The Writer's Office: What You Really Need

What a fascinatingly open ended topic! Well, maybe not fascinating... I'll assume that this is referring to writers in general and not just professional ones. A professional office would basically require the same things with additions specific to the company the writer works for. And if a professional writer does not know how to compose his office, well, maybe it never mattered that much at all. It is all subjective, but here are a few general pointers for items that will add up to a heavenly workplace.

First, you need something to write on. I know, real enlightening. I strongly advise against pens and paper and recommend a computer. This way you can save your work in two separate places-the disks and the computer memory-that are much more secure than flimsy paper. I have seen too many instances where paper writing is destroyed or in some way tarnished to recommend it as anything but a last option.

I think the most necessary thing for a writer's workstation other than a place to write is a connected PC or laptop-some gateway to the world wide web. The Internet is an oracle of knowledge to the discerning mind, and to have this close by would be of great benefit to the writer who likes to research his topics. I consider this item to be indispensable.

Also indispensable is the necessity of a pen and paper. Not as a first choice, but an alternative. Sometimes you might have so many files open, and get this completely foreign idea, and not feel like pulling up the new file. Besides, sometimes it is nice to write something you can keep in the physical sense instead of dropping into computerized abyss. The purposes of the pen and pad are variety from typing, the fact that they can accompany you should you leave your desk, or possibly for an object to play with while brainstorming....

You should always keep any notes or articles pertaining to the current project around your workplace in case you need them. Anything that inspires you about the project, and of course any articles that you will use specifically. You can lay them around your computer like some sort of ritual, throw them to the ground and enjoy the distraction finding one particular article provides, or organize them so that they perfectly coincide with the progress of the project. That is all up to you, but the main necessity is that they are there at all.

Make sure as well to collect all your own notes on the project. Honestly, you should probably organize these so that they are stacked in the order you will reach them on the outline. This will make the process of transcribing them as painless as possible and not add to your distractions the need to search for these notes. If there are any notes that are missing as you come up to the part of the piece where they are necessary, simply hit the space bar a few times to provide a noticeable break, and return to add in the note the moment you are able to do so.

Finally, if you are as neurotic as most of the writers out there, you are going to need to keep some talismans around. No, not some sort of mystical voodoo rattles or things of that nature, but the things that you have that spark belief in yourself and your abilities. As writers we all have them. As writers we feel more than most the need to preserve memories on paper, and so it follows naturally that we will have instances that inspire us as far as to what we are capable of doing at any given moment. These could be reviews, notes of encouragement from others or even yourself, and pieces that you love that may not have anything to do with the piece at hand, but inspire you as to your abilities nonetheless. I think for most of us this last item is by far the most important.

Just remember that as long as you get the piece done, your office was organized well enough!