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Tips For Equipping A Freelance Writers Workspace

A freelance writers workspace refers to the physical or virtual environment where a freelance writer carries out their work. It’s the space dedicated to writing, researching, and completing various tasks related to their projects.

The specific setup can vary based on individual preferences and the nature of the work, but here there are some common components that should be in a freelance writers workspace.

Read: How To Start A Novel

Did you know that there are 53 million freelancers in America these days, which is 34% of the whole population? The numbers are indeed impressive.

Most of the time, freelancing is considered a serious business rather than an unstable job. More and more writers have learned how to earn their first $100 as freelance writers. Unfortunately, not all of these freelances know how to equip their work-spaces.

Why it is important for freelance writers to equip their workplaces?

While freelancing has its perks, it can also be a very challenging career path. Many freelancers find it hard to work as productively from their homes than they probably once did in offices.

As a result, some of them eventually start going to various co-working spaces. But sometimes that’s not the best option. It’s better to search for more productive alternatives.

Although, coworking spaces are preferable because of the networking and the friendly atmosphere, but this doesn’t mean they’re always comfortable.

Sometimes you might purchase a membership only to find out there’s not enough space for you, the chair might be too hard and people sometimes distract you with requests of “Could you please proofread my paper?’’, etc.

In these cases, it’s better to invest the money into organizing the proper workspace at home. Moreover, such projects often don’t require a lot of money to carry out. All you need is to purchase the most basic thing and then buy additional resources later on.

So here’s how you can organize your workplace in order to become more productive and effective in your writing work.

Divide your Workspace into Zones.

If you are able to create a home office in a separate room, that’s great. However, if you aren’t that lucky, you still need to figure out a way to separate your workplace from an area where you rest and spend time with your friends and family.

Sure, some of us can work effectively even from their beds – but it isn’t good in the long run. This way the lines between work and rest could become blurred, making to unable to rest well enough even in your free time.

So how can you create a work zone in your room? Sometimes, you can do it with the help of furniture and other home appliances – for example, put a bookshelf between your workplace and the rest of the room.

But even if it’s not possible, you can still create a zone without actually separating it. For example, you can use different light in different areas, paint that part of the room differently, or make your workplace more businesslike while leaving the rest of the room cozy.

Organize your workplace right.

However, some of us take “businesslike” too serious, making sure a workplace has nothing except work-related things. This approach could be effective for many – yet it isn’t a rule you should stick to if you don’t feel like doing so. After all, people do decorate even office workplaces, keeping things that motivate them or simply make them happier there.

So if you want to, you can hang some motivational posters above your workplace, put a plant there, set some toys on your table, etc. However, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind while doing so: everything still should be organized well.

If you want, keep your table clean. If you don’t, put things you might need during your work or things that make it cozier there. Just make sure that you will be able to reach something easily when you need it.

If you take notes, keep a notebook and a pen near, so you won’t need to rummage through the drawers looking for them. And make sure that your plant doesn’t block the quick access to your pen holder, for example.

Invest in your health.

If you’re in freelance for the long run, investing in your workplace is one of the wisest things to do. Sedentary work isn’t good for our health in general, but you can do something to minimize the risks.

Consider purchasing a good computer chair, investing in an ergonomic keyboard and computer mouse. If your eyes become too tired after a day spent looking at a screen, buy eyedrops and computer glasses. Also, ensure that your PC’s or laptop’s screen is good enough – and think about purchasing another one if it’s not.

Make sure that your workplace is bright enough. It’s always better to place it somewhere near the window, where you’ll have enough natural light even in winter. Invest into electric lightning as well, choosing fluorescent lighting bulbs that produce a more natural light and don’t strain the eyes much.

Final thoughts on Equipping A Freelance Writers Workspace

This article contains the basic things you need to pay attention to while creating and organizing your workspace. However, doing so is only the half of the job. It’s important to not only build a workplace at your home but also to actually treat it like one.

This means limiting all the work to it, resisting the temptation to move to a cozy couch, and keeping it clean and organized all the time – just like you would do with your office desk.

Author Bio:

Sophia Clark graduated from the University in the City of New York with B.A. in Journalism, 2011. She is a creative writer who loves to share her thoughts with readers. Now she writes for Eliteessaywriters.com. In her free time, she enjoys writing fiction as well as reading it. Connect with her on Twitter and Google +.

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam writes prose fiction and creative non-fiction. She is the founder of creativewritingnews.com. Her first novella, Finding Love Again was published by Ankara Press. Her second novella, The Heiress' Bodyguard was shortlisted for the Saraba Manuscript Awards. She currently works as content marketer for various online businesses. You can follow her at @cwritingnws.

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