Space in Time

Ideally in my mind I'd like a little room at the bottom of my garden to write in, a space just for me away from everyday life. Roald Dahl famously had a little shed he sat in with an armchair where he wrote his books by hand, and something like that sounds perfect. I have 3 boys and the noise and bickering and constant requests for nourishment can snap me out of anything quite quickly.I have room in my garden for a little bolt hole and plan to build one whenever I can. But I have realised something recently. I don't actually need a specific place to write in.

My most important writing space is time to do it in. An allocated spot of time when I can actually say to myself, "I can't do anything else right now other than write." Workshops are good for me to do this in, I have an allocated spot of time to come up with a piece, no matter how rough so then I have something to work with. It comes together after that. I keep a notebook handy when other ideas come, as they tend to when I'm doing other things. In the shower, walking home from dropping the kids off at school, or gardening are all times when my subconscious starts to shove out snippets to add to the piece. I've also started to go to café's or coffee shops and just allow myself a set time to just write, which also proves productive. That's what I am there to do so I get on with it. At home there are too many distractions, unfinished housework plays on my mind, jobs that need to be done and the demon internet.  As long as I allow myself a set time to write then that's all the space that I need. At least until my little bolt-hole is built. With a little wood burner and radio.