Creating a Writing Environment by Claire Fayers

 This month's post is inspired by an article in a recent issue of The New Scientist, looking at the link between work environments and performance. The article begins with an experiment carried out at Stanford University, which found that students' interest in a subject and their assessment of how well they'd do in it, changed markedly depending on the classroom environment. The article ends with another experiment in which employees proved to be 30% more effective when they'd been able to choose their office set-up. 

Neither result was particularly surprising. It seems logical that if you put someone in an environment where they feel unwelcome, they will feel worst and be less likely to thrive. And if you give someone control over their work space, they can tweak things to suit how they like to work and so get more done. The best workspaces seemed to be ones where people felt a sense of belonging and which reflected the person's identity in some way. Open-plan offices were the worst, with the bland rows of desks and constant distractions.

This got me thinking about writing spaces. In my last house I was fortunate to have my own writing office - a pre-requisite for fiction-writing, according to Virginia Woolf.

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

My office had doors onto the garden so I could keep an eye on the cats going in and out, a desk, a reading chair, and custom-made bookshelves on two walls, going up as high as I could reach.

A house-move later, my office is now an open space next to the kitchen where people and pets can wander past at will, claiming my attention. There's limited space for books or personalisation, but I've done my best.

The first thing you'll see is my name plaque on the window where I can see it. A reminder that this is my space. 

We developed a rule early on that if my husband comes down to the kitchen, he is not allowed to speak to me, not even to acknowledge I'm there, unless I speak first. If I really don't want to be disturbed, I put on my noise-cancelling headphones. They're a very clear signal that anyone trying to get my attention is likely to lose a limb. Sometimes, I don't even bother turning them on; just putting them on my head is enough to feel safe.

I love writing prompts. My inspiration for one of my current works in progress is this colourful crocheted octopus. She sits on my pen pot staring at me and embarrassing me into writing.

Finally music. I don't generally go in for much background music, but a character in my new project is a violinist, which means I've gone through several days worth of jazz violin. Enjoy!

These are all small things but they make the space feel like my own. Have they made me more productive? It's too soon to say, but every little helps. Maybe if you're struggling to find a writing space, it's time to invest in a name plate, an ornament, something to mark the space as your own.

Happy writing - and please send pictures of your favourite writing places.

Claire Fayers writes fantasy for children. Her latest book, Welsh Fairy Tales Myths and Legends, is out now.

www.clairefayers.com