Is the Best Place to Write Tucked Between the Sheets?

Summary

The article discusses the historical and personal benefits of writing in bed, a practice embraced by many renowned authors.

Abstract

The article "Is the Best Place to Write Tucked Between the Sheets?" challenges the conventional image of a writer at a desk by exploring the tradition of writing in bed, a method used by literary figures such as Voltaire, Marcel Proust, and Truman Capote. It suggests that the comfort and relaxation of a bed can foster a creative and inspiring environment for writers, allowing them to work in a manner that suits their personal habits and preferences. The piece also addresses the practical aspects of bed-writing, such as the need for the right tools and accessories, and acknowledges that while some writers have had the support of others to facilitate their work, many have simply adapted their lives to support their preferred writing conditions.

Opinions

Writing in bed is seen as a legitimate and productive practice, not laziness.
The article initially assumes that bed-writing is a privilege of male writers with support at home, but later recognizes that writers of various backgrounds have adopted this approach.
Sarah Ban Breathnach describes her bed as a sanctuary filled with inspirational items that create a comforting ritual for writing.
Patricia Highsmith's writing process is depicted as one that requires a pleasurable and comfortable environment to make writing bearable.
The article suggests that writing in bed may require specific tools, such as dictation technology or a pen that can write upside down, to accommodate the writer's position.
Katherine Cowley emphasizes the importance of finding the right pillow for comfort when writing in bed.
The article includes affiliate links, indicating a potential commercial interest in the products mentioned.
Readers are encouraged to explore the "Writing in Place" series for more insights on creating a conducive writing environment.

It’s not lazy to write in bed. It’s following in the tradition of some of literature’s greatest writers.

Sure, you can get a big, beautiful desk and outfit it with all the best accessories from Office Depot and The Sharper Image, but what if the best writing environment for you is right in your own bed?

Throughout the ages, there have been writers who’ve found their most creative energies awakened when they just stayed in bed to write. Voltaire, René Descartes, Marcel Proust, Mark Twain, Edith Sitwell. There are quite a few. Vladimir Nabokov wrote in bed in his younger days, filling index cards his wife would eventually type up. Truman Capote described himself as “a completely horizontal author,” writing in his bed or on a couch.

Mark Twain

When I first started researching this, I assumed that writers who did their work in bed were all members of a class or domestic situation that enabled and facilitated their supine work. It didn’t seem like a coincidence that most of the bed-writers were male. I imagined they all had wives, mothers, or servants who brought them hot coffee or tea and endeavored to keep the household quiet while they wrote. And while that’s true of some of them, others were just ordinary mortals (including some women) who managed to craft their lives to support their writing habit in just the way they wanted to work.

For some, writing in bed is all about creating an environment that is relaxed and inspiring:

“Whenever I prepare to write, I have a carefully crafted ritual of comfort that eases me into creating. I work from my bed with a fresh pot of tea on my bedside table and a beautiful tape of piano nocturnes playing softly in the background. Next to me is a new spiral notebook and cup full of my favorite pens, along with a revered pile of dog-eared books. You see, I am not alone but in the company of my circle of saints — beloved women writers — each of whom has an authentic voice and a special message for me.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach in “Simple Abundance”

For others, like Patricia Highsmith, it’s simply a matter of making the process of writing bearable:

“Her favourite technique to ease herself into the right frame of mind for work was to sit on her bed surrounded by cigarettes, ashtray, matches, a mug of coffee, a doughnut and an accompanying saucer of sugar. She had to avoid any sense of discipline and make the act of writing as pleasurable as possible.” — Andrew Wilson in “Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith”

Can writing in bed work for you? Maybe, but it might require some accommodations and some accessorization, whether it’s technology for dictation or a pen that can write upside down.

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For more information and inspiration on building your creative writing environment, follow Writing in Place.

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