Monday, May 5, 2014

WHERE DO YOU WRITE?




I’m always so boggled by those people who write in coffee shops or with music blaring – I’m the sort of writer who needs complete silence and no distractions. Even a library is too distracting, with all those gosh-darned people milling around. No people for this hermit!

Until recently I had always written at my super cluttered kitchen table, or occasionally on the couch. And I did a lot of good work in those places. But I recently changed things up in my guest room/sewing room/catch all room-where-I-throw-random-things-because-no-one actually-sleeps-in-there.

I had no idea how thrilled I’d be by a dedicated writing space. I’m now writing at an antique sewing table that belonged to my grandfather, and one of the best things about it is it’s really too small to allow any clutter. So it’s just me and my computer and a massive window. Now I harbor dreams of a gorgeous garden in the backyard, to improve the view. But that’s okay – I’m awfully fond of dandelions.

I asked the other Project Mayhem-ers for photos of their work space, whether dedicated or not, public, or private. Check them out!

Dianne Salerni (whose brand new MG THE EIGHTH DAY has just been released!) used to work here, with her loyal assistant.



But as she retires from teaching and transitions to full-time writing, she is moving into this shiny new dedicated writing space!!



Paul Greci uses a treadmill desk, which seems like it would be great for those writers who get the best ideas when they go for long walks. (Personally, my best ideas come in the shower, but I can't imagine a set-up where I could actually write there.)



Caroline Starr Rose wrote MAY B in a tiny little 3’ x 5’ closet. This was her view.



So the lovely little reading & writing nook she has now is a great improvement. (Not that her work in that closet suffered any!)



Here's where Matthew Rush writes. His only explanation was "It's very dark." Now I'm wondering if his work is thematically dark, too...



And Braden Bell. Well, I’m not sure I should share these. They might cause some severe jealousy, which we know is a normal part of the writing process. But I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced this sort of writerly jealousy before. Here’s where Braden writes:



But if it helps, he does concede that in the summer, citronella candles are a must, or he gets eaten alive.  Maybe the bugs are jealous, too.


Where do you write?

15 comments:

  1. I always like seeing other writers' spaces. :) I'll try to share a pic of mine (don't know if this will work, though)... http://tiny.cc/22hdfx :)

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  3. Hah! My work actually IS thematically dark, I'd never thought of that connection before!

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    1. And I LOVE your old Singer desk/sewing machine, Joy!

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  4. Writing in a hammock would give me a crick in the neck, although I do admit to brainstorming in our hammock. The writing treadmill -- good idea -- but if you can come up with a workable writing-in-the-shower set-up, Joy, I'm in!

    And where the heck is Matt? Is that where he works?

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    1. It's my office. It's a NOC (network operations center).

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    2. Probably not as bad a crick in the neck as this would: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fault-stars-john-green-johning-700805

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  5. Is Matt writing in a bowling alley? ??

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    1. Hah! It does kind of look like one.

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    2. Thanks for the morning laugh, Caroline!

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  6. A year ago, I, too, was baffled by those writers who write in coffee shops. I always thought of writing as solitary, and the distraction of all those people, and whatever music happened to be playing (as I've never been able to listen to music passively), struck me as anything but conducive to productive writing.

    Now I write in coffee shops most weekends.

    I think it's the writers in my group that make that possible more than the environment, but somehow, turning my writing into a social experience has enabled me to become a *more* productive writer. It may be because surrounding myself with friends makes writing more fun.

    Harrison Demchick
    Developmental Editor
    Ambitious Enterprises

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  7. Joy, I think you and I are writing soul siblings. I too work at a cluttered kitchen table, of which I would have sent a photo--except that I had to clean it because we were having company. And I'm awfully fond of dandelions also!

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  8. I like coffee shops, too. It's like cheap office space and moves me out of the spot where household chores hover/make me feel guilty.

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  9. On my bed. It's there or the kitchen table with one functional chair. Big clue, no one eats at the kitchen table. These are some great spaces. I'm not jealous of the hammock, I'm afraid of getting tipped over by accident. Joy you have a nice space and Diane's is the bomb. Talk about stepping up.

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    1. Thanks, Sheena-kay!
      Now I have to wonder why I'm sitting on that couch with almost the same stuff on it and the dog underfoot instead of in the space I set up downstairs. Old habits die hard.

      *unplugs laptop and heads down to new writing space*

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!