Your Freelance and Creative Writing Space

Where Do You Write

Whether you are concerned with freelance writing or creative writing or both, you need a place to write. Freelance writers often take the subject of where to write more seriously than creative writers because they are writing to earn a living. It's my belief that whatever you do, even if you don't think about earning money with your writing, it is better to have a designated chair or space to do that writing. One of the reasons that where you write is important, is because that is the space that you associate with writing - so don't write sat in the same chair from which you watch television as you could be defeating the object.

Designing Your Writing Space

Designing is probably too ambitious a word for what I am talking about here, but the fact is that it does help to have certain objects that mark your writing space. Whether you have a separate desk or table, or you have a corner of the kitchen table, keep your computer or laptop there and anything else that you associate with writing. You should keep a notebook and perhaps your diary within the confines of your writing space - don't forget that it's a good idea to have more than one notebook, so long as you have a system for finding particular items and ideas.

Enjoy Your Writing Space

Make your space as inviting as possible and try to keep some sort of filing system. Put some favourite pictures up on the wall, create a small screen to cordon off your part of the kitchen table and pin pictures, drawings and ideas to the board. Make sure that your chair is the right height and that you feel comfortable when you are seated - if you enjoy your writing space you are more likely to want to spend time there.

A Writer's Notebook

You Need a Writer's Notebook

As soon as you start calling yourself a writer you need a dedicated writer's notebook - my favourite are molskine notebooks. Most novelists, poets and short story writers keep a dedicated notebook and more freelance writers now do so. Think of your notebook as one of the primary tools that you need for your writing and anything pertaining to that should go in, including but not limited to, the following:

• A list of words you like and their meanings
• Your thoughts about the writing life
• Conversations overheard and ideas for settings
• A list of places to look for work if you want to be a freelance writer
• Story ideas
• Settings
• Ideas for poems
• Ideas for articles
• A list of sources for research

Well, you get the picture, a writer's notebook should contain anything and everything that pertains to your writing life, including pictures if they help your thinking processes or think they would work in a piece of writing.

Keep Your Notebook with You

Either keep your notebook with you at all times or have several notebooks, keep one for your desk, one for your pocket, one for a specific project etc. Many writers keep separate notebooks for particular clients if they are long term as it helps them to see what they have written over time and what suggestions they might make to the client for specific articles or copy.

Notebooks are Personal

There is no right or wrong way to keep a notebook. Every writer is different and so your notebook should contain your ideas and whatever you think is pertinent to the job in hand. Try reading the notebooks of famous writers, the notebooks of Raymond Chandler for instance were a real eye opener for me when I read them many years ago. Pick notebooks that appeal to you, women in particular are more likely to write something in a notebook when its appearance gives them personal pleasure. What are your thoughts on keeping a notebook?

Getting Started as a Writer

Calling Yourself a Writer

Most people who write do so as an integral part of their life, whether or not they write for money or publication - yet many of these people would hesitate to call themselves a writer. There is a lot of truth in the saying that whether you think you are or you think you aren't, you're probably right. If you spend any amount of time writing and if you enjoy the task, whether or not it's seen by others, then you are, as Natalie Goldberg said, a writer. The problem for many of us is it can take years (and with some, never) for us to take the step of calling ourselves a writer. If you love writing and want to do more of it then start by saying out loud, "I am a writer", you'll be surprised how this affects your attitude to writing over time. Again, according to Natalie Goldberg, once you declare yourself a writer the universe goes into action to help you truly feel like and become what you already are. It took me more than 15 years after I first read Natalie Goldberg's advice before I began calling myself a writer.

Now You're a Writer

Keep telling yourself that you are a writer every day, these affirmations help to fix the idea in your head so that your actions will start to follow. If you don't already keep a journal, start one now. You can write about your ordinary life experiences and what you hope to achieve now that you are a writer. Plans for poems and stories if you see yourself primarily as a creative writer. Future plans for getting your writing online and perhaps starting a career as a freelance writer can also go in your journal.

A Writer and Organisation

Now that you have recognised yourself as a writer, you need to organse your day so that you have time to write. If you can only carve out ten minutes to begin with, don't worry, the real secret to being a writer and writing well, is to write on a regular basis. Once you get into the habit of writing every day the next step is to set up your writing space, but that s for another post. Do you write, and if so, when did you start calling yourself a writer.