9 Essentials For Every Writer

What are your own must-haves for a productive writing space?

5. A cup of coffee and a bottle of water. Mulling over our writing with a good cup of coffee or tea always feels “right” – but staying hydrated with water will also help with focus – we like our writing to be “well hydrated” too!

6. A window. We’re not sure if there’s any scientific research on this, but staring out of a window has some inspirational power – perhaps it’s stretching the eyes after staring at a computer screen for a length of time, or simply because it provides a chance to daydream – a window is never a bad idea.

7. A writing buddy. A fresh set of eyes will help give us fresh perspective on our own writing. Whether it’s grammar, style, or simply for affirmation, constructive criticism is an opportunity for improvement and growth.

8. A “clock”. By this we mean to set a time frame, either so many words, pages, or a set number of hours that you will write for at any given time. Whether that time frame is 15 minutes or 5 pages, setting a “clock” will help you stay focused and feel productive.

9. A positive attitude. Writing is hard. A day’s worth of writing might be tossed, a published work might be poorly received, but an hour’s worth of writing might become the next great novel. Just keep writing.