Where do you Write? by Rebecca Seaton

 

Where do you Write? by Rebecca Seaton

Writing at home....

    I love reading interviews with authors! I’m interested to see which things we’ve got in common and which we haven’t (apart from the million pound deal and film rights, obviously). Approaches and influences vary but am I the only one who’s a little envious of writers with specially built desks and amazing countryside views? However, what is it we really want and need as a place for our writing?

 

    Home is the starting point for most of us, the safe hub we’ll come back to but there are pros and cons. On the plus side, it’s familiar. That isn’t always a good thing though, as that can make it easy to be distracted. It also depends on your circumstances. Family demands or noisy neighbours can quickly put a dampener on things. Why do people wait until we hit our stride in our WIP before waking the baby up or getting their angle grinder out? It’s almost uncanny.

    Going away is the solution for many. The decision to dedicate an amount of time to writing, commits us to our work and is often the accountability we need to get us over the line. The same could be said for when we go away to dedicate time to God. Does it have to be quiet though? It depends on your needs. There is a physical quiet from a lack of sound or a mental quiet from being outside of our usual place of writing, both of which should be considered. Some writers like complete silence, other people like particular soundtracks to get them in the mood for their book. A while ago, I went away with a friend and had the daytimes to myself in the hotel to write. I certainly didn’t have quiet: there were terrific storms for our stay and most of what I did was in the context of howling winds and crashing thunder! This might have been a problem if I had been writing devotionals but as I write fantasy, the atmosphere was perfect for a section of the book heavy in figurative language.         

                            

                                                   ... or going away for inspiration?

    We can’t always plan our settings either. We have our budget and other commitments to consider. Writing on the go, like talking to God while running daily errands, isn’t a bad thing. Being in an unusual place and being prompted to write might help us retain that idea. Public transport is great for observations and character details.

 

    So, when thinking about the ideal space, for writing or spending time with God, consider what your actual needs are, look at the recommendations of others as they will affect you. And always have a notebook: you never know when inspiration will strike!

 

                                                                                                                 

  Rebecca writes fantasy novels, magazine articles and the occasional play. She had her first novel, A Silent Song, published through Pen to Print’s Book Challenge competition and is currently working on the second book of a new trilogy.