Organizing Your Space to Write

Whether you’re a new or seasoned writer, creating the best place to write is important. You will want to find an area away from the noise and distractions with good lighting to write the next best selling novel. Here are tips to help you set up your writing space and organize your supplies.

Before you begin, examine your area to be sure you know where the wall outlets and LAN connections are. Draw the space on paper with a pencil so you can erase if needed. Add where you want the furniture. Again look at your area and imagine it just as you have drawn the layout. Make changes as needed and once you are satisfied, start arranging your room.

• First place a sturdy desk with enough area to work on and an ergonomic chair.
• Add a bookcase to hold writing references, copies of your published books, books in your same genre and writer magazines. Don’t forget a dictionary and thesaurus. You can find both online but it’s good to have hard copies near by.
• Hang a bulletin board near your desk to post inspirational photos, notes and book ideas, a list of critique groups and a calendar to mark your book signings and virtual interviews.
•  A small rolling cart, equipped with drawers, will store your marketing tools such as book marks, box of business cards, postcards, envelopes and stamps.
• Add general office supply storage such as a paperclip holder, pen/pencil holder, in/out tray and a business card holder.
• Place a shelf close by for your printer designed to store extra copy paper and printer ink.
• A filing cabinet is an important item in your office. You will want to set up a good filing system to categorize your receipts for income tax purposes and other pertinent documents such as – your copy of your signed book contract.
•  Include a cozy chair in a corner so when you need a break you can relax reading a book by your favorite author.

Authors need fuel while writing. You can purchase a small refrigerator for cold beverages and place a coffee pot on top to make a cup of needed caffeine or hot water for tea and hot coca.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money; look around the house or the garage for items that can be used for storage. Visit Goodwill, other second-hand stores and yard sales to find inexpensive bookshelves, storage bins and filing cabinets. Container Store, Office Depot and Walmart are great places to browse and shop to organize your space.

Your supplies should be easy to get to and organized. Clutter can result in stress. Keeping your writing space neat will help to maintain the creative mood.

After you have finished putting everything away, you can now have fun decorating your new space. Add picture frames to showcase your first payment, awards and family photos. If you are crafty, make a creative shade showing off your personality, for the lamp on your desk. Don’t forget a CD player. Music is a good muse while writing.