We writers are creative souls. For the lucky ones, sentence construction comes effortlessly; the words just seem to tumble from the mind, one after the other, with no evidence of brain straining.

For others, while we love stringing words together, the process isn’t quite so smooth. That’s why anything we can do to aid the process is well worth doing! Creating the right working environment is a sensible place to begin. Getting this right can turbo boost productivity and unleash creative juices you didn’t know you had. Check out the ways I suggest you begin, below:

1. Decide which part of your house you would like to designate as your writing area. If you’re fortunate, you will be able to designate an entire room, perhaps an office, or a study. If your house isn’t so large, or if you are living in shared accommodation, then try and nab a particular corner of the house to undertake your writing.

Make sure you let the other residents know of your arrangement and if necessary ask their permission. If you have a family, tell your spouse and children that the area is out of bounds for everyone except you. Set boundaries. Make it clear how seriously you take your writing and chances are others will take it seriously too. If there’s no way you can write in a part of your house, then consider writing in the local library, coffee shop, or even your car. Anywhere you feel comfortable and where you are free from distractions.

2. Decide what steps to take to improve your writing area. If you have a whole room to yourself, consider colours which make you feel calm and relaxed. Paint the walls in those colours. Perhaps an odd plant or two would feed your imagination? How about smell and sound? If you find it easier working to music you might want a stereo in your space. What about the smell of lavender drifting from smouldering joss sticks?

Obviously if you’re writing in a coffee shop, or library, your options are limited, but maybe there’s a certain table you prefer sitting at, or a corner which doesn’t get so busy.

3. Clearing clutter. No matter what your tastes, working amongst piles of paperwork is a definite no-no. Keep your desk as neat and tidy as possible, free from random sheets of paper, or sporadic sticky notes. It would be well worth your while investing in some ‘in’ and ‘out’ trays from a stationary shop to keep everything in order.

Only allow the essentials to stay in your work space. What do you really need in order to write a book? Apart from a computer, a pen and a notepad are the only extras that spring to mind for me. Less clutter on your desk means less clutter in your mind. So free up your space for those ideas and words to continue flowing.

4. Distractions. Are your kids making a din in the other room? Are the zooms and beeps of rush hour traffic driving you crazy? Distractions can come in any shape or form, but the important thing to remember is not to blame them for your writers block. Instead look at your distractions as tools to help move your writing forward. If you find yourself irritated about a particular noise, use another, improved noise over the top.

Certain pieces of music, according to your taste, can help shift your mood and as such, your productivity. Choose a piece of music which makes you feel in resonance with the writing you are engaged in. For example, if you are writing a dramatic scene, select high-energy music to put you in the right mood and feeling. If you are writing a slow, or sad scene, perhaps listen to a classical piece. You’ll get to know what feels right for you, according to your personality.

I know some people who can’t write to music, but they must have the television or radio on in the background. Maybe the gentle sound of the sea ebbing and flowing might be a better bet for you? And have fun experimenting! After all if the writing process isn’t fun, then maybe it’s not for you.

5. Yourself. Those who work from home have a tendency to stumble out of bed somewhere around 10am, slouch on the sofa in front of brain-numbing chat programmes while eating breakfast, then at somewhere around midday, turn on the computer, finally ready to work. Many remain dressed in their pyjamas, or they throw on a pair of old tracksuit bottoms and a baggy top.

Personally I find that disciplining myself to get up at a sensible time by setting the alarm clock, really works. As soon as I get up I change into smart, yet comfortable clothes and I even apply my make-up and brush my hair. This helps me feel ready to face the day and work. The trouble with staying in sleep mode is that then you mentally stay in sleep mode too. And you can imagine how this blocks the flow of ideas and words. Again do whatever works best for you and discover the answer by good old-fashioned trial and error!  

Love & Light,

The Word Queen xxx