Desk Organization for Writers
Simple Tips to Organize Workspace: A New Year's Resolution
Dec 13, 2007
A common experience for writers is to have a goal for the new year. Whether it be to complete a short story or complete a novel, January 1st represents a fresh start. But it can be difficult to produce new material when one is weighed down with clutter and a overflowing desk. Every writer has their own method, but many agree that a clean work space is a positive attribute to producing new material. Here are a few simple tips that will lead to writing bliss:
- Keep necessities nearby, but not on top of the desk. Purchase clear plastic bins to store office supplies. It is helpful to be able to see what is inside of them without having to open the lid and dig. These bins can be stacked neatly in a cabinet or underneath a desk (if unseen).
- Put up a bulletin board or chalkboard. Besides using either as an inspiration board (also a good idea), it’s easier to jot down a quick idea in chalk or on a slip of paper on the bulletin board rather than finding a journal to write it down. Later, when time permits, transfer the ideas to a particular journal or folder.
- Make mix CDs. As fun as it is to play music directly from the computer, during an intense writing session, it can be distracting to keep closing the writing window in order to switch songs on the computer. Unless you put your computer files on “Shuffle” and make a point not to interfere, put a CD on instead.
- Invest in a Filofax (or a similar datebook). These non-electronic planners hold address pages, calendar pages, note pages and the like. It literally keeps everything important in one place, and as old-fashioned as it sounds, it is easier than scrolling through an electronic address book.
- Keep a maximum or one or two pads of paper and one or two pens on the desk. The cup stuffed with pens and box teeming with every color paper imaginable? Store it nearby. Keep it sparse.
If the “ideal desk look” is difficult to imagine, browse catalogs. Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn and West Elm regularly have desks featured that are inspiring for how organized they look. (Browse their websites or visit their stores for ideas as well – sometimes their desks seem so inviting, it’s tempting to start writing at the store!) Even if one’s own desk is a simple table without drawers, it can still be a perfect place to write. After all, what matters most is the written word.
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