There seems to be a consensus that it is lame to write in a coffeeshop. Obviously, the reason for this is because it appears to be a cry for attention. Yet, day after day, month after month, year after year, the reality of a writer’s den becomes clearer. Namely, it doesn’t matter where you write as long as the writing gets done.

The Myth of the Writer’s Den

To kick things off, films have made writing more difficult, as writing is falls prey to cinema’s irresponsible portrayal of what a job actually looks like. This is especially the case when it comes to romanticizing a writer’s process. Think of movies like Finding Forrester (2000) and Adaptation (2002). If you are familiar with these two movies, you are no doubt thinking about writerly archetypes, and as a result you are thinking of fiction. These things movies show us do not exist, and if they do, it’s probably artifice. Restated, cinema has a way of portraying writing as something that it’s not: a solitary business full of existential crisis and substance abuse. One can treat it that way if they want, but they should not expect to get very much writing done.

That isn’t to say that you should get rid of that wool cardigan you just bought. You also shouldn’t throw out that expensive pipe either. However, you should really reflect on your role as a writer and your writing routine. Think: what you are trying to accomplish in your writing space? What should be in that space to get that goal achieved?

How to Find Your Writer’s Den

Having said that, ask yourself a few questions about your own writing room:

1. Is it comfortable?
2. Have you actually completed writing there?
3. Why do you want that to be your writing room?

If you answered the first two questions with “No” and the third question with, “It makes me feel writerly,” then you might want to think about writing in places more conducive to writing. It is really easy to romanticize the lifestyle of a writer. Yet, if you are not doing your job–writing–then you simply must reevaluate your process until you are at least somewhat productive.

Still, keep in mind that for most of us, we have a few quiet places around the house that we maintain just for writing. Case in point: there might be a comfy chair you write in some days, and then a dark dungeon where you go to get other, more serious, writing done other days. After all, big projects and real work take a lot of focus, but some of the smaller stuff does not need a bevy of leather-bound books and antique globes to convince one to commit to the craft.

Some Ideas to Help You Find the Right Place

This may sound impractical, but in order to find the right place to write, sit around your house in various spots to try out what works best. Try well-lit rooms and dark rooms. Small rooms or big rooms. Space behind your furnace? Try there. A desk by your bed? Why not?

Also, try different forms of writing in different places. Some of us work best when we journal in longhand before bed. Or, when we sit in our comfy recliners and type on our laptops. Both are places of comfort that help us think about writing and not about how our hands hurt, or how lonely we are, or how cold it is in the basement.

Conclusion

Finding the right writer’s den is important as a writer. Yet, a writing room doesn’t have to be lined with bookshelves and leather furniture. It should be unique to you and it should be comfortable. You could even go to the coffeeshop and try that out. Who knows what works for you until you give it whirl, right? These experiments are cheaper than refurnishing an office you’ll never visit or buying a bigger desk that you won’t want to ever sit down at to write. Remember, our job as writers is to write, so always find the easiest, most comfortable ways to get the writing done.