Using Environment to Give Your Writing a Boost

Have your creative juices run dry? It might not be you so much as your writing environment. Whether it’s going stepping out for fresh or or even just closing a couple of extra tabs, Wrimo Ally Coy believes that a change of scenery might be just what you need to get back in the writing groove.

I stare at the cursor.

The cursor stares back at me, blinking on the page as if mocking my futile attempts at writing.

This phenomenon happens to me more than I would care to admit. As much as I would like to say that writing is effortless and I can breeze through 2k a day with no problem, that would most definitely be a lie.

Getting stuck on writing is a common occurrence, and sometimes it drives me absolutely insane. Nothing’s worse than finding yourself on a roll, only to end up at a standstill a few pages—or paragraphs—later and staring at the screen blankly like a bump on a log.

Luckily for all of us, there’s one major factor that always helps me get back into the writing groove: your writing environment!

Yes, you read that correctly. Even now, when we’re all locked away in our houses unable to get back to our regular routines, a writing environment is still an essential factor in the writing process.

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.

Top photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash