After four years as Writer’s Atelier’s administrative assistant, I’m finally writing my own The Write Place post!
Previously, I didn’t think my TWP would be something anyone would be interested in reading. My “office” for so long was the nearest coffee shop. During the height of the pandemic, I worked from my couch—next to my partner, who was playing video games—or on the bed if my partner needed the living room for one reason or another. It was chaotic.
But now that I’ve moved into an apartment with two bedrooms, I have a designated work from home office. And far from the horror stories I’ve read of offices going unused, I love to work in my office, and I actually prefer working there to going out!
I was able to design an office that works so well for me because I acted on all the advice I’ve read from past The Write Place posts and from list to close across the web. What follows is not only the tour of my “write place,” but also my favorite tips I’ve incorporated (or invented!) over the course of my new office’s life.
Tip #1: Add touches of nature to boost your mood.
According to the American Psychological Association, exposure to nature is good for the brain. I experience these effects first hand when I take walks and go hiking on vacation. And heaven only knows I’ve been dying to go on a beach trip as a mini writing retreat. That’s why I have seashells on my windowsill—as a reminder that it’s coming up soon!
Though ideally I’d be getting outside a lot more to connect with the outside world, my busy schedule doesn’t always allow such luxuries. Instead, I’ve placed my desk by the window. Not only do I get a nice view of some trees, but I also get the natural light pouring in—and my cat, Rochelle, visiting to sunbathe. When she’s not around, I’ll occasionally light a candle with a floral, woodsy, or beachy scent, depending on what I’m writing at the time.
I also plan to add a large, cat-safe houseplant to the left of my desk at some point. I gotta hide that ethernet cable somehow.
Tip #2: Facilitate taking eye, brain, and movement breaks however you can.
Without reminders that I am a human who needs to recuperate every once in a while, I would never close my laptop! Knowing this, I was very careful to include ways to take a break—but not outright goof off or get too distracted—inside my office.
Pomodoro breaks in the past would typically consist of me hopping over to a different document or watch a YouTube video, but now I keep workout dice (which I bought from Target, but could easily be DIY’ed) in my desk to toss, so I can move my body during those five-minute breaks instead.
Next to my workout dice, I also have a small wooden puzzle my partner bought me for my birthday one year that I can stare at and manipulate while whatever I’m stuck on works in the background of my brain.
Tip #3: Keep inspiration (and reminders, and important files, and supplies) close by.
Oh, the many hiding places I have for my things! Everywhere, they’re everywhere! And that’s the way I like it!
Note the organizer on my desk filled with folders. I love to work on paper while story coaching, brainstorming, and organizing my own stories. But do you see those green envelopes peeking out? I’ll occasionally design inspirational quote prints on Canva (or just download aesthetically pleasing photos from sites like Unsplash) and get them printed and shipped to me via FreePrints. I swap out the print in my little wooden frame every day based on my mood. It helps get me in the mood to work and keeps me inspired throughout the day. Eventually, I’ll pick some favorites and pin them to the small crushed velvet bulletin boards on the wall—just don’t ask me to do it yet!
And those prints are only one way I keep myself inspired. I also have some story dice and decks of oracle cards and Lenormand cards. I am not into divination or anything “woo-woo” whatsoever, as Racquel would say, but I do love me some symbolism, and those decks of cards are full of that. Sometimes I’ll draw a random card or pick out a few cards that are somehow relevant to my WIP and see if brainstorming or freewriting about them will spark something. And I have a character the world has yet to meet who interacts with a Lenormand deck quite a lot!
Moving on… You’ll also find a lot of pen bags in the nooks and crannies. They all serve their own purpose—one holds my go-to pens, one holds markers and highlighters, one holds nothing but Post-Its, and so on. The black and white box has even more office and art supplies if you can believe it!
Last but certainly not least in the organization category, on the ground beside my desk is a huge nineteen-pocket expanding folder my brother bought me for Christmas which houses the papers I don’t need day to day, but that I want to keep around just in case.
And all of these things—plus my backpack, which houses my bullet journal and writing craft journal, and lives in the office when I’m not out and about—keep everything I could ever need as a writer at my fingertips!
Tip #4: Get a rolling chair.
This isn’t a good idea for everyone, of course, but I love being able to scoot in different directions or easily turn away from the screen while I run my thumb across my worry stone from Ireland or scoop up a few gems from my collection of shiny rocks to play with. (Something you might not guess about me is that I love those crystal excavation kits most people get for their eight-year-old. My other big Christmas present last year? A child-sized rock tumbler.)
Plus, how else am I going to get across the room to stare at my empty notebook collection without getting up?
MEGAN FUENTES is an author by at least two names—one historical, one fantasy—going on seven. She is WA’s administrative assistant, the ghost in the machines of the Graphics & Vertical Videos by Writer’s Atelier and Websites by Writer’s Atelier offerings, a WA course instructor, and a regular contributor to the Writer’s Atelier blog. Her full bio can be found by scrolling down a little further. She’d like to use this space to invite authors to contribute their own The Write Place blog post, though rest assured, it need not be so long! Megan is just “extra,” as the kids (used to?) say. Find out more about submitting a blog post here.
