Where do you work?
July 27, 2007 by Deb Ng
Filed under Freelance Writing
Up until a month ago, I worked from my kitchen table. I would set up my laptop on the table and work, and remove the laptop for meals. This arrangement worked fine for a couple of years, my only complaint was having to constantly dismantle the computer so my family could eat. Now I work on a folding table set up in a corner of my dining room, or outside on the back deck.
Many of my fellow writers and bloggers couldn’t work with this arrangement, as they need to be in a room with absolutely no distractions. I agree this would be the ideal situation. I don’t have a spare room or office at this juncture, so I make do with what I have. Also, the majority of my writing is done in the morning when my son is asleep, in the evening after he’s in bed, or when he’s in preschool or day camp. I’m not usually distracted.
I don’t need a whole lot of room to spread out. I have my laptop and every now and then a piece of paper or a book to use as reference. Our spare bedroom, which isn’t big enough to fit a desk or even table, does have a file cabinet for contracts and other important documents. Most of the time I only need my laptop. I can work at the table, the library, Starbucks or my front steps. It doesn’t make a difference to me if I have an office or not.
So my question to you is, where do you work? Can you function while your kids are playing around you, or do you need to lock yourself up in an office undisturbed? Does it really make a difference whether you have a well-equipped home office or work from the kitchen table?
We rent a 3 bedroom home for two occupants… so the third room became my study! Quite a fancy set up, having a room to work in with my own PC desk and…!!
I have a 16 yr old son, so I don’t have a problem with young children running round disturbing me. He is always studying his home schooling, writing books, chatting online, or off on nature hikes…
I have a separate office in our apartment for my library/files/desk. The first few months I freelanced full time, I worked pretty much anywhere where I could sit down quietly. I now have a virtual war room with a white board for projects and other supplies I need for multimedia projects. However, I don’t see myself having this arrangement when my girlfriend and I move into a house. It is a temporary luxury and I am enjoying it as such
I actually like a bit of distraction. If it’s nice outside, I sit on my front porch with my lappy, and if it’s not, I’m usually at the desk in my bedroom. I’m looking forward to moving soon so that I can rent a two br and keep one as my office/library!
I have a desk in the livingroom, but I write in business reception rooms, restaurants and hotel lobbies while waiting for interview subjects, in the conservatory/livingroom/in bed at home depending on the weather or time of day. I answer email and visit writing sites and blogs while the family watches TV, draft stories and articles while my daughter runs thru the house playing with friends. The whole chaotic thing suits me, because I feel like I’m not isolated from the family even when I work long hours, and they can generally interrupt me for a conversation/hug/something.
Same as you Deb — kitchen table! There’s only 2 of us and we don’t really use the table. I have a “computer room” upstairs, but it’s too hot in summer and too cold in winter. It’s also cluttered and I wouldn’t get anything done in it. I use it mostly for product testing, OS installs, etc.
The kitchen table is right by the patio doors and I get the nice weather plus a little bit of background noise.
I keep threatening to go to the library/Starbucks/whichever, but I think I like it here too much. I even have my yoga map set up for stretches and crunches when I need to mull something over or need a break.
I could be in an empty room with no doors or windows and, if I had internet access, I’d still get distracted.
:::sigh:::
Up until about a week ago, I started off every day at the kitchen table, staying there until my battery died. When that happened, I’d retreat into the study — the second bedroom, where Michael and I each have a desk — to plug my laptop in. At that point, I’d usually work in my overstuffed 1940s rocker with my laptop on my lap.
Most of that plan was geared around the fact that my desk chair wasn’t very comfortable. However, I just recently got a new desk chair, and ever since I’ve been spending most of the day at my desk. I’m also trying out a new, stricter daily schedule, where I actually schedule time to check email, blog, and — most importantly — work, and that seems to keep me at my desk a little more, too.
New schedules aside, though, I love the flexibility and mobility of freelancing on a laptop, and I take advantage of that whenever possible. Sometimes I work outside on the front porch, and when it’s really hot I work on the living room couch in front of the swamp cooler. I also work at Barnes & Noble sometimes in the evenings while my hubby browses the new releases. (bookstore = babysitter)
I write my poetry, prose, and articles, plus design webs and graphics all from my home office. It is a converted bedroom really. I just took out the bed and put in a futon couch. I have a big desk that has all my ‘electronic junk’ on it, plus my PC and all the peripherals. I sometimes work with my two parrots in here with me, they can keep themselves pretty busy, although they like to sit on my shoulder and go to sleep.
All in all, it’s a nice, comfortable room with a nice view of my back yard. I guess I could work just about anywhere, but this is my favorite place to be.
I can work anywhere. Beach, backyard, at the kitchen table or in my office. I just need a laptop or paper and pencil.
I feel lucky to have an extra room in the house where we have all the computers, two desks, files, and of course the treadmill AKA clothes hanger. Now my kids are a different story
Some weekend I retreat to the local coffee shop for HOURS at a time.
PS_ I have two windows immediately to my left that show my entire backyard including the kids pool. Will they go out there and leave me peace to write though? No way~~~~@!!!!
I have a 1/2 finished home office set up in my basement. By 1/2 finished, I mean I built the desk but never painted it, sheet rocked the walls but didn’t do the ceiling, etc, etc, etc.
But even in it’s unfinished state, my 5 year old son still kicks me off the PC when he wants to visit WebkinzWorld.com and play games.
So, that makes me an early morning, late night basement blogger.
When it comes to a computer or laptop? At my desk, in a separate room, when no one is around… for some reason I just don’t perform well when I’m trying to work when other people are around, even at a Starbucks or library.
For some reason I do okay if I’m just writing in an old-fashioned notebook– I can do that almost anywhere. Not sure why.
I have my own office. With a desk, an ergonomic chair, a computer, scanner, printer, two file cabinets, a washer, a dryer, an ironing board… maybe I should stop there.
Most of the time, I work in the office of my FT job, either between projects or on my breaks. Luckily, I write for a living, so working on personal or freelance writing is just seen as keeping my skills (and quills) sharp when the day-to-day isn’t pressing. When I write outside of the office, it’s usually at a bar, where the music and noise help me block out the world, or curled up on the couch.
I need the distraction so it feels less like work. I have an office, but write in it only maybe 75% of the time. I really like to write with my feet up and where i can at least browse what the kids are doing, so most of the time is in the living room or front yard. Best work conditions I’ve ever endured!
My husband and I both work from home. We have one of our spare bedrooms set up as an “office.” It has two desks (well mine is more of a long table than a desk) and three computers.
We spend all day here together with our two labradors.
Sometimes I might write in another room of the house, but that is when I want to sort of 1/2 watch TV and 1/2 write. Then I take my laptop downstairs and write (while distracted:)) in front of the big screen.
I never write at a coffee shop or other location.
–Kori
I have two small children (2 and 3 year old daughters) and I write either at the dining room table or in the living room while they’re playing/arguing/running around me. Thankfully, I’m pretty good at just “zoning” out and writing even in the midst of chaos. If I couldn’t, I’d never get anything done!
I have an attic office which also serves as TV room. That way, I never leave my 2 preschoolers alone in front of the box. Work is only when they are at the day care (3 days a week) and when they are sleeping. I seldom work when they are around/awake because the main reason why I am freelancing is to spend more time with them. I also work a lot on the train when commuting to and from the daycare (only during the kidless part of the commute)or at Starbucks. The backyard is a great alternative in spring/summer but WLAN connection there is rather poor
I work anywhere. I do have a designated space where all my files are but for the most part I will write whenever I fit the time in…kitchen table, bathroom, at the pool. The funniest place I have ever written in…my closet.
Although I have an office and a small desk in my library (not as fancy as it sounds I assure you) I still find myself doing the majority of my work from my living room…
I usually work in my office (the converted nursery) and my husband works from our attic. But today, I printed out a bunch of pieces that needed editing and what not and took them to the pool where I worked and watched the boys swim at the same time. I think I’ll be doing that a lot more this summer.
I hope I can work anywhere but not having a laptop with a roaming Internet connection won’t allow me to do so. Now I have to settle for my home office which is just a few seconds away from my bed.
Where I work often depends on what stage I am in the writing process. If I’m formulating ideas or free-writing, I prefer to be somewhere in public with people around. There’s something about the constant flow of humanity in a bookstore or coffee shop that channels a lot of eneergy into my process. Once the ideas are solid, however, I need peace and quiet. I do not have a special place, as is the stereotype of “the writer” we see in films. My deck, the sofa, the kitchen table–they all function well, as long as I have a) a ready supply of Coke or coffee, and b) a surface underneath me that will be comfortable for a couple of hours minimum.
Depends on what I’m doing. If I’m working my daily virtual gig, I can do that anywhere; I’ll either park in my office or take the laptop and scoot. For reviews, I generally take the laptop out in front of the idiot box so I can take notes or write stuff down while I’m watching. For heavy-duty projects, I stay at my desktop in my office where my reference library is; it has a door that locks, which comes in handy when the kids don’t get the hint that Daddy’s working.
I tend to mostly write on my laptop on a corner of our king size bed while my husband and the kids do their thing – chatting, watching tv, playing games. I have an incredible capacity to zone things out when I need to get down to business.
My biggest distraction is the internet.
I have a spare bedroom set up as an office — seriously: I purchased a second-hand cubicle and a second-hand Aeron chair during the dot.com bust. Unfortunately, the room is a tad drafty in winter. But there’s a lovely view of the garden in summer, and it’s next to the kitchen so I can hear the oven timer ring (though I’ve managed to ignore it and let things burn a few times while intent on writing).
I need to be in a quiet room alone and without distraction. Heck-I even posted an article “RESPECT THE HUMAN WRITER” for my family to read in my office. (spare bedroom) Anytime, they come in to disturb me-I just tap the sign. They get the hint!
I write on my balcony! Very nice in the summertime.
I enjoy working on my back deck. My son can play outside all day and I can set up on my brand new outdoor dining set (birthday gift from my husband) and work. If I get to hot, I’ll jump in our pool.
There’s just one thing – the glare from the sun is so bright it’s difficult to see the screen sometimes, does anyone have a way to get around this. My sister suggested putting my computer in a box, and it works – but my laptop has a large screen and it’s difficult finding boxes to fit.
I have my own office which overlooks my garden. I’m the typical writer. I work surrounded by reference and review books, clippings for article and blog ideas, boxes of receipts for taxes (I really need an accountant), and other misc. piles. Occasionally, I borrow a laptap and work outside or at the library, but I find I always need something I don’t have with me — mostly my printer.
Sandy
Our spare bedroom is used as the office. There’s a large window in this room, which is great for looking out or feeling a nice breeze. Occasionally, the sound of children playing or a neighbor’s lawn mower can become distracting. Currently, I write on a desktop but I plan on getting a laptop within the next couple of months. I’m excited because this will allow me to work from any room in the house or outside in the backyard.
I can’t function unless my kids are screaming, sneaking up to type on my keyboard, or pulling the dog’s tail or beating each other to a pulp with empty Otter-Pop bags. If I’m in a quiet, peaceful setting, I get side-tracked.
I’ve got 4 kids under 7yrs and I homeschool 3 of them. I have a desk set up in the dining/living area of the house so that I can always monitor what’s going on while I’m working (I’ve learned to work with distraction…). I plan to also get a desk for my bedroom so that I can go there and work or have absolute quite when speaking with a client or conducting an interview. Like many of you, I find a laptop to be a lifesaver! I can take it outside and work when the kids are playing, take it on the road when we take trips, and just move around the house. I work a lot at night – but I’m a night owl anyway!
I have a home office. I just got wireless, though. Not a good idea. Now, I moved my laptop to my livingroom sofa and I find that I am not giving myself down time in the evenings. It’s going back in the office!
We have a spare bedroom that we turned into an office. I have my desk, file cabinet, computer and books. Hubby has a table and file cabinet he uses for bill paying and some web surfing on the laptop. I spend a lot more time in here than he does!
Funny…I am lucky enough to have my own office, but I NEVER use it. The room is just uninspiring right now and I haven’t found the right mix of decor, quotes, and what have you to make me want to be in there all day. I’m either on my couch or at my kitchen table. I’ve got a desk, desktop PC, laptop PC, and some storage for stamps, pens, etc. but my office is missing something.
BTW, I am really in awe of all you moms and dads who work from home, especially when kids are out of school for the summer! I feel very lucky to have my quiet space now.
Deb: I’m lucky. Since my balcony faces north, the sun doesn’t get in the way until the very end of the day–at which time I simply take a break until it goes down.
But glare can still be a problem. Believe it or not, I find a hat with a visor cuts quite a bit of it. I look like a dork, but that’s one of the magical things about working from home … unless I actively go out, the only people who see me during the day are my husband and the UPS guy.
It really depends on my mood, whether I’ve eaten had coffee or any other form of caffeine. But mostly I work from my bedroom/computer spot. It’s also my son’s bedroom too. We don’t have a separate spot cleaned out yet. We have three computers in there too! It’s pretty crowded but I don’t mind it.
I have a laptop that I will often take to other places including outback in my garden spot where I can have some peaceful conversations between my fingers and the keyboard.
Distractions? I have a 13 year teen girl, I have a 7 year old who thinks she’s 13 like her big sister and I have an eleven month old boy who really loves his sisters (and mom). And they are all homeschooled. Needless to say, I’m distracted. But I’ve learned to say “no” and I have learned to turn off the phone and deal with the distractions.
I found the perfect office, and the rent is free – the public library. With outlets for laptops, WiFi, and my cell phone (I go into the lobby to use that), it’s everything I need. I set up in the periodical section so I have quick and easy access to any publication I might want to query.
I usually work in bed, at night, on my laptop. Yes, I know bad feng shui vibes are abound when you start bringing your electronics into your bedroom. It’s very comfortable, though. And by that time my DDs are in bed and I’m unlikely to get interrupted.
- Lesli (www.superwoman.ca)
Right now, I work out of the “office/study/library” in our home. Eventually, I would love to have enough extra money to rent a small office. Sometimes, you just need to get out of the house, you know?
I work from my (rather large) desk, which is in my bedroom.
When at school, I would also work in the library since I’m a commuter and have a laptop. But since I’ve transferred colleges, I’ll have to find a new location at this school.
I’ve also worked a little during class when the lectures start to ramble or when there are quiet moments.