#writing environments

1. Music

One of my favorite resources for inspiration is Spotify. I’ve created playlists for the books I’m working on and the places that I listen to music the most: I have a dance playlist for when I’m stretching, playlists broken up by genre, and of course a writing playlist with chill music. Now, you may be wondering how music has anything to do with environment. Music creates an environment in itself. We recognize generations by the music we listened to and certain songs bring back memories.

Try listening to a new playlist and write a short piece based off of the tone, genre, and message the song is sending. 

2. The Library

I volunteer at my local library by checking the books in and out and shelving returned titles, but when I’m not busy, it’s a great place to write. Sometimes I’ll just sit at the desk and describe the patrons that walk in and out. I also like to watch body language and the way people talk to one another. A fun challenge can be to go into your local library (if it’s currently open) and just listen to conversations. Not in a creepy, eavesdropping way! It doesn’t have to be a library either. Going into different stores and cafes can help get the creative juices flowing.  

3. Travel

Many authors travel to new places searching for inspiration. Writing in a new environment such as the beach or school can help defeat writer’s block and spark new ideas. Try visiting a new place and see the writing that could be born. 

If you can’t travel to a new place right now, try taking a trip to a different spot in your home. If you usually write at your desk, try writing at the kitchen table, in bed, or on the sofa. You could even try writing somewhere you normally wouldn’t sit, like on the stairs or in your dog’s bed. Do these new perspectives or locations inspire you to write something you normally wouldn’t think of?

Environments can play a huge part in writing and sometimes all a writer needs is a new place to spark creativity. I hope you enjoyed these tips and remember to write!

Brianna is a high school student with a passion for all things reading, writing, blogging, and Marvel. She enjoys reading anything from John Green to Sarah J. Maas, and aspires to one day publish a contemporary YA book. Brianna is the host of Brianna’s Books and Randomness, a blog where she reviews books, talks about writing, and discusses why Loki should be an Avenger.

When I look at it this way, the internet has really had a positive effect on my writing habit. I like to use Pinterest to create mood boards for my story and its characters. This really helps me find my vision for the mood I want to evoke when I'm writing, as well as build my characters' personalities.

Physical Writing Environments

Your physical environment also impacts your writing. For example, I have such a hard time getting words on the page when I'm writing in a noisy place, like our family living room. Instead, I like a nice, quiet writing space, like my bedroom. I keep a copy of Save The Cat nearby, just in case I need to double-check a plot point. If you’re a published author, keeping a copy of your book in sight may serve as motivation.

Another big part of our environment is sound. A lot of people like to have playlists for their writing projects, but some studies have actually shown that music decreases creativity! Isn't that wild? If you're one of those writers who has to have something playing, try asking your Alexa or Google Home to play ambient sounds such as a forest, ocean, or rain. A lot of music apps also have these if you just search for 'ambient sounds'.

Mental Writing Environments

One thing I've noticed is how my writing style molds to whatever I'm reading, so I like to read a wide variety of books and articles so my writing never sounds exactly like another author's. In art, they say, "study the masters," and that's very true for writing as well. If you want to be a great writer, study great books. Read bestsellers and try to understand why they sold so well.

The people around us play a great role in our writing as well. I often find that when I hang out with my writer friends, I feel more motivated to write and I hit my word count goals quickly and easily. And sometimes, it's really helpful to have one person give me honest feedback on my writing so I know what works and what doesn't.

I hope this gave you fresh insight into what might be influencing your writing, and maybe inspire you to chip away at your writing project today! Happy writing, Wrimos!

Adrienne is a writer, videographer, and artist from Florida who is currently writing her first novel. Her favorite place to write is in her swing outdoors, and she would love to be a National Parks ranger when she grows up! When she's not writing, you can find her hanging out with her hamster or making animations with her American Girl dolls for her YouTube channel, Tangerine Tundra AG. You can also find her on her blog, The Periwinkle Papers.

I lived in Costa Rica for 11-12 months of my life. I remember it. I remember missing my friends and family, but I also remember how exciting and nerve-racking it was to move. Just like if you lived in the same house you may remember how boring or how peaceful it was. You can work all of these feelings into your story.

2. Your Online Communities

Online environments can influence your writing too. Let’s use NaNoWriMo as an example. When you’re on NaNoWriMo you may feel more inspired to write since you’re around other writers. You can find the inspiration you needed to continue writing, which could affect what your entire story is about.

Maybe while you were online you found an idea to implement into your story. When you add that it makes the story different from what it would have been if you’d never found the idea. What we see, hear, and talk about online can influence what we write and how we write it.

3. Your Writing Space

Even where we write can influence our writing. Maybe sitting at your desk with open windows and a slight breeze helps you write. Maybe sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor helps you write (although I wouldn’t recommend doing this as you may get in the way). Making your writing space comfortable to write in is key. If you’re uncomfortable, it could decrease your desire to write. So, make your space comfortable and inviting.

4. Your Friends and Family

Friends, family, and online communities can help you when you run out of inspiration. All you have to do is ask someone and they can give you some sort of inspiration—even if it’s not straight forward or obvious. Some inspiration just comes for situations that you’re in. So, examine what situation you’re in an implement that into your story, whether you’re in quarantine or you’re on vacation.

5. The Music You Listen To

The music you play (if any) can influence how you write. If you play slow melodies it can help you write calm or romantic scenes. If you play hip-hop or action music it can help you write fight, action, and/or argument scenes. If you don’t play any music, sounds of birds chirping, trees rustling, and crashing waves can help give you inspiration and help you write scenes.

6. The People Around You

The sounds and sights around you can influence what you write, but who you’re around can influence your writing too. If you’re around people that are always excited, even about the little things, and are always happy, your writing may give off a cheerful and energetic vibe. If you’re around people that aren’t always happy and are struggling, your writing may give off more of a sad and lost vibe. You can utilize the feelings that people around you have and the feelings you have to make your story more realistic.

In the end, make sure you utilize the space you write in well. If you like to listen to music, consider the scene(s) you’re going to be writing and pick music keeping the scene(s) in mind. Find somewhere comfortable to sit, whether that’s your bed, a giant beanbag, or your desk chair. Just make sure you’re comfortable and happy with your writing space.

Sarah R. is a writer and blogger from Missouri. In her free time, you can find her writing, reading, scrolling through Pinterest, or laughing her head off at something that really wasn’t that funny. She enjoys writing fantasy and romance the most and she is working on a couple of writing projects right now. She hopes to publish a novel someday. Aside from reading and writing, you can occasionally find her taking photos, making videos, or baking.

Offline Environment

Sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for kicking writer’s block out the door. Writing at a coffee shop is a tried-and-true option for writers; I get a lot more writing done there than sitting in my room. There’s just something about the atmosphere of a bustling coffee shop paired with a caffeine boost that gets the creative juices pumping! While we’re stuck at home, even switching to writing in the kitchen rather than at a desk can work wonders.

A walk outdoors can help recharge our brains, and it usually allows me to think of ideas while getting dragged along by an overly-enthusiastic dachshund. A breath of fresh air lets us take a step back and think through plotlines (dachshund not required).

Online Environment

There’s more to a writing environment than just your surroundings. A social writing environment is equally important, whether you find your friends online or offline. Having a group of writers whom you’re able to bounce ideas around and cheer each other on is a highlight of the process! If you’re still struggling to find your own squad, I’d recommend heading to the NaNoWriMo forums to find others looking for writing buddies. I found my writing squad on the Teens forum, and today they’re still some of the first people I turn to when struggling with a chapter or need to fangirl over my characters. Twitter is also beneficial in making fellow writer friends and getting involved in the community.

Online and offline, environments can have a significant impact on helping motivate us to keep writing. While we’re all typing and scribbling away, make sure to change it up every so often to keep yourself inspired! 

See you at the finish line!

Ally Coy is a book blogger, BookTuber, and bookstagrammer who can be can be found geeking out over books and convincing her dorm hall to participate in NaNoWriMo. She is studying Secondary Education English and Creative Writing in Arizona and has participated in NaNoWriMo for over five years. Ally can be found at www.thenatureofpages.wordpress.com and The Nature of Pages on social media.

NaNoWriMo 2010

It was my first year of graduate school. I had my own room in a house with roommates I didn’t see much, and way too much Latin, Greek, and history theory to read. I might have had the space to lock myself away, but I certainly did not have the time. Essentially living alone, I was able to wake up forty-five minutes earlier to hit my daily word count goal… most days. But, when push came to shove toward the end of the month, no one really noticed when I took a weekend and hammered out 12,000 words. The next time I won, in 2012, I was living with my partner and found it much more difficult to disappear for a weekend, so I had to prioritize those forty-five minute daily writing goals.

Camp NaNoWriMo, April 2016

I wrote the last chapter of my dissertation as my Camp project, but the only time I had to write was while my eleven-month-old baby napped. Thanks to six years of NaNoWriMo and a PhD advisor who promoted daily writing habits, I was able to write most of my dissertation while baby napped. Forty-five minute writing sessions became fifteen in the early days when a “nap” might only be twenty minutes long. But those fifteen minutes had to be productive, because I now lived with an infant, and there was no writing once he woke up.

Camp NaNoWriMo, April 2020

I have two kids now, one in PreK and one a potty-training two-year-old. They are both home, as is my husband, who, like me, has temporarily transitioned to teaching online. And I am busy, not only with work, but with having family around me all the time. I am not sure if I will even find fifteen minutes a day to work on my Camp project, seeing as every time I’m on my computer someone in the house wants me not to be. But I will try, even if the daily goal dwindles to five minutes.

This Camp NaNoWriMo, if you are part of a community practicing social distancing in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus, chances are you’re feeling your household environment more acutely than usual. Whether you live with roommates, a partner, your parents, your kids, extended family, a friend you’re giving a stable home to in this time of crisis, or friends who have opened their home to you, you’re all home. Hopefully you give each other space for creativity, even if all you can manage to sneak away for is fifteen minutes.

Tiggy McLaughlin is a historian of Christianity in Late Antiquity (200-600 CE), where she mostly asks questions about how ordinary people worshiped and prayed. She works part-time teaching History and Theology at Gannon University and is a full-time parent to two wild little boys. She has participated more or less consistently in NaNoWriMo for the past ten years, alternating between writing medieval historical fantasy and realistic fiction about contemporary academia. Besides writing, she also enjoys playing video games with her spouse, cooking, and, of course, reading.

Online writing communities can help you achieve your goals.

One of my favorite things about NaNoWriMo are the people within the online writing communities. Sharing thoughts, motivation, and inspiration with likeminded writers is what makes me love what I do. It’s by far, the most encouraging and positively influential environment. 

I’ve met writers in local workshops, NaNo write-ins, libraries, schools, and coffee shops, and they are still, to this day, great friends of mine. We all share a passion for writing, and this common thread of love knits us together no matter how scary the world becomes. 

We all know that writing is HARD. But the writing community helps to push us through the challenges. They show up with us. They write with us. And they share success stories as well as failures, to help us to learn and grow as writers.

If you haven’t already, join a writing group online and you’ll see what I mean. Unwavering support, honest feedback, and meeting new friends are just a few great benefits.

A stimulating environment leads to productivity.

When I write in a café, I enjoy listening to the chatter and laughter of the patrons, and the acoustic melodies coming through the speakers are as smooth as my white-chocolate mocha. Not to mention the sensational aroma of coffee that puts me in a trance, and I am inspired to write for hours.

To replicate this atmosphere, try this to transport your mind:

If you’re inspired by scents, have a variety of candles burning while you write. I have a coffee scented “writing candle” and when it’s lit, I write and don’t stop. When I blow it out, my writing session is over and I can relax.

If you’re inspired by music, create a playlist of the relaxing café music (or any genre that awakens your muse), and play it in the background while you hammer out your word count. 

This goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Coffee, tea, or any other beverage that strikes your fancy is good for the writer’s soul. Pause, take a sip, and continue writing like water flowing over stones in a creek.

If scenery inspires you, rearrange your writing space to have plenty of natural light, and change the view to keep your mind fresh. My backyard bistro table now sits in the corner of my living room near a window, overlooking the snow-capped mountains. When the mood strikes and I want to write in the café, I’ll light a few candles, make a cup of coffee, press ‘play’ on the soundtrack, and I’m there. 

While the world is on pause and we wait for the pandemic to fizzle out, we can use this time at home to focus, set writing goals, and forge onward. 

Be well, good luck, and remember to wash your hands!

(No, seriously, go wash your hands.)

Kristi Stalder is an author, book coach, and creative entrepreneur. She lives in the little farm town of Tonasket, Washington with her kiddos and handsome husband, and she spends her free time working on her adventure fiction novel. She is the author of the senior resource guide, Navigating Assisted Living: The Transition into Senior Living, and children’s book, I Love You More, illustrated by Julie Edwards. For more information, visit www.KristiStalder.com and connect with her on social media!