A van can be converted into a small living space.You will have the benefit of moveability, changing scenery, being your own boss and traveling whenever you wish.
The cost of conversion can be high and technically challenging for anyone with no mechanical expertise. However, there are ready-made options available.
As you can see from this link it can be done. http://tinyhousetalk.com/couple-two-dogs-traveling-stealth-tiny-house/
4. A Yurt
A traditional yurt is a round, semi-permanent tent lived in by Mongolians and fashioned from natural skins. Modern day yurts do not adhere to these methods although the shape and concept are the same but utilize hi-tech materials for to accommodate temperature variations and conditions and are normally stationary.
They are sturdy buildings and due to the circular shape retain heat well and with a steeper pitch on the conical roof can repel downpours of rain well. Modern yurts are not cheap to purchase so this option is one to consider. You also need to ensure you have a permanent site on, which to live unless you opt for a traditional yurt and dismantle and reassemble regularly.
5. A Double Decker Bus
A double decker bus can be converted into a moveable or fixed home, depending on your choice. It is surprisingly spacious once the seats are taken out.
You will need mechanical, electrical and plumbing expertise (or knowledgeable friends) to make this option possible. The conversion cost is quite high so planning your layout is paramount prior to starting the build. Also, if you are traveling the cost of gas can be high so factor that into your budget.
Places that are cheaper to live in than a traditional house.
1. A CANAL BOAT – this is dependent on where you live in the world as canals are not available globally.
If there are canals near you it is possible to buy a prime inner-city residence for less than £20,000 (GBP). Canal boats are compact and easily moveable to sites around the country, which may allow you to work part time or for short periods or indeed follow trade or craft fairs. There are canal rules to abide by and opening and closing locks can be quite physical. One problem that may occur is a drunk may untie your mooring rope during the night and you will drift.
If you do not want to move around too much the other option is to moor your boat and pay mooring fees, however these can cost thousands of (GBP) pounds a year.Moorings in city areas are more expensive and there can be a waiting list. In more rural areas the fees fall dramatically and you can find some marinas include sewage removal, drinking water, wi-fi and plug-in electricity.
Other expenses to consider are a safety certificate for your vessel, a boat license, insurance, upkeep costs and possibly council taxes.
2. A FLATPACK HOUSE
These compact houses are for one or two people to live in. They are eco-friendly in miniature, complete with composting toilet. The smaller houses can build it in 4 hours. These are not tiny houses sited on trailers, as such but are bought as a literal flat pack. This enables you to build your home but of course some expertise is required. If you are a super handy-person then it should not be too difficult. Finding a plot of land to build it might be the biggest headache.
There are several companies specializing in these type of houses including IKEA. So with a weekend (or 3-4 days) you can build a new home. Some are modular so you can add to your original house at a later stage.
I found an interesting article today regarding the constant dilemma of many authors – stay in a job to pay the bills or leap into a writing life full-time. As some of you may know, I started a freelancing business, with a long term plan, this year. So far I have made headway but it is a steep learning curve. With a few regular clients already I am happy with my modest progress but more work is always welcome – any time.
There are numerous web sites pro-porting to assist the novice freelancer but tread carefully as many are only interested in selling you books, or other promotional items. Networking is the best way to find the answers to your questions so utilize your local and social media contacts.
Can you share tips on how to live by writing alone?
Quotes :
If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. ―Jim Rohn
Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. ―Norman Vincent Peale
Today’s prompt is to envisage your life as a full time writer. Where will you live? What will your writing space look like? What kind of writing will you do?
Give your vision as much detail as you can – then follow that desire. The power of suggestion is just that – powerful.
I would love to see your answers so feel free to share them here.
My ideal? Living between Italy, England and Canada. Writing all genres with many more published novels and articles covering numerous topics published in magazines, newspapers and on websites.
Rudimentary – definition 1)elementary, fundamental 2) very imperfectly developed or represented only by a small part compared to the fully developed form
“The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” – Dee Hock
Some writers sit down in front of a blank computer screen and hope for inspiration to hit them out of the blue. Others have the opposite problem, with ideas for plot twists, article topics, greeting card taglines and even song lyrics buzzing incessantly in their heads. In fact, when I asked 10 writers if they considered themselves sufferers of Too Many Ideas Syndrome (TMIS), the answer from all was a resounding “Yes.”
TMIS may not seem much of a problem, especially in an occupation that requires new ideas popping up regularly in order to drive creativity. But having too many ideas and no focus can be just as debilitating to a writer as staring at nothingness, especially if the syndrome causes indecision, procrastination, failure to meet deadlines, insomnia and anxiety. You don’t hear much about TMIS because complaining about being too creative is like complaining about being on The New York Times bestseller list too often.
Imagine standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store facing dozens of different breakfast options, trying to decide which one to buy. Should you go for the oat squares to reduce your cholesterol, even though you’re fairly certain they’ll taste like pine needles? Something with lots of sugar and a cartoon character on the box to remind you of your childhood? The bran flakes to keep you regular? There are so many choices and all of them seem good.
For many writers, that’s what it feels like every time they try to put words on a page. I know. I suffer from TMIS. At this very moment, my desk is covered with four freelance article ideas, a book outline, two greeting card projects and applications for seven writing competitions. Not to mention a list of baby names I’m using to try to name the characters in the musical I promised myself I’d finish soon.
Melissa Hart, author of The Assault of Laughter, says she’s been plagued with TMIS since she was 10 and her mother taught her how to write and submit a short story for publication. “Ever since then, my mind has been besieged with ideas for stories, novels, poems, magazine articles, op/ed pieces and children’s books. I wake up in the middle of the night with my head spinning. Sometimes I wish I’d chosen a more sensible career—like plumbing.”
There are strategies for coping with TMIS, and they aren’t as drastic as leaving the writing life for the snaking-the-drain life. Here are nine that may help you:
1. THE RED DRESS THEORY. I’ve been teaching this theory to my comedy-writing students for years. It’s based on the premise that at any party, there will be more women wearing black dresses than red ones—the red ones stand out and get attention. When faced with an overwhelming number of ideas, I try to evaluate them to see which one seems most like a red dress in a sea of black. For me, bold, brash ideas are almost always the ones that inspire and motivate me.
2. IT’S THE STUPID IDEA, STUPID. Tim Bete enjoys pursuing what he calls his stupid ideas. “My new book, Guide to Pirate Parenting, was the stupidest idea I ever had for a book,” he says. “But as the idea evolved, it became one of the best ideas. It just needed time to age. Time lets things percolate. If you keep thinking about a stupid idea over a long period of time, it may get legs—or, in my case, peg legs.” He may have a point. My bestselling book to date is Bedtime Stories for Dogs. That’s right—stories for dogs. Talk about crazy.
3. THIS IDEA HAS LEGS. Another way I deal with TMIS is to take my dogs for a walk. Not only do I think better on the move, but once I get away from the jumble of paper piled on my desk, things become clearer. I always carry a tape recorder so I can record ideas as I move. When I get back, whatever ideas I’ve been excited enough to talk about are those I’ll pursue first. Hart tucks a pen into her ponytail when she goes running so she can write good ideas on her hand while bad ideas fall by the wayside.
4. THE ASSIGNMENT IS DUE. Even if you don’t have a deadline, make one up. Too much time often exacerbates confusion and indecisiveness, especially when you’re faced with too many ideas. I’ve taught five-minute writing exercises in my classes for years and found they produce highly creative writing. Bete has similar advice: “Reduce the amount of time you have to write because less time means less wasted time on unproductive ideas.”
5. MIND OVER MIND. Many of the writers I spoke with rely heavily on their own imagination to cure TMIS. Susan Reinhardt, author of Don’t Sleep with a Bubba, thinks of her writing life as a garden. “I try to decide which of my ideas should be yanked out before they even make it to the page,” she says. Award-winning screenwriter Cynthia Whitcomb, who has sold 70 screenplays and seen 29 come to the screen, puts on a chef’s hat instead. Her advice: “Think of your ideas like pots on the stove in the kitchen of your creative mind. Lift the lids and look inside. One of them is always closest to being soup. Write that one first.”
6. GIVE IN TO PASSION. Many authors, especially nonfiction writers, gravitate to ideas about which they have the most passion. Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of bestselling women’s health books including her latest, Mother-Daughter Wisdom, says, “I go with the idea that brings me the most pleasure or has the most juice. For example, if I have to choose between writing about osteoporosis or writing about sex, I’m going to go with sex! But I also like to tackle subjects that bring up the crusader in me. I recently wrote about the HPV vaccine and why most women don’t need it.”
Wendy Maltz, a sex therapist who has written a number of self-help books, including The Sexual Healing Journey, says she writes only about things she feels passionate about. “I don’t even like writing, but I get all these ideas and writing is the best way to have the biggest social impact. I write out of a need to help, so I choose ideas that will benefit the most people and about which there is the least information available.”
7. ORGANIZE VISUALLY. Hart takes a very visual and organized approach to sorting through her ideas. “I’m a big fan of the bulletin-board approach. I have a huge board in my office. It helps me to be able to see my various projects. I can’t visualize computer files.” Many writers are highly visual and this approach can help a lot, especially if you color-code the cards pinned to your board.
8. GET (META) PHYSICAL. Dr. Northrup uses another kind of card to help her sort through her many ideas for projects. “I often make decisions using the Motherpeace Tarot card deck. Before cutting the cards, I ask for guidance. There’s no magic in these cards; they’re an intuition tool and help me get in touch with what my intuition is trying to tell me.”
9. THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR. Every writer needs a network of friends she can bounce ideas off of comfortably. There’s no quicker way to jettison a few ideas than pitching them to friends and have them give you that stare that says, “What else have you got?” Over the years, I’ve belonged to several writers’ groups but find I usually go back to the same three or four people for advice. I trust them to tell me the truth and help me sort good ideas from bad.
Have you tried any of these? Do you have a technique you can share?
As the old saying goes ‘nothing stays the same’ and the last few weeks have made that quite apparent in my life. Each event has made an impact on me both emotionally and physically. My oldest child flew the nest and is making a new life with his girlfriend in a very nice apartment. As a natural worrier, I am tending to bounce back and forth between being happy that he has made this transition so successfully to being anxious that he will struggle. Is it only mothers that do this? His girlfriend is a delightful young woman and it is obvious they are very happy together…but that mother/ child bond is never truly broken. I know I will have to curb my contact and ‘interference’ – thank goodness for texts!
Another event has seen my daughter change schools due to conflicts at the previous one. Again I have bounced between anger and frustration to swelling with pride that she made a decision that was slightly unpopular but has proven to be positive. In fact she has the option of finishing school faster with her option, which is an added bonus. Within moments of my son’s departure, my daughter commandeered the basement suite as her own space and has started planning the redecorating already. We were washing walls and cleaning carpets the very next day.
Whatever challenges and changes life throws at us, we know in our hearts it is for the best in the long run but when we are in the midst of them, they sure are hard on the heart and body.
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 