In Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, Woolf states that women must have a room of their own if they are to write fiction. For any woman to write anything, fiction or non-fiction, she must have her own space. The perfect nook where she can write freely and without distractions. Whether it is in your living room, the corner of your bedroom, the kitchen table, or someplace else. You can always find space available to create your perfect nook. Here is how you get started.
First thing’s first. Pick a spot for your perfect nook. When picking the perfect spot to create your writing nook, make sure it is somewhere private. Exclusive. Whether it is in a room or part of a room. This is significant, especially if you live with roommates. Regardless if you have to rearrange the room, get a divider, string up a curtain, or readily have a door available. The area should become cut off from the rest of the apartment or house. Giving your space the seclusion it needs. Moreover, when picking your spot for your nook, warrant that outlets are available in the room. They are as essential as the desk itself. Trust me.
Natural lighting is distinguished for its benefits of enhancing moods, improving sleep, encouraging creativity and productivity. When it comes to establishing the right environment to write, natural light is a writer’s best friend. It goes without saying that when creating the perfect nook for a writer, try to create it near a space where a window is nearby. Having a window or two at your side will not only give you the benefits listed above, but it will allow the outside world to inspire you with its colors, views, and sounds. As the Burton Rascal, an American journalist once said: “A writer is working when he’s staring out the window.”
When creating the perfect nook, you have to consider how much space you will need for your materials. Pencil holder to store all your writing utensils, shelves to stack books next to each other, drawers to house paper, notebooks, or any other material you require. These all become factors when deciding the size of your desk. Long, tall, short, or curved. As a writer, having your own writing space and desk is crucial. It is where we run to when spontaneous plot bunnies burst to life, fall asleep when time’s hour has caught up to us, and our coffee mugs start to pile up. It is where papers, notes, and drafts are spread out, like jam on the morning toast. So take your time when deciding on a desk. There is no rush.
After deciding on what type of desk you will incorporate into your perfect nook, be sure to select a chair. A chair that is both well-cushioned, sturdy, and supportive. Trust me. If you choose anything less than that, you’ll regret it come late at night when your back starts to ache while you are just peaking the climax of your novel.
As I said earlier, natural lighting is the best most preferred lighting when it comes to writing. However, another form of supplement your desk lighting is to have a desk or floor lamp. Specifically, ones that give off white light or any other light that mimics natural lighting.
Decide what encourages and inspires you to write. Is it a scenery, an inspirational quote, or a motivational phrase? Is it a piece of art, a picture, or a specific color? Unearth what inspires you to write and hang it on the wall in your nook. Somewhere you will always see it. If you want your perfect nook to give a literacy air, stack some books against one another. Whether it is on a shelf or in the corner of your desk. Decorate your nook with what inspires and motivates you to write. What else would make your writing space that more perfect?
If you don’t have shelves on your desk or in your space yet, I highly recommend putting some in your nook. At least one. Whether it is a bookshelf, standing shelf, or a corner shelf. However much storage you think you will need, be creative with how you situate it in your nook. Regardless if it is used for storing books, pictures, art, notebooks, coffee mugs, or a vase of flowers.
For those nights where time’s hour has caught up to you, the too-early mornings where you wake up solely to write the spontaneous plot bunny that came to you in your dream, the April showers’ afternoons, and the chilly evenings where you forgot to close the window or turn down the A/C. Having a blanket ready at hand, draped over your chair, is the right touch to add to your perfect nook. Besides the necessary cup of coffee that warms every writer’s spirit, a chunky knitted blanket is the other remedy that exists to comfort a writer in need. What better way to be prepared than to drape one over your chair, or store it somewhere else in your perfect writing nook?
The last and final piece you need to complete your perfect nook is a hanging sign, or a sign to put on your doorknob. Preferably a “do not disturb,” sign. Not only will the sign inform others that you are busy, but that you are in the middle of writing something that is out of this world. When it comes to picking hanging or “do not disturb” doorknob signs, I tend to favor the simple ones. Much like the one below. Just telling people to go away. I’m writing. The two phrases have a certain ring to them that makes me smile.
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