I'm always curious about the habits and habitats of writers--i.e. how and where we write. Every so often a writing pub will feature a story on writing spaces, and I find them fascinating. I just went back and dug out an old Writer's Digest to reread their piece on "The Write Space" to get some ideas for this post.It's a goal of mine to one day have a proper writing space--as in, just the right desk, bookshelves that aren't bursting at the seams, and some sort of order to the stacks and stacks of piles in the room. I'm far from that! I do 85% of my writing in a room full of semi-controlled chaos--on a (cluttered) computer desk in my (cluttered) spare bedroom, where my bookshelf is, in fact, bursting at the seams (which means that's also cluttered). Most of my active writing projects are contained to a plastic file box and a stack of "working" file folders on the little catch-all nightstand/bureau right next to the computer desk. A creative mishmash? You'd better believe it!
But somehow, it works for me. I guess our creative spaces have to serve our purpose, or else we wouldn't get a whole lot of work done. If it's not going well, we just make the small adjustments needed in order to get the work flowing again. Someday, though, I aspire to a room full of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and possibly a worktable (OK, a desk) that all but takes up one wall. Something like, well, the space in the picture I used with this post. That looks just about perfect to me!
What about you? Describe your writing space. What, if any, changes would you make to it? If you don't have your perfect writing space, what would that look like?
Flickr photo by nbklx17 (Sandy)
Hmmm... You've made me realize that I don't have a writing space. I write anywhere and everywhere... so long as the thoughts arrive... pull the quarters out of the air.
ReplyDeleteYou have also made me realize that I write a lot on napkins... like - I've got a whole stack on my desk in my room (where I never write), and I have not yet thrown them away, since I have stuff written on them, that I need to transplant.
Soeee... Maybe I write wherever there are napkins... lol!
Ohh, how fitting, I just created mine last night! I was working on a laptop in the living room - but after my 1 and 2 year olds pulled the cord and sent the computer to it's dealth, I knew we needed a change. I know have a little space in our bedroom, with a desk, a bookshelve bursting at the seems. The desk left no room for a night stand, so it will serve as both. It doesn't sound wonderful, but it is a huge step up and it feels so good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! I can really be productive anywhere (depends on what I'm working on), but to do my best work, I find that my home base works best!
ReplyDeleteHolly, your spot sounds similiar to mine except mine is one corner of the kitchen/livingroom. I have not one iota of space left on my bookshelf. My desk is my computer desk--after the monitor, lamp, speakers, and answering machine there's enough space for one file folder(although right now there areseven stacked there. I dream of a long desk with enough room to stack file folders and write longhand. And walls...walls would be nice.
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