Finding a Writing Spot
Finding the right place to write is a task that all authors need to figure out. Many of us, myself included, started out writing wherever, which was mostly in the lovely rust-colored chair in the photo. I had my pillow for back support and a tray for my laptop to keep it from overheating, but otherwise, I was hunched over the laptop with a wireless mouse balanced on the arm of the chair (which meant the mouse went flying, frequently). It was a solution, but it wasn’t the best solution for me.
My current setup is a lot fancier, and involves a stand for my laptop that elevates my monitor to eye level, a USB keyboard on the table, a padded wrist support (on the keyboard and the mousepad), and a little nook for all of the things I need when I’m writing. The biggest change, though, is that I’m at the table in a regular chair–I’m not even sure I COULD sit in my old spot with my laptop on my lap and get things done anymore! (The second photo is an earlier incarnation of that setup, before I got the USB keyboard (which lights up!) and wrist supports.)
Of course, these are my old and new writing spots in the apartment, which is the only place I’ve been writing for the past seven months. Before COVID, we also wrote at coffee shops, and I wouldn’t lug my entire setup to the coffee shop. Though now that I’ve been writing at my fancy setup for seven months, I wonder how things will go when we can eventually return to coffee shops. I’m used to background noise (and I can tune it out or put on headphones), but not having my USB keyboard might confuse my wrists!
Other writers might find that they do their best work sitting in bed, or they may have a deck or balcony where the words can really flow. And some, like me, may need the solid structure of a desk and chair to make it feel like that is their “working” spot. Some might need a lot of peripherals for their computer, while others are happy to just have a screen and a keyboard (or even pen and paper). But there’s something very nice about having a writing spot of your own, if you’ve got the room and means to carve one out!
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