Most professional writers can call upon their muse just about anywhere. A note scrawled in a journal on a crowded commuter train could be the start of a best-selling science fiction novel or romance. An outline typed onto a laptop in a hotel lobby may become the first chapter in a ground-breaking thriller or a comedic Western.  Even so, creating a space to write at home is a must for many writers. Depending on their budget and family circumstances, the space could be as simple as a laptop desk in the living room, a notepad on a kitchen counter, or a roll-top desk in a wood-paneled study.

To create your own writer’s office space, first consider which part of your home would most enhance your productivity.  Do you need a perch in front of a large screen TV tuned to infomercials twenty-four hours a day? Or a quiet corner of a home office with a window overlooking your koi pond? Are you the sort of person stimulated by a view, or do you prefer staring at a blank wall as you create your own alternate universe?

Once you have selected your space, you will need to set up your writing implements. This could range from a quill and parchment through to a laptop with voice-recognition software. Your goal is to choose whichever tool supports the way you create.  Do you like to draw before writing? Set up a drawing pad and doodle away. If a particular author or poet inspires you, a volume or two on your desk may serve to stimulate your imagination.

You can also call on your senses to help enter a creative mindset. Does your heroine always wear a certain perfume? Spritzing on her favorite scent may just help you to step into her shoes when writing a difficult chapter. Perhaps your hero carries a battered postcard of the Eiffel Tower. Having such an item in your creative area may help you to create the back-story of why Paris occupies a place in his thoughts. Maybe your characters dance to a certain waltz that you can play through your computer speakers as you write. If your hero likes to eat an apple a day, could eating one at your desk help you to access his world?

I recently set up my own writing space. I knew that I wanted a minimalist set up that allowed me to sit and stand at the same desk. I also wanted to be use an exercise ball rather than a traditional office chair. I find that standing or sitting on a ball keeps my body engaged in my work, which enhances productivity. I chose a sleek black sit-stand desk from Evodesk. The desk glides up and down at a speedy 1.5 inches per second at the touch of a button. The desktop is 72 inches long, which is more than enough space for dual monitors. It also allows me the space to add different inspirational items each day. Perhaps tomorrow’s item will be a vintage photo, or a full size blunderbuss. Either way, the desk serves its purpose of supporting the way that I write.

What would your perfect creative space look like?