Respect Your Writing Space

I've long held that there is a minimum one thing you can learn from any book, even something as basic as a new word or turn of phrase, and at the very least you can experience how that writer views the world, which will add depth to your world (and writing).

Some time ago, at the behest of a colleague, I read Gail Sher's One Continuous Mistake. It's an unorthodox writing book to be sure, and the spiritual zen references are a little more abstract than I'm willing or able to follow. However, there are a couple of things she strongly advocates that I've incorporated and found important in my writing. This is a big one:

Respect your writing space. This is not necessarily new advice, but Sher goes to great lengths to emphasize the profound importance of your primary writing space and the effect it can have on your prose (or lack thereof). Ambiance and environment are critical elements in all artistic endeavors. This will look different for every writer, but it should be a place in which you can be both comfortable and focused. I would encourage you to take note of your desk/chair/room and what you surround yourself with.


I'm rather particular in my desk arrangement. Everything but the essential reference materials must be cleared off and out of my peripheral vision. Those things that remain must be symmetrical, lined up invariably at ninety-degree angels. I find that this set up helps my mind zero in on the screen and more readily get involved in the world created there. I rarely write outside of this writing space, and I try to keep it free from other work so as to train my mind to be in the zone when I'm there, free from distraction.

Do you have a favorite writing space? How important is environment to your writing success?
(Click here to check out some famous writers' desks.)