Five Everyday Places to Write Inspiring Content

By My Web Writers

The challenge: Find writing locations that help you write inspiring content.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s not.

We’re all different. Then throw in this whammy; We all find we react differently to stimuli. Sometimes the silence drives us nuts, and at other times the interruptions of daily life send us down a meandering path away from the written word.

What environment will allow your creative juices to flow and write inspiring content? Experiment with these ideas and find the right combination that works for you.

Your Writing Nook

It’s your go-to place. Mine is in the basement with a bit of white noise and plain walls.  Pretty simple.  My journal notes and images I’ve captured are near. This lets me focus on ideas and helps my mind sort its way from idea to words.

Stephen King in the book “On Writing” says, “In truth, I’ve found that any day’s routine interruptions and distractions don’t much hurt a work in progress and may help it in some ways.  It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into the oyster’s shell that makes the pearl…”  However, for me,  too many distractions end up being a truckload of sand that smothers the process. What happens when I look up and see bills spread out, business cards staked-up, and task lists reminding me of to-do items still to be done? It’ll just take a minute becomes an hour.

Writer Jeff Goins recently reminded me, “There’s a lot of junk that gets in the way of good writing.” Before you can write clean, clean up your workspace. You will feel better and have less distractions.

And about those 42 open browser tabs tempting me to visit? The Strict Pomodoro browser add-in blocks distracting sites for 25 minutes and then gives me a five minute break. This time management principle states that regular, short breaks allow for better productivity during the writing phase.

Sometimes you need to break away from your writing nook. Here are four more ideas:

Library

Finding your place back in the stacks eliminate most distractions that get in the way of writing. The added benefit is you have a compete reference collection at your fingertips. Take headphones and play white noise or music if the library is too quiet. My favorite: University libraries. They are usually quieter and have more nooks.

Coffee Houses

We either love ‘em or hate ‘em for writing. Then I figured it out.  I have meeting coffee houses and writing coffee houses. They aren’t the same. The crowds at the ones I use for writing either don’t know me or are frequented by other writers that understand “writing protocol.”  Plus, new research referenced in The Atlantic found that the ambient noise typical of a coffee house enhanced performance on creative tasks.  P.S. I write better when I order throughout my stay and tip the staff well.  It’s not a free office.

 The Deadline Room

A friend, and published author of multiple books, has a point in each project where he goes to his father-in-law’s vacation condo and completely immerses himself in writing.  No Internet, no family, no normal daily routine.  House-sitting is another option. Another writer creates marketing copy for a hotel in exchange for a place to do his deadline writing. Most of us, with a little thought, can find a similar solution.

Parks

Natural light, flowers, and the sound of water is a great combination for me to re-energize. Early morning, when it’s still peaceful out, is a good environment for writing. My spot is on the shore of a small lake and many times it is perfectly still.  I can’t count on mother nature to cooperate all the time. But when she does, it is my best place.

Finding places to write inspiring content has been one of my biggest challenges. These places have been solutions for me at different times. Where is your best place to write?

~Don