There are days hungry for me to write and nourish my soul; vibrant days when I can glimpse the distant peaks and valleys; days filled with the sheer bliss and terror of doing what my heart calls me to do. To write, write, write.
In the beginning, snug against a wall in our living room (a wall now removed in our remodel), I tapped out stories with an old Atari computer on a small table top. In a backdrop of northern exposure and a print hanging square faced on the wall in from of me, I spilled out my first book, still pages shy of completion and major rewrites.
I now write in another room. A cubbyhole off the kitchen, introduced after our addition. A grand space of approximately seventy square feet, I affectionately call, ‘The Nook’. Abundant light floods the southern exposure and a strategically placed mirror over my desk doubles the warmth and pulls the outdoors inside. Voluptuous trees stretch across each sunset and sunrise.
My current desk and I run a tight race for eldership. Once belonging to my parents, we doused the blond wood in a turquoise wash and fit her with a glass top.
These elements create the best of writing spaces, and yet there are times I scarcely peek at the ravishing view or admire the unpretentious family heirloom.
Instead, I simply write in frequent bursts, for as long as I can, whenever I can. I’ve tweaked the writing rules in my game to mandate I’ll not sacrifice my life to my work. My work must make sacrifices to my life. Life is big and life is smugly short. I’ve learned to take timeouts and drink in serenity tucked in abundant masses in nature, in every lick of a cozy fire, in each moment I reflect, in favorite books I read. The seamless tranquility refreshes my wellspring.
As to my characters, some would turn up their noses at ‘The Nook’, find it too small and confining. Some would migrate to the window seat, stretch out and read their favorite book over again. Others would retreat outdoors to live and breath the view beckoning from the picture window. The remaining few pull up a chair and join me in my endeavor to pour words onto a blank page, infused in splashes of inspiration and a sprinkle of humor.
Share your view within and your writing perspective. Also, do you have a designated writing space; a favorite place where your characters huddle at your side?
11 comments:
Lori, the girls at the Rose City Romance Writers (our sister Portland chapter) just spent the whole last month blogging about their writing spaces. Kinda fun to see everyone's writing spot.
You saw my "office" when you were here for the Christmas party, though you may not remember (it's not memorable--LOL). My desk is tucked into the bay window off our kitchen - what used to be our formal dining area though we never used it for that. I have everything I need there - and a beautiful view that looks out over our deck into the secluded park behind our house - but because of the high traffic location (ie, the kitchen where my 3 yr old spends most of his time) I don't get a ton of writing done there during the day. I do correspondences there, chapter work and promotional activities. But the bulk of my writing happens on after the kids go to bed - on the living room couch with my laptop in my lap. Even when the house is quiet I find I have trouble writing at my desk - even though my hubby got me a super comfy chair for mother's day. Just not part of my routine.
You painted a very visual blog, Lori!
My writing space- is the loft of our two story home. I started out with my desk tucked under a slanted roof and found it constricting. Then I turned it with my head bumping the slanted roof and grumbled more than I wrote. Finally, against the judgment of my eldest daughter who thought it wasn't aesthetically pleasing to the configuration of furniture, I place the desk against the railing and I look out large picture windows at our hay fields and the Cascade Mountains beyond. This has been the spot where I push out the words and my characters come to me. However in the heat of summer,I tend to sneak downstairs with my laptop and sit in the breeze from the open windows and tap out their stories.
I'm a couch writer like Eli, though I'm mobile and can write anywhere. I recently bought a laptop table with adjustable legs that I can use when I recline on the couch. The computer gets so dang hot, which is nice in winter but awful in the summer, and the table helps. In the early evening when it's really hot in the house (we don't have air conditioning), I take my laptop out to the backyard with my little table and sit in the grass beside our waterfall. Very soothing. In the morning, I'll sit on the front porch in my Skychair (it's like a hammock) to write. I've got pictures of it up on my blog post at the RCRW blog if you want to see.
Karen, you need to get a laptop cooling stand. I got one in January and I LOVE it. My laptop gets hot too, but this little stand sits on my lap beneath the laptop. It's curved so it's actually more comfortable on my legs than the flat bottom of the laptop, and it's got a cord you attach right to your USB port on your computer that kicks on a cooling fan and pulls the heat away from your laptop. I liked it so much, I talked Kendra into getting one, and I'm pretty sure she's loving hers too. Mine's a Belkin and cost about $30 at the computer store.
Lori --Your very lyrical blog showcases what sounds like a delightful writing nook.
Mine is not lyrical or delightful. I write at my desk almost 100% of the time and the desk is in my bedroom. On a tight deadline, I thus spend more than 2/3 of my day in the same room. There are plenty of windows, however, through which I can see the tops of the oak trees where gray squirrels and birds cavort. Out the other window is a field and right now, twin fawns that jump and leap like their hooves are attached to springs -- they are as curious about us as we are about them. The elderly dog is seldom far away and in the winter, the orange cat named Lucy keeps me company. She has since abandoned me for the summer, preferring the great out of doors to my company. Plus, there's a whole downstairs filled with diversions for those times when I must get up and walk around or scream!
Karen -- what is your laptop table called, i.e., what brand is it and when did you get it and do you like it???
Everyone else's working space and habits sound far classier than mine. I need to make a change!!! And good for you knowing and respecting your priorities, Lori.
Elisabeth is right. I love my Belkin. I bought a new laptop a few months ago and it gets hot. Much hotter than my old one. Maybe cuz it's so much faster?
I'm a migrator. When I first started writing, I wrote in my husband's office in the basement. After a few months, I set up a desk in an open area in our bedroom. Then I moved into the dining room we never use. I'd had it remodeled and it had turned out so gorgeous, it was killing me that no one was using it. The last two places are covered with my books, stacks of paper, and supplies.
But now I write on the couch or propped up in my bed.
Eli, I didn't know RCR spent a month on writing spaces. Great minds think alike. LOL
I remember your nice writing space and the word 'believe' resting on your desk. I have the same inspiring word on my desk too. More great minds. LOL
Paty, I can see your desk against the rail and the fabulous mountain view squeezing the air from your lungs. I can also see the cowboys in your books lifting their hats, offering a nod and a wave as they gallop across the land. Nature is grand.
Karen, I love being mobile too. Yesterday I worked on my laptop from our bedroom porch. Absolutely wonderful with the jasmine in bloom and so fragrant.
I love the skychairs and I can see you curled up in yours tapping away.
Alice, Once in the writing zone I believe one can write anywhere. Our writing passion doesn't require luxurious spaces. Inspiration strikes in the heart; a space small enough to hold in our hands, yet big enough to create infinite worlds of characters and stories.
I too have to get up and stretch, pace and sometimes scream. All necessary at times to jiggle those glitches from their strongholds.
Kendra, how fun to have so many optional writing places. Comfort is a key factor and your couch and bed sound like clouds of heaven, especially at the end of a busy day.
The third bedroom in our house is small and set up as an office, with glass-paned double doors. My desk is set up so that it faces the doors, which allows me to see out through the double windows in the living room to the hillside across the way (our house is also on a hill). In reality, though, the office doors are rarely closed. There's also a window that looks out onto the backyard behind me. On nice days I open the window and get a refreshing breeze and can hear the sound of our windchimes and fountain -- very relaxing.
I spend a lot of time in this room working on the desktop computer for my "day" job. It's an ideal setup for writing and sometimes I take advantage of that, but usually by the time I'm done with my corporate gig for the day I'm more than ready to be somewhere else. I'll grab my laptop and go sit on the slider in the backyard if it's nice and not too late, otherwise I'm on a couch. I have a lap desk with a laptop riser to keep both me and the laptop cool. All our rooms have large windows, so there's plenty of light and a view no matter where I end up.
Lori, I love the way you paint pictures with words. As Alice said, very lyrical.
I too posted a couple photos of my writing space on the RCRW blog last month. I have a room downstairs in my house with a door that opens into the backyard and a big window with a view to the side yard, which will soon be enclosed and made into a private retreat space.
My space tends to be cluttered but that, too, is changing as I clear out and streamline.
One of the bonuses of my space is a wall with four large corkboards which I cover with storyboards and notes of the stories I'm working on. It's a wonderful visual that keeps me on track as well as giving life to the characters in my stories.
I don't have a laptop, but find the idea of mobile writing very interesting. However, it sounds like the cooling table is a must have if you want to do that without uncomfortable side effects!
Lovely Blog, Lori.
I know I've posted pictures of my mango colored office before. Right now, however, most of my writing is happening in bed after the baby is sleeping, the laundry and dishes are on, and I have a few moments of sanity before I need to read myself to sleep. I've also written at a few coffee houses lately.
I still love my office, even more so now that there is a huge play yard in the center with a happy little dictator walking her way around the sides and chatting to her rocking zebra.
Alice, I think you need a new space pronto! Since you spend so much of your day writing with not so much time for entertaining anymore, why not set up your living room or dining room as a writing space? They make some neat computer desks now that look like armoires closed. That might be an option.
Deborah, your home office and setting sound gorgeous. Can I come over and play at your house? LOL
My nook also has glass-paned double doors that I rarely close. I love the extra light it infuses into the room.
Genene, Thank you for the lovely compliment. Alice thank you too!
You have a grand space for writing. The wall space is perfect for you too. Miles and miles of corkboards filled with wonderful story ideas.
Your future retreat space sounds like a little piece of heaven. Since you can't eat chocolate have you considered plantings that emit a chocolate scent? You can fling the door open in your writing room and breath deep.
Wavy, Thank you for your kind words. I love the image of your mango walls and rocking zebra. So lively and energetic! And what fun to have a little dictator cheering you on!
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