Find Your Space

Photo by Leon Hart

Currently, I find myself doing most of my writing in a library. This isn't the first place that comes to mind when I think about ideal spaces for my writing, but it does have its benefits. My ideal writing space would be dimly lit, quiet, isolated, and have a window view of Mt. Hood during March in Oregon (not to be overly specific). Instead, I find myself in a cubicle in a library in Atlanta which, although somewhat quiet and isolated, is nowhere near my snow-capped mountain.

With these limitations, how can a writer find their space? I've come to learn that although a writer's physical space can be important, what is more important is how one enters into the act of writing. I would liken it to a type of meditation. In this sense, finding your space becomes less about what is all around you and more about what is inside you. Yes, certain situations may not be conducive to writing (especially if you are like me and can't focus around loud noise), but as writers we have the ability to transcend the physical and enter into the world of our work.

Oftentimes, my best pieces are written and I have no recollection because I was so inside my story that nothing else around me existed. It was in these moments that I found my space. The question then becomes not what your space is, but how you get there. For me, I usually find myself transported through music, art, inspirational quotes or some earplugs. Try some different things and see what works best. When you have been writing for hours on end and it seems like minutes then maybe you should retrace your steps and figure out how you enacted that writing session.

Repeat, review, and revise as needed.