This spring semester, I had to write about where I write for my writing and communication studies class. Thinking about where and why I like to write my school assignments made me think about where I enjoy blogging! Today I’ll be discussing my favorite writing spaces for blog posts, as well as how I write- ranging from how I dedicate time to blog writing, what programs I use, etc.

Where I Write

My desk: My desk both at home and at school is my go-to writing spot. I prefer my desk at home more just because I have more space to spread out (and yes the books on my desk definitely help my inspiration). I also find myself turning to my desk for when I need to schedule my blog posts for the upcoming week. I primarily write here for when I’m in the mood to write, but laying in bed and watching YouTube is calling me instead. Basically, it puts me in the ‘I seriously need to or want to write’ mood. I find myself having to go to my desk the most when it comes to creating reviews, since they can both the easiest- for when I loved a book so much and I can’t stop screaming about it- and hardest- for when I loved a book so much but can’t seem to put my feels into somewhat coherent words- blog posts. I do my best to take notes while I read, especially for reviews books, but I like writing reviews ASAP after I finished reading said book.

Bed: At home, using my bed as my writing space comes from my love for my bed and being cozy. At home, I love leaning against my Ugg pillow. At school in a college dorm room, your two sitting options are often limited to your desk chair and bed (another great reason to invest in a good mattress pad and good pillows for all 4 years). That being said, writing in bed vs. my desk adds some variety and I tend to associate my desk more with school work than ‘fun’ writing. I find myself the most productive writing in bed- and on the couch- for when I’m in the mood to write, but don’t feel pressured to write. However, I’ve actually gotten better about writing in bed for when I seriously need to write. This usually happens at night-time when I don’t feel like going to bed yet and want to be productive. Blankets and hot chocolate make for the best companions when writing in bed.

Outside: During the nice weather months, I try to find any excuse to be outside, especially after the winter. At school, I enjoy writing at a picnic table in my residential area or at a table outside the library. The nice thing about writing outside the library is that there are outlets available outside. At home, I like writing at our patio table or in a chair with my laptop in my lap and feet up. My only and uncontrollable dislike about sitting outside, especially at school, is that I like to have relative quiet while I write.

Notebook Vs. Keyboard: I haven’t physically written full blog posts in my blogging notebooks. I find myself only physically writing some ideas for my blog posts after I’ve read a book and want to jot down my thoughts or have sudden inspiration for blog post. This is usually out of laziness, aka me not wanting to turn on my laptop. That being said, I use my laptop to write blog posts.

Writing Ahead/Making Sure I Have Blog Posts:

I rarely, if ever, write a post that needs to be scheduled for the following day on said day. I typically schedule the upcoming week’s posts the Thursday, Friday or Saturday beforehand, which means I need to have at least 3 blog posts prepared. Having posts ready causes scheduling, and blogging really, a much less stressful process. It’s especially handy when I have a week or two, mostly during school, where I don’t have time to blog. There are obviously exceptions to having posts ready at least a week in advance, like books for reviews that have a quick turnaround or monthly wrap-ups. I tend to put off wrap-ups until the very end of the month when I know I won’t be reading too many more books that month.

When I Write/Time:

I never have a specific time for writing, but I often will plan my days around if I need or want to make time for writing. I’ve never really timed myself writing, but I usually aim to set aside one hour if a post needs to be written (reviews can often take me 40 minutes-1 hour, while I can knock out two other types of posts within that time). It’s definitely not a thing I complain about, but I often find myself losing track of time when I’m really in the writing mode (which often leads to the creation of at least 3 posts).

Editing: I tend to not revise my blog posts right when I finish them in Microsoft Word. Instead, I’ll reread and revise posts when I’ve copied them into WordPress when I’m scheduling them for publication. The only issue within this strategy is that the finalized blog post often does not get saved back into Word and then on my external hard drive.

Saving: I write my blog posts in Microsoft Word. I use an older Mac- I believe it’s the 2012 or 2013 MacBookPro and yes, I love the disc drive- and while it runs pretty well still, I live in fear that I’ll lose my files. After writing a blog post, I then copy it in Google Drive. I tend to use the same strategy when it comes to my schoolwork, mostly because I just like Word better than Google Docs. I definitely need to be more proactive about doing so, but at the end of every month, I save that month’s blog posts to my external hard drive. I either just save my original drafts or I copy and paste the published posts from the blog.Where is your favorite blogging or writing spot? Do you have any specific blogging or writing strategies? Share in the comments!