Writing is a solitary business that requires, according to
Virginia Woolf, a 'room of one's own'. Such a thing is hard to come by when
property and office space is so expensive, so can writers be content with any
old cupboard or corner of a room? Can any rotting shed provide the solitude and
quietness necessary for inspiration?
There are so many distractions when working from home. The
temptation to put the laundry on, the ability to quickly check Facebook, and
even the proximity of the kettle can drag even the most dedicated of writers
away from their tasks when the momentum falters. All things considered, mixing
home and work can be a recipe for disaster. So how do writers and students
maintain their focus when working from home? Allocating a room or an area for
the sole purposes of writing often seems like a logical step. But do we need to
be so situated to write? Surely a good writer can write anywhere?
Many writers dream of creating an idyllic writer’s haven, a
quiet place to retreat to that somehow magically ensures that the artist will
be sufficiently motivated and inspired to write a classic. Yet writers
throughout literary history have not always had such a luxury; in fact, many of
our greatest writers have had to make do with a writing space that is far from
ideal. Which will surely make any aspiring writer wonder if a writing room
really is a pre-requisite for art, or if they are merely making an excuse for
procrastination? If the basement of a trailer was good enough for Stephen King,
surely it's good enough for anyone!
We can we learn a lot from examining the writing spaces of
famous writers, and they certainly they tell us a lot about their characters
and situations. The Bronte sisters, for example, wrote in the evening, by the
fireside in their vicarage; a homely and warm space, far removed from the bleak
moorland outside. Will Self's office is covered in post-it notes. Jane Austen
wrote secretively at the table in her family home. Dylan Thomas wrote in a boat
house; Henry David Thoreau in his self-built pond-side hut; Roald Dahl in his famous
gypsy shed. J K Rowling wrote the phenomenal Harry Potter books in various
Edinburgh cafes.
So perhaps writers do not need a space to call their own, a
room to conquer - does it really make a difference to creativity? Descartes managed
to write his Meditations in an oven,
after all.
Nevertheless, most writers, students, and those lucky enough
to work from home, feel it necessary to entirely possess a small corner of
their home and make it their primary writing environment. The prevailing
assumption is that a room, a desk, a chair and a laptop, all arranged in an
orderly fashion, can ensure inspiration and provide motivation. A large,
light-giving sash window, perhaps, and walls concealed by shelves and shelves
of books; who could fail to be inspired?
Despite the attractiveness of a writing space, it is by no
means a necessity. There is no magic formula, but the privacy and quietness of
one’s own room will probably increase your chances of writing a bestseller.
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