Freelance Writing Away from Home

As the old saying goes, your home is your castle. If you are a freelance writer, your home is also your office. Like any office, sometimes your home can be full of distractions like the television, unwashed loads of laundry and your children. It is then that you need to pack up your laptop or pad and pen and get away from your house to find an area that provides you with both comfort and peace so that you can work.

The most obvious place to work away from home is your local library. There are usually desks tucked in out of the way corners, and many libraries have plenty of power outlets for our laptop and wireless Internet connections for research. In the summer, there are children's activities, so at times the main room at the library is a little loud. If you happen to visit the library on a day where there is a lot of activity, a librarian is often quick to find a small private room for you.

If you can't find peace at the library, local coffee shops can make great writing places. The drawbacks can be paying for coffee -- up to $5 in some places-and in some coffee shops, wireless Internet access isn't free. The benefits can be comfortable surroundings and access to other writers who frequent the business.

If Internet access isn't a necessity, and the weather is nice, a local park can be a great office away from home. Park benches and picnic pavilions are convenient and being surrounded by nature can prove inspiring. If you write fiction, parks can also be filled with characters just waiting to plopped down into the middle of one of your stories.

If none of the above suits you, if you live in a town with a major airport, it can provide you with space to write, a wireless Internet connection and unlimited people watching opportunities-all for the price of parking. Airports are typically crowded, noisy places, but they offer anonymity that you may not find in a smaller place.

Getting away from your everyday surroundings not only serves to get you away from interruptions and distractions; they can also provide inspiration and can jump start your creative impulses. If you can't leave you home, then changing the room you write in can have a similar effect. Try something different and watch your productivity soar.