I can do this activity even in a room where someone is watching TV (as long as I don’t find the TV program too interesting).
Maybe this system will work for you! Figure out what tasks you need absolutely distraction-free and stay in your room for those, but then move back into the sunroom for whatever activities don’t require as much concentration. Hope this helps!
Emily says
Thank you for your reply and feedback. I think I’m closer now to figuring out a system that works for me.
Come to think of it I naturally tend to move from workspace to workspace. So that shouldn’t be a problem! I just need to get a workspace set up in my bedroom so I have that as an option. Then I’ll have three different options: the living room, the porch, and my bedroom. Depending on the time of day and what’s going on with my family I should be able to create a peaceful workspace from one of those three spaces.
Nicole Bianchi says
Sounds like an excellent plan, Emily! 🙂 I hope your peaceful workspace will inspire you. All the best with your music and writing projects!
Ani says
Nicole, this was very much enjoyed by me this morning. Thanks for collecting all these tidbits and making it all flow so well. Do you have a small desk or a large one? I often jump around between a cluttered desk one day and a super tidy one the next – depends on my mood, I guess. But I have found that a desk with a few trinkets or lovely reminders of things/events really helps a lot when the time comes to buckle down and sit for hours. A friend of mine has also always enjoyed listening to music while at her desk and writing – do you ever do that?
Nicole Bianchi says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Ani! I have a desk in my room that is filled with trinkets and books — I often have trouble keeping it neat. I agree with you that the trinkets help when you need to write for hours. 🙂 I often switch between the desk and a comfortable chair in the living room. A change of scenery seems to help me when I begin to face writer’s block. Yes, I love listening to music while writing, usually classical music or a movie soundtrack or relaxing ambient music. What about you? Do you listen to music while writing?
John says
I loved this post, Nicole!!! Especially because my writing studio is similar to all those above. I have a great chair, a lot of natural light, a lot of books. It definitely reflects my personality. However, I’m still working on the part about being away from distractions. My office is right off the kitchen, Arrrgh.
Nicole Bianchi says
Thank you! That sounds like a fantastic place to work. I love what E. B. White wrote about distractions:
“…I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me. A girl pushing a carpet sweeper under my typewriter table has never annoyed me particularly, nor has it taken my mind off my work, unless the girl was unusually pretty or unusually clumsy. My wife, thank God, has never been protective of me, as, I am told, the wives of some writers are. In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
GP Colville says
I’d love my own writing room but we don’t have room in the house. Currently I wear headphones in the kitchen or write in my bedroom, where my desk is. Any suggestions?