Ask where Gillian Flynn writes and the answer is always down. Her workspace sits in the basement of her old Victorian house, reached through an unfinished cellar she's compared to a horror-movie set. The room is small and a little creepy, and it's exactly where she wants to be.
The Lair Downstairs
Flynn's office is on the bottom floor of the old Victorian house she shares with her family. To get there, she walks through an unfinished basement she's described as straight out of a horror film, complete with a root cellar she half expects someone to burst out of, chainsaw in hand. The finished room past it is small, with stone walls and a cracked cement floor. She wanted somewhere sealed off from the rest of the house, and she got it.
I needed a lair.
Gillian Flynn, on her basement office
Why Underground Works for Her
The basement does two jobs. It keeps her away from the front door, the mail, and the hundred small errands that fill a day, so the writing has nowhere to hide. It also suits the books. Flynn writes about murder and people at their worst, and a dim stone room a floor below everyone else is a fitting place to do it. She's said the atmosphere down there helps set the mood.
The lair isn't grim all the way through. Her husband set it up as a cozy workspace, and it's cluttered with the stuff she loves. There's a wobbly desk she built badly years ago, held together, in her words, with gum and string. A signed Lord of the Rings poster from Peter Jackson hangs on the wall. Best of all, a row of vintage arcade cabinets sits within reach: Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Joust, Dig Dug, and her favorite, Elevator Action.
See the full Gillian Flynn writing routine for how the basement fits into her day.
What You Can Steal
- Pick one spot and make it the writing spot. Flynn's brain knows that when she's in the chair downstairs, it's time to work.
- Put a wall between you and your distractions. A basement, a spare room, or a corner with your back to the door all count.
- Let the space match the work. A room that fits the mood you're writing in can pull you into it faster.
- Keep a reward within arm's reach. Her arcade games double as breaks that shake ideas loose.