Taking up writing in your loft

Posted By Laura in Other Stuff | 1 comment

Lots of people have the desire to write, and they say that every person has one great novel in them. So why do so many of us never act on this desire? Great writing requires imagination and the freedom to really explore the topic you are writing about. If you have a loft this may be a quiet, peaceful place where you could concentrate and reflect on your subject matter.

You might want to dive in with a full length novel or play from the get-go, or start with something less intimidating like short stories or poetry. Either way, the tools you use and your surroundings could help to bring out your best work. With a bit of work a loft can become the perfect hideaway for creative pursuits; somewhere you can go to clear your head and focus on your writing.

Because the loft is on its own floor you get the separation you need from the other rooms in your house, and it’s easy to maintain as a creative space without the rest of your life spilling over into the room. It’s also likely to be the quietest place to work, which will prove invaluable when you want to get your head down and really achieve something.

If you’re thinking of transforming your loft, bear in mind that it could be expensive. One way to pay for the initial outlay could be to take out a loan.

Your loft will need some obvious bits such as a desk and chair, and it might also be worth having a small sofa so you have the option to move away from your desk when you need to see the world from a different angle. Another essential piece of furniture for a writer’s loft is a bookshelf stocked up with a range of literature. Most great writers are great readers, and taking in literature before you write can help to get the creative juices flowing.

As well as having a PC or laptop in the loft, make sure you have lots of paper and pens. Sometimes you need to do a brain dump of your ideas, and good old fashioned handwritten notes are often hard to beat. For more visual people, drawings and doodles can also be a great way to get an idea onto paper. Many of your best thoughts will come to you in a really raw form, and handwritten notes or drawings can help you to capture an idea which you can flesh out later. So a stationary store is essential for a writing den in the loft.

Depending on the size and shape of your loft, you might want to make some alterations to make it more comfortable. Lighting is going be an important consideration and adding a sky light could make a big difference to the loft environment. You could also extend your loft with a dormer conversion. This involves extending the roof outwards, giving you more floor space and headroom.

However you go about making your loft more suitable for writing, the important thing is that you will have a dedicated space to stretch your creative muscles. It’s deeply rewarding to have an outlet for your creative side and remember practice really does make perfect, so stick at it and don’t give up.

This guest post was written by Caz Adlington on behalf of Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog.