Writers differ in their needs and preferences for space in which they create. If you're fortunate enough to have a writing room in your house, or have an office away from home, then you're one of the envious few. Writers must be able to create their own writing space, and it's as much psychological as it is physical.
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It's said that Louis L'Amour, the legendary Western storyteller could write anywhere, on the back of a horse or on the median in Times Square in New York City. He had incredible powers of concentration and once he was in the zone, nothing could distract him.
Infamous author Harlan Ellison is known to have half-dozen typewriters around his house, where he has a different work (screenplay, story, column, book review) in each machine; this way he can move about his house, going from one to another. I employ a similar technique--I have four computers in my apartment; one in the bedroom, two in the living room, and one in the "dining area." Each has a different work (novel, screenplay, essay) associated with it.
For instance, I can only write screenplays on a certain old Compaq that I carry around with me when I travel, and I print the scripts out on a different laptop. I write short fiction on my ancient Macintosh desktop; on another laptop, I write essays and work for newspapers and magazines.
I am single so this is easy to do. My roommates are two cats who don't mind that our home has become an office.
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