Do you remember when I discussed the most important item in your office I mentioned off hand that it was you?

Well, I wasn’t being entirely silly. Just mostly.

You see, any advice I or anyone else, gives you needs to be filtered through your own needs. The way I write has been developed through years of cubicle living. The way another writer writes will have been developed through their own experience. The thing is, we aren’t going to live in your office — you are. So you need to make it your own.

And no that does not mean put up pictures of the spouse and kids — not that that isn’t a good idea.

Each of us will have our own source of inspiration. When I wrote fiction, many years ago, one of my main sources was the local coffee shop. I’d go sit in a chair by the window and watch the people who came in and the people who walked by. From the homeless person who was convinced Sheena of comic book fame was his daughter. To the blingster with the two “ladies” on his arm and his BMW.  Now that I write non-fiction “how to” books, my inspiration comes from a yellow, legal pad and a topic map. Or at least a mindmap. And coffee shops are for business meetings and buying high end coffee beans for my home espresso machine.

You also need to determine how and where you will write best through each of the stages of creation (inspiration, selection, consolidation) and through the physical writing.

Do you need silence when you write? Or do you need people around you? Can you handle interruption or do you need to concentrate? Will the other people in your life accept your lack of response or do you need to warn them they won’t get a reply or do you need to remove yourself altogether?

Are you organized when you write? Or are you a messy writer? Do you need a large area to display your book plan or just a piece of paper beside you?

These questions need to be answered before you can determine where your writing office will be.

Do you need a seperate office? Do you need an office in the living area of your house? Would the local coffee shop or library do the job? Do you need both or all? Will your needs change during the creative and writing tasks?

Once you have answered these questions you can determine the location and nature of your office. And your office will truly be your office.

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