Working from home

I know for many people it’s a big adjustment. But as a writer I have to say I love working at home. I know other writers who feel they need to get out of the house, go to Starbucks, or an office, even if that means renting one. One writer I know likes to write in the produce section of Gelsons’s Market.

Of course today those away-from-home options aren’t available. There’s not even produce at Gelson’s.

I do miss the camaraderie of being in a writers’ room and being on sound stages, but when it’s time to sit in a room by myself and write a script, I prefer to do it where I don’t have to wear pants.

There’s also the commute factor. Not a lot of traffic between my kitchen and office. And think what I’m saving at the pump!

I know for me this began at the beginning of my career. David Isaacs and I would meet in one of our apartments and write our spec scripts at night after going to jobs during the day. When we finally got a toe-hold in the business and were able to quit our day jobs there was something almost decadent about getting together in an apartment at 10 in the morning and being able to make a living writing. It almost felt like we were playing hooky.

The downside of writing at home is that for many people it’s harder to concentrate. Too many other things going on around you… like life. And of course, when you are writing no one takes that seriously. People feel free to interrupt you at any time. You want to say, “If I were a doctor performing an operation, would you just come in and complain about your Aunt Rose?”

Another problem some writers have working at home is they feel they can never set it aside. It’s much easier when you go to an office and carve out hours for dedicated writing, but when you can sit down at the home computer anytime it’s hard to just set work aside without feeling a little guilty.

On the other hand, an advantage (at least for me) is that when I get stuck I just can just shut it down and do something else, regardless of the time. I’m not chained to my desk. When I do get stuck I often take a shower. In a more relaxed state the solution usually comes. I can’t take a shower at Starbucks (not that I’ve ever inquired).

But writing is only one job. Lots of you are conducting your business from home now. How has that adjustment been for you? Aside from all the self-isolation annoyances and cabin fever we all feel, do you find you like working from home? Or hate it? I bet for some it’s the very first time you have worked from home.

Stay safe and remember – you don’t need your pants.

from By Ken Levine