Chapter One | Writing Space
Updated May 2026
Finding the best place – Generally, I go to my writing room (my daughter’s old bedroom) which has a view of the town in the distance. It’s not a dramatic view but the room is light and airy. Sometimes I might have a change and write downstairs, or outside if the weather is fine. But what’s practical for you? Is your space quiet, comfortable and does it have everything you might need? Ideally, I see myself at my desk on top of a hill in a wooden cabin overlooking a lake and mountains. Maybe when I’ve sold a million copies...
Finding the best time – Writing is generally portable and, unless you are writing to deadlines, is not time sensitive, so it can be fitted in around other activities. Having such flexibility is great, but when are you at your most creative? I am a morning person, so that’s a good time for me. I also write better when I set by specific time to doit, rather than squeezing in spare minutes or hours. You might not have the luxury of choice but, if you do, I recommend you block out time for when you want to do it.
Look after yourself – is your writing station good for your posture? You’re likely to spend a long time at it, so get it right. Get up and move regularly if you can. Stretch, walk, exercise if possible. Get into good habits. You can ‘lose’ time when you are in the flow. Set an alarm for every hour, or more often, to remind yourself to move. Even if it breaks the flow, it’s worth it to keep you healthy. Believe me; I’ve learnt the hard way (bad back and neck). And don’t forget to eat and drink! Those pesky characters can keep you away from all the things that you need to sustain you.
Other interests - It might be that you have another job, or other responsibilities around the house or elsewhere, and you are squeezing in time to write. Writing might be your other interest. However, if you devote most of your time to writing, you might find you need other diversions. I find that if I’ve started writing around 7am or 8am, by about 3pm or 4pm I’m beginning to flag, even with breaks in that time. That leaves a lot of hours left in the day to do something else. Don’t get bored. You need to stay motivated and fresh for another day. Writing isn’t the only thing in my life, nor should it be.
Be realistic - Whatever your reasons for writing, whether just for pleasure or professionally, set yourself goals. It will help both in terms of motivating yourself and giving discipline to your writing. The goals could be word counts, completion of chapters or a character profile, chunks of research done, specific sections to edit, or just overall time spent on writing. Set the goal, aim for it, but, again, don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t achieve it. Life gets in the way sometimes.
Maybe you have an overall goal to be published? I enjoy writing and I enjoy publishing my own books. Some authors go down the traditional publishing route. That’s quite hard to achieve (see publishing section). Literary agents are clear that they receive of thousands of submissions, all of them from people who would like to get published. I did my research and knew that. Now, I’m comfortable with the route and the goals I have chosen. Whatever your reason for writing and your goals, be realistic, but most of all, be kind to yourself. Your dreams may not happen straight away – you have to stick at it. J.K. Rowling did.