Your writing space

[Sanderling]

This is copied from my own blog, but I thought it might be interesting to start a thread here on people's writing spaces. Where do you do your writing?

Over at Genreality, a group blog on writing that I follow regularly, they've been doing a theme this week where they all share their writing spaces. It's been fascinating to see how different they all are; some are whole rooms while others are just carved out niches. I thought I'd post mine, too. My husband and I live in a 3-bedroom house; we have no kids, so while one is actually our bedroom, the other two have become our personal spaces. He's a freelance artist, and I'm a freelance writer (and we both do freelance biologist stuff, but that's not really as much to do with our rooms), and our spaces reflect our occupations.

In my room I've got my desk, of course, and a drafting table that I can swing around if I need more surface area, and a small loveseat (with pullout bed for guests) that I can curl up on and read, and seven bookshelves (mostly small ones) containing my books and papers and other assorted objects. My computer is a laptop that I can tote around if I need/want, and I've hooked up a second monitor for expanded screen space, which I find really useful, especially when I'm revising and can pull up CP documents on one screen and edit on the other. Right now (or at least in this photo) it's got my current WIP open for drafting. This also happens to have captured one of those rare moments where there's nary a tea mug in sight.

Prior to moving here I didn't have my own private space, where I could go in and close the door. I love having that private, personal space to work in, where it's easy to cut out distractions and slip into the zone. I know many writers don't have that luxury, so I consider myself lucky.

[dios4vida]

I adore your space, Sanderling! Very clean and creative. *Love*

Under normal circumstances I'd be posting my picture, but I'm afraid my share will have to wait until after the Fest in a few weeks. We're gonna be playing a game of "Whose Bookshelf and Writing Space are These" and I don't want to give away which photo is mine (though observant people will probably be able to pick mine out really easily). So, if you're willing to hang out for about a month, I'll post mine then!

In the meantime, I'd love to see other peoples' spaces! You learn so much about people from where they choose to work and live.

[Sommer Leigh]

I've already posted this video several times on my blog, so everyone may have seen it before. I participated in a blogfest last February and I recorded this video (my first, so it's not very good) of my office. I write in here and often at the table in front of the couch, which is actually the worst place to write.

[Gypson]

I love your space, Sanderling! I can't wait to have an apartment with more than one room, let alone a house. =P

I currently live in a tiny studio apartment. My bed is shoved inside the walk-in closet so as to be out of the way. My living space is pretty small, plus I'm a student, so my writing area is also my study area, art table, and (sometimes) kitchen table.

I keep my desk clean and remove my laptop when not in use. On the roll-out keyboard tray, I store current notebooks of writing notes, ideas, etc. Next to my desk, I have a wooden magazine rack that holds excess writing notebooks, plus my Anatomy/Physiology textbooks (a girl's gotta multitask, ya know.)

Although my apartment's small, I love it. I feel best in a space I can take up. My desk is near the window, so I get plenty of natural light. Plus, being on the top floor means nobody tromping above me on creaky floors. =)

[Mira]

Sanderling and Sommer, I love your writing spaces!

This is terrible to admit, but I also admire how clean they are. I could NEVER show a video of where I write.....um, because it might need alittle dusting.....and straightening...and stuff.

Anyway, I write at my computer in a big chair. It's not my dream space, but it gets the job done. Someday, I'd love something more homey and inspiring, though.

[Sanderling]

Thank you, Brenda, Gypson and Mira! I really enjoy my room. We've been here two and a half years, so I've had some time to make it a cozy space to work in. My husband covets it, too.

Brenda - I'll look forward to seeing your photo once the 'Fest is over.

Gypson - I've been there. My husband and I, for the first few years we were dating, lived together in a 380 sq ft studio apartment. It was... cozy, shall we say. My space consisted of my computer on a drafting table pushed against one wall. We moved from there into a two-bedroom house, and my desk was in a corner of the living room while he had the second bedroom as his art studio, but just living somewhere with more than one room was a luxury! Having the window nearby like you do can make such a difference in how small a space feels.

Mira - In the interest of full disclosure, the other side of the room, that you can't see in the photo, is not quite so tidy as my writing desk is... My drafting table tends to accumulate clutter, but I can't work with stuff piled up on my desk. Hopefully someday you'll have your homey room!

Sommer - you've got a beautiful writing space! And I love the musical accompaniment, it seems to fit the space perfectly. I enjoyed browsing your bookshelves.

[Cookie]

Your writing space looks like mine did before I moved. the walls were full of pictures/inspiring things. And I also had a mini island calendar.

Now, since my room is teeny tiny I write either on the bed, which isn't very comfortable. Or I set up a tv dinner stand and a chair in the corner by my bookshelf. I muss all my books

[Sanderling]

It's hard to carve out a dedicated writing space when you don't have much space to start with, Cookie. I don't decorate my walls that much anymore, except for the space just above my desk, but back in university I had barely a foot of wall left un-postered. Even had stuff on the ceiling. I found it very inspiring and inviting.

[AMSchilling]

My space is in the guest bedroom closet (well, only in half of the closet, honestly). My husband built me a little desk with shelves up the side of the wall, and thanks to years living in an apartment the size of a shoebox in NYC, I can actually fit some of my reference books and little thingies in (like my dragons and gargoyles). It's currently being redecorated one inch of wallspace at a time my by 5 yr old daughter. It's cozy, as long as you ignore the robes and coats hanging a couple inches from my head. Our family tends to leave them here for when they visit, since they all live places that never see snow.

I think the only problem is that my chair is horrible. I end up writing in bed with the laptop on my lap if I'm going for a marathon session. One of these days I'll have to get me a decent chair that doesn't hurt my butt within an hour.

[Sommer Leigh]

Oh ha ha ha, my office does not stay this clean. RIght now there are so many books piled in front of other books on the shelf that the ones you see in the video are inaccessible until I get another bookshelf. There are also cat toys everywhere and random stuff that makes its way into my office when we can't find a place for it.

I'm glad you like it though! I really like it too. It needs to be repainted though because of a paint accident I had when I was painting on a large canvas and I knocked my pallet over and it splattered all over the wall. So I'm going to repaint it this summer.

[writersink]

I mainly write at the dining room table. (We never use it to eat.) There's no seperating wall between the dining room and the living room which means the TV will be on whilst I'm trying to concerntrate. Alongside my writing is piles of notes and stuff for everything else. I also write in bed and at the desk in my bedroom. Recently I've moved up into the attic, which is nice enough room apart from the fact that there's no furniture. I write on the floor in a corner. It isn't the most comfortable of places but at least I get some peace. =)

[dios4vida]

Oh ha ha ha, my office does not stay this clean. RIght now there are so many books piled in front of other books on the shelf that the ones you see in the video are inaccessible until I get another bookshelf. There are also cat toys everywhere and random stuff that makes its way into my office when we can't find a place for it.

Mine too!! I have a room to myself as well, thanks to the three-bedroom-home-with-no-kids situation. My husband gave me the room with the big window and most floorspace (except for our bedroom, of course). I adore it. But right now, I have a coffee table in here that has no other place to go. And a scratching post for the cats. They make the room feel cramped, even though there's still plenty of space. And I'm in the process of moving bookshelves around and getting my Dad (master carpenter) to make me another so the books in my office aren't the books I want in here. I actually have my husband's Star Wars book collection in here, while my collection is out in the living/dining room. That's gonna change here, real quick. And my desk is covered in notes and Bransforum stuff and...yeah. Definitely gonna be cleaning it before I take my photos.

um, because it might need alittle dusting.....and straightening...and stuff.

Dusting? That's funny. I haven't dusted in far longer than I care to admit. You can draw in my dust. I'll promise to ignore the dust if you post, Mira!!

[CharleeVale]

Dusting? That's funny. I haven't dusted in far longer than I care to admit. You can draw in my dust. I'll promise to ignore the dust if you post, Mira!!

Dust? What is dust? I don't know what dust is. I'm only aware on the lovely layer of furniture protector that is covering everything. Please don't mess it up! I don't want to start over again.

CV

[Sommer Leigh]

Mine too!! I have a room to myself as well, thanks to the three-bedroom-home-with-no-kids situation. My husband gave me the room with the big window and most floorspace (except for our bedroom, of course). I adore it. But right now, I have a coffee table in here that has no other place to go. And a scratching post for the cats. They make the room feel cramped, even though there's still plenty of space. And I'm in the process of moving bookshelves around and getting my Dad (master carpenter) to make me another so the books in my office aren't the books I want in here. I actually have my husband's Star Wars book collection in here, while my collection is out in the living/dining room. That's gonna change here, real quick. And my desk is covered in notes and Bransforum stuff and...yeah. Definitely gonna be cleaning it before I take my photos.

um, because it might need alittle dusting.....and straightening...and stuff.

Dusting? That's funny. I haven't dusted in far longer than I care to admit. You can draw in my dust. I'll promise to ignore the dust if you post, Mira!!

We also have a 3 bedroom house with no kids, so the smallest bedroom is my office and the other is a guest room. My husband takes up the entire basement, which is kind of not fair but I have better windows and more closet space in my office. He's also an avid Lego collector so he needs the space for all his buildings.

I don't dust. I have cats and they shed like nobodies business and I have a hard enough time keeping up with that let alone DUSTING. My little office is pretty cramped but I like it. I need to move things around soon to make room for antoher bookshelf though. Since the video I've also gotten a small cat tree (because when I'm working they don't want to be in the livingroom with their actual cat tree, they want to be hovering around me instead) and I've gotten a storage cabinet that looks like an old fashioned library card catalogue. Right now it stores all my various gadgetry cords. It's about 4 feet tall and has 2 columbs of drawers. *love* I've also had to get rid of my carpet that was in that room and am in search of a new rug.

[dios4vida]

We also have a 3 bedroom house with no kids, so the smallest bedroom is my office and the other is a guest room. My husband takes up the entire basement, which is kind of not fair but I have better windows and more closet space in my office. He's also an avid Lego collector so he needs the space for all his buildings.

I don't dust. I have cats and they shed like nobodies business and I have a hard enough time keeping up with that let alone DUSTING. My little office is pretty cramped but I like it. I need to move things around soon to make room for antoher bookshelf though. Since the video I've also gotten a small cat tree (because when I'm working they don't want to be in the livingroom with their actual cat tree, they want to be hovering around me instead) and I've gotten a storage cabinet that looks like an old fashioned library card catalogue. Right now it stores all my various gadgetry cords. It's about 4 feet tall and has 2 columbs of drawers. *love* I've also had to get rid of my carpet that was in that room and am in search of a new rug.

Scary!! My husband's huge on Legos, too. He has bins and bins of them, but only a few small things currently built. And I needed something for the cats, too, because they want to be with me. (I have a couch in here that they've claimed, as well as the little scratching post for Twerp.) Seriously, Sommer, I swear we have the SAME LIFE sometimes!

Oh. My. Gosh. A card catalogue cabinet?? Really?? <lust> I need one of those. Need. Now.

And I LOVE that none of us dust! That's just fantastic. I don't have to feel bad now - writers just don't dust. Sorry sweetheart.