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I hope that you find the following information easy to understand and a guide to where you want to go for this.
Let's start shall we?
Today's Topic: Setting Up Your Work Place
What does this mean though?
Okay, first, what is a work place?
It's going to be where you will sit down and write.
Write what?
Well that depends on what you want to write. But we're just getting to the start of it all, setting up that place where you can write. It'll be where the muse takes hold and creates a world for you to play in.
Where do we start?
We start by figuring out where the best place is for you to write. This includes noise quality, privacy, comfort, lighting, and the size of the place. Some people have an office while others just have a small desk with which they have set up as their personal place. Some writers forgo writing at a desk, instead sitting in bed with a lap table at hand to hold their utensils depending on how they're writing.
Once you figure out where you can write best, you can figure out how you'll write best. We'll go into better depth at the various tools at hand for a writer in another blog post, but you can either write the old fashioned way with pen and paper, or you can use your computer. Laptop or desktop, doesn't matter. Some writers even use an older fashioned word processor, much like this Panasonic Word Processor KX-W900.
Trust me, typing on one of these things is like typing on an original type writer. But it generally comes with a little viewing screen that you can write out and edit before you print.
Now, back onto the actual topic, once you figure out where you want to write and how you want to write, you simply set it up. Pens and pencils that you need for quick little handwritten notes, paper, lights, and any other useful item that you believe will come in handy.
I personally sit in a recliner. Why? Because I'm currently unable to buy a good desk that sits at a good height with a good chair that will allow me to sit at it for the hours on end that I do. But the recliner is comfortable. I also have a small table that sits before my recliner, because it doesn't recline very well now days but also because I prefer to put my feet on the ground more often then not.
I have my computer set up on a laptop fan that is used to keep it nice and cool so I can write. But I've also plugged in a mouse and a keyboard so that I don't have to have the darn laptop in my lap, cutting off circulation.
But, I also have a three tiered shelving unit that holds a lamp, a wax tart burner, and a lot of papers and pens at hand. Along with the multitude of binders. It's all organized chaos. It works for me.
But it might not work for you. You have to find that sweet spot for you writing area.
Why do you keep talking about pens, and pencils and all that?
What is so important about those things?
Well, they are a part of all writers life in someway or another. Yes, we have tablets and phones that we can type on, but there is something about holding a pen in your hand and putting it to paper to work out your newest idea that is just so wonderful.
Sometimes, when a writer is sitting at their computer, the ideas won't come to them while the cursor is blinking away, distracting their thoughts. They can find that the ideas to be expanded upon will come to them when they have a pen in hand and a piece of blank piece of paper before them.
Sometimes there is just no way that they can type away their ideas on their electronics so a pad of paper and pen can help them. Thus why pen/pencil and paper can be a writers best friend and should be near at hand when writing.
I would also suggest you have some way to correct pen marks, have various types and colors of sticky notes, various sizes and styles of paper, and various sizes and styles of binders. All of these things will come in handy and you'll find out why in the long run.
I know, your area will be a complicated mess. Drawers with drawer organizers, and desktop organizers will come in handy either way you look at it so invest. Even if it's just a few bits and pieces here and there from such places as Big Lots or Wal-Mart. Don't be afraid to be cheap.
It's your work space and no one should have any right to talk about it.
Okay, so we've gone over area and utensils.
Why do you want to talk about lighting?
Lighting can actually be an important factor, surprisingly enough. Depending on your eyesight and the way your eyes react to light will dictate on how much light you need for your choice of writing styles.
For Computers, it depends on how much strain the computer screen puts on your head. If you work best when you have a lot of light around you to offset the glare from the screen, you should probably make sure that you have overhead lights that spread out a good amount of light, or a floor lamp, something like these floor lamps. Even one or two floor lamps that have a secondary lower adjustable arm lamp will give you a lot of light when set just right.
But if you like to have less light, go for a small desk lamp that can be adjusted as you please. Even just a basic table lamp could help you in the long run. Whatever works for you.
The same goes for writing by hand on a piece of paper. Just make sure you have enough light to not strain your eyes while doing it. It can get very painful if you're not careful.
Alright, now that I have that to think about, what else am I going to think about?
How I sit?
Well...Yes actually. Being comfortable while you write is very important indeed. You don't want your back to just suddenly complain about being in one position for to long without the proper position. So, it comes back to where you are.
Are you in bed? Are you sitting at a desk? Is your area just a little bit of the living room with the couch or recliner?
Depending on your answer, you will need different things to help you stay comfortable. For beds, recliners, and couches, I suggest that you find those oddly shaped pillows that look like the back of small chairs with tiny arms. They're called bed rest pillows or back rest pillows with arms. Surprisingly enough, they are comfortable. Very much so. And can come in a variety of styles, textures, and stuffing. Find one that would be comfortable. Or you can just find a pillow.
Or buy a twin bed sized piece of memory foam, cut it into parts, and shove two of those parts into a pillow case. I'm planning on doing that for myself. It's an easy way to have something that will give but still retain it's shape.
I'll put up a link when I get that particular project done.
If you are like a lot of writers and sit at a desk, invest in a good chair. You want one with cushioning but still good back support. I suggest you go out to a store that has a variety of desk chairs to test them out and find one that fits you. It will be costly though for a good chair, but to hold off the numb butt we all experience at least twice in our lifetimes, it will be well worth the price.
Wow, a lot of money goes into writing...
Yeah, it can be. But it helps to keep you comfortable enough to write without worry. I'm not lying about that. A good chair and desk can last years if well treated. And if you go professional, you should be able to make it back in profits within the first few years once you build up a fan base. Should. I'm not promising that though.
And I'm about to tell you, you might want to spend some more money on buying a few more things. Those things are? Well, a mouse and a keyboard if you're using a laptop.
Why though? For comfort. Most laptops are designed to be used on the lap now days, yes, but most don't often actually use it as such. We tend to stick it up high enough so that we don't have to kill our necks. Which is good! But it makes things a little hard for us to type on their keyboards. That and the mouse pads can be a pain.
Mind you, I'm talking about just a laptop, not a Mac. Macs are a whole 'nother creature. And one that I barely know.
Now that's out of the way, keyboards and mouses allow you to move back and forth without moving the laptop with you so that you can continue to use the keyboard and mouse pad. It allows you to keep the laptop stationary so that you can sit back, getting distance from the screen if you so need it.
It also allows you to use split keyboards if you are used to those or have wrist problems that make it hard to use the traditional keyboards.
I love my keyboard and mouse. I can use the mouse so much better then a mouse pad. I'm not joking you about that.
I believe that I've probably babbled your ear off about this for long enough. So I think that I'll let you guys sit here and think over what I've said.
If you have questions or comments, please don't be afraid to question or comment below. My inbox is open and I will happily reply to you.
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