By the WITS Bloggers
Did you ever wonder, looking at someone, what their house looks like? I have – especially the coworker who leaves her dishes in the office sink overnight. (Yuk.)
A writer’s space is, to us, sacred ground. I have a couple of friends who are going through home remodels right now, so they don’t have an office. Another one I know has her desk set up in the living room, with the TV blaring, kids and dogs running rampant. Both of those scenarios make me shudder. Oh, I know, I’m sure I’d get used to it if I had to. Or maybe there’d be bodies buried in the back yard. Let’s hope we never have to find out.
Well, the WITS bloggers are laying themselves bare to their readers once again . . . this time, we’re sharing what our writer spaces look like. Each of us took photos of the space we write in, and wrote a few descriptors we felt described how we felt about them.
Laura’s Office:
Classical music, organized, quiet, peaceful.
Yes, that IS a bull screensaver.
Meet Harlie. She likes to type.
She’s not good at it.
Memories Board
Fae’s Office:
Comfortable, everything within reach, sunny/light, creative, lucky, fave music, homey, happy, kitty friendly.
Fae’s workdesk
Mitzi has her own mouse pad.
Fae’s view
Jenny’s Office:
In the middle of it all, busy and noisy (so I can tune it out), and always with a view of the world and my flowers. 🙂
The portable office, at the dining room table…
When the writing stalls, I go to Starbucks…
When all that fails, I play with Baby Girl for inspiration!
Sharla Rae’s office:
Cozy, Fun, rabbits, expansive, quiet, MINE, inclusive, moods, business, creative, hidey-hole
- Historical = Research. Ya think?
We found it fascinating…we all write different genres, and our writing spaces are very different. Coincidence? Hmmm.
Your turn. Describe your genre, your writer space, and a few descriptors about how it makes you feel. We could be onto something here!
Writers In The Storm Blog 
I write adventure fantasy. My writing space is generally my laptop or my tablet. The laptop rarely moves further from the dining table than the recliner, but the tablet goes nearly everywhere. Some of my best writing has been on trains, at my work desk (open plan), in bed or in some random park somewhere.
Staticsan – I do sometimes take a laptop outside for a change of pace – but no set writing space? The horror! Glad it works for you!
I live alone, so technically my whole flat is my writing space. 😀 I’d love a proper desk but I just don’t have the room.
I also get a lot done whilst merely walking from one place to another. This is why I carry my tablet with me so much!
I’m with you! I like to get stimulated from the world around me while I write. As long as it’s mostly white noise, it works perfectly. When it’s a screaming child, all bets are off. 🙂
This post reminds me of this series at The Writing Nut: http://www.thewritingnut.com/wednesday-writers-workspace/wednesday-writers-workspace-welcomes-golden-eagle/
Oh, cool site! I’d never seen that one – I’ll have to follow it!
Okay, I am a bit nuts so here goes. I write both women’s fiction and mysteries, the WF often has a romantic bent, the mysteries at times get “hot.” I am a conflicted sign, a gaggle of contradictions and a lover of music, movies and books. In every space I have ever written I must be surrounded by those three elements. I love “a room with a view” and feel lost if I cannot connect to nature … even in Brooklyn. I am a night person, but love to see the first light from my desk. Sleep is so overrated. I think I need solitude and quite but seem to thrive on chaos and noise. Go figure?
Loved all your writing spaces 🙂
Funny Florence, how many writers say they’ve GOT to have nature – me too!
We’ll sleep when we’re dead, Girlfriend!
Florence, I think sleep is highly overrated too. I love it, but had to give up a lot of it for writing. 🙂
I write suspense and thrillers. My desk is set up in the bedroom, but I’m hardly ever in there to write because space is cramped. I could have a space downstairs, but there isn’t much natural light, and I enjoy that. So the laptop and I are usually in the living room recliner, papers strewn around, or at the kitchen table. I yearn for a space like these!
Stacy, my space is most usually at the dining room table too. 🙂 I get more done than when I’m in an enclosed space. I don’t like to be cramped when I write.
Stacy – take over a space that’s being used for something less important – like the dining room. Or move the tv out and take over the living room. We’re behind you in your coup!
Hell yes!! Coup….coup….coup!!!
LOL. I can just SEE that going over like a lead brick. I’ve thought about taking over the guest room, but we do need it.
I write crime fiction and thrillers. On the train I’m stimulated by the characters onboard and in the station. Late at night, in bed, I let my mind wander and fidn a way out of the plot predicaments. I do have a writing space at a bureau in the guest room and a nice garden view. That works for early bird writing.
So it sounds like you don’t have a set place either, Ruby. You guys must be more secure in your ability than I! Though I like the idea of picking up characters from the train occupants!
These are lovely writers’ spaces. I especially like the Egyptian mural.
I love to surround myself with meaningful objects–a piece of pottery I bought in Taos, N.M., a framed photo of a rose given to me by my husband. I have a whiteboard above my desk where I write my goals for the year and my progress to date. Oddly, though, when I’m at my desk, I tend to do blogging, email, more business-minded stuff. When I write, I have to be facing a window, so I usually curl up on the futon with my laptop and an ample supply of tea. If I had my way, I’d always write outside. Nature is my greatest muse. Thanks for the inspiring post!
The Egyptian room is my “wide open” space. Besides being surrounding by murals copied from ones in ancient temples, when I went to Egypt two years ago I brought back a papyrus of the Egyptian goddess of writing. She’s framed and by the door, so I see her on the way in and the way out.
-Fae
Wish I had a laptop to go outside with. I seem to be getting clunkier and my desk’s a mess. But when I’m writing, I don’t see desk. I see the other world.
Great point, H. Linn! My anal tendencies won’t let me go there though, unless my space is organized. I’ll start writing, but before I know it, I’m dusting, or something stupid like that.
It’s a burden. sigh.
So true. When I’m writing I don’t see how cluttered the desk, the floor around the desk and the table behind my chair are. And unlike Laura, I have no Suzie Homemaker tendencies so if I’m dusting my desk, I’m just avoiding writing.
-Fae
Mine is haunted. Must be because I write paranormal. Love seeing where you all get creative!
I’d think ghosts would be better than vampires and werewolves, Louisa!
Of course if they’re hot, well then . . .
I write paranormal mysteries and my writer’s space is an antique roll-top desk, with lots of mysterious cubby holes!
KW, you just blew my theory! I’d have thought a roll-top desk would be a historical writer!
Of course, Fae writes Sci-fi in the Egyptian room, so – never mind.
I write women’s fiction from a desk in my third floor bedroom. Beyond the monitor, the window looks out to sky, branches, and leaves. On either side of my desk, I’ve covered cork memo boards with a fabric that reflects the view. And I cover the fabric with WIP characters on the left, and inspirational sayings and doodads on my right. On the desk, I’ve some stones, angels, and a really cool blue glass ink pot. I’m thinking about getting a laptop so I can shake things up a bit and venture outside. Oh! Above my head dangles the word, Imagine.
Lorrie, that sounds lovely! I like the idea of putting fabric over the cork boards — nice! You don’t need to go outside – you’ve brought the inside to you!
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Wow guys, I’m blue with envy over your writer spaces. Talk about gorgeous! I write fiction for children. I have two choices of writer spaces, either here at my computer, which shares space on the kitchen bench with a stereo, lamp, water lamp, and assorted kitchen-type sundries. Or paper & pen at the big oak desk in my bedroom. That’s my preferred place for writing rough draft, first copy. I have a tiny inspirational corner with angel figurines and candles, a white board for affirmations, a stack of folders of affiliated writing ‘stuff’ incl. the gazillions of notes I’ve made and of course, a clear space.
But I long for a studio! I have an old dilapidated shed in my back garden, the kids love. That spot is designated for the day I’m wealthy enough to build my own rustic writer’s studio. I cut pictures out of magazines for it all the time. I have a wonderful mentor, she writes as well as illustrates children’s books. She has a studio in her garden which is completely open-air at the front. She sits there working, facing her garden, where her dog, cats, or donkey can wander up and say hello at any time. That’s where I got the inspiration!!!
Oh Yvette, I want that too!!! I am lucky to have grown-kid abandoned bedrooms, but wow, a donkey wandering around? I’m with you!
These are very communicative spaces!
When I first started writing, I had a “space.” I had to give it up when we had Offspring Unit Number Two. After that…I improvised.
I write historical fiction and inspirational romances. I am not able to have a “space” for my writing, really. I sit in my bedroom with my MacBook, near a big window. I fidget, move around on the bed (because I write kind of hunched over the laptop, lol) and get up to talk to empty rooms about my stories frequently while I do housework.
I think my writing space is in my head. Nothing else has traveled with me over the years.
Well, no one can ever fill that space, Sandi – you take it with you wherever you go! Without that, we’ve got nothing, right?
I write in the family room, on the couch, with the laptop. If my husband wants to watch TV, then I carry the laptop into the living room, and use the couch in there. As long as I have a couch and my laptop, it’s my writing space! Although I’ve also gotten some good writing done at Buffalo Wild Wings (when there’s a football game we want to see that we can’t get at home). Love that white noise!
Do any of you get cranky when someone tries to sit your writing space or worse yet, move stuff? Hate to admit it, but I get down right evil. Even hubby seldom dares to plant himself in my space.
I noticed how erotic some of those writer’s spaces are! (grins). What a way to be inspired!
I write short, romantic & funny fiction. Yeah, my room has stuff in it like fun pictures, interesting lamps, knick knacks. Five bookcases filled with books and stuff. Four full CD boxes and 3 different things to play music on. And across from my desk, 20 covers. That makes me smile and keeps me going.
What makes me crazy is noise. The hubby is downstairs, in the living room, and he’s got the tv cranked to where it sounds like the shootout at the O.K. Corral is happening in my office! That’s what makes ME nuts! You’re sitting accross the room from it, and the floor needs to vibrate with the sound? Really? See? that garden writer’s retreat sure would come in handy…
I have mine in the living room. We have three computers in here (can we say geek family) and sometimes my hubs (with the only laptop) is here too. And they’re all making comments or watching interesting things and wanting me to watch or look too. I don’t do well with noise. I’m not a person who likes to listen to anything or I get distracted and my writing is barf. I’d love to have a hole I can crawl into and lock the door and decorate to my heart’s desire. It isn’t going to happen in this hovel. But it does mean that I can interact with my kids and know what it is that floats their boats.
My space used to be in the dining room right in the middle of traffic, because that was the only place my desk would fit and an outlet was available. After a recent remodel, I’m still in the dining room, but now I’m in the corner by the window. I feel a bit more isolated, but not so much that it disrupts my writing. After all, I’m used to writing in the center of things.
I don’t have any pictures of my writing space! I sit on the couch in our family room with a table next to me that holds my MacBook. I grab my Mac and put my feet up on the coffee table in front of me and go for it. I do get to look out at the sky and a gigantic tree in the people’s backyard on the street behind us, though.
Patti
Sometimes I get my best ideas in front of the TV and then I wish I was more portable. I hate transferring from one puter to another. It’s what I’m doing these days, though since I’m in Houston with my son so much. There I have to work at the dining table. Since that seems to be a popular site, I don’t have to feel alone. 🙂
I had a wonderful cabinet computer desk. It had shelves for books and cds, a couple of drawers , a pull-out shelf and built-in cork and white boards. Then we moved and our new house didn’t have room for it. Because the new house is a project, the whole place looks like a giant U-Store-It. I currently write newspaper articles and fantasy fiction at a 3′ wid, 7′ tall open computer desk that desperately needs organization. Someday I’ll get there. Meanwhile, I can look out a window and see an ancient barrel cactus framed against mountains.
CF, you have the really important thing, in my opinion….the window! Mountains – instant inspiration!
I love to see other writers’ writing spaces. Thanks for sharing those great pictures, ladies! I write in a room that used to be a bedroom. My DH took the closet doors out and filled the closet with shelves, which are now filled to overflowing with book, of course. 🙂 I work in silence, so there’s no music or any other form of entertainment. I have a huge cork board in front of my desk and the view out the window is of the big pond in the backyard. We live on an adage, so during the spring and summer, there’s duck, geese, rabbits and whatever else wanders through the yard. I also love to take my laptop out on the deck, but only when it’s a warm summer day. We’re not there yet. 🙂
Oh Sheila your writer space sounds Wonderful! Hope it warms up soon!
Fun post. I posted my work space on my blog not too long ago. I have a view over the hills of the ocean.
Oh, an ocean view would be great! Lucky you.
-Fae
I had a Feng Shue moment a couple of months ago…and I really had to change the space in my office. My desk had been facing away from the window and views…I really felt the need to turn it around to see the views. Also, I had all kinds of clutter around me. I’ve moved the clutter to another room – where it doesn’t belong. I now have to figure out what to do with it – I’m such a pack-rat! But, the space now ‘feels’ so much better for writing….
Oh Lacey, just the thought of moving my office around gives me the heebeejeebees!!!
What if the exact placement of everything is the only thing keeping the ideas coming? What if the Feng Shue leaves? What if. . .
I guess I’m giving away why I’m so neat and organized, huh? TMI, I know.
Enjoy the uncluttered space (until you fill it again!)
Strangely enough the best flow I’ve had in my new apartment was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table writing on paper with my TV tuned in on the news channel. I don’t know what happened there…
I write fantasy and everything else I feel like.
My real writing space, at least, what should be my writing space? I don’t think I really have that? It’s the living room, since I live by myself that’s not problem. But I still want a better/new desk and a new chair. So really I’m sort of in between spaces, though I don’t feel I ever had a real writing space. I should get one though haha.
My favroite place to write is in my sunroom because I can see the the backyard. I have a great picture as soon as I figure out how to post it! Cherri Miller
This post was so much fun. I did the empty nest thing and redid the old kid’s room into a wonderful library space. Beautiful desk, glass top table with comfy chairs for a critique group, lots of shelves crammed with faves and research books. Couldn’t write in it!! I’m out on the kitchen table! Why oh why??
Barb! Did you see my beautiful heart paperweight you gave me on my desk? Look at it EVERY day! It’s my anchor in a sea of undertainty!
Good gracious, I panicked after seeing those first two extremely neat writing areas. Then Jenny’s space made me relax. I do have my own work space in an extra room, and I decorated it as I wanted — including the Virginia Woolf quote “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” on the wall. However, the desk is also a catch-all for serious clutter. I would be a little embarrassed to take a picture of my space without straightening up … a lot. Thanks for sharing!
Julie, I know! I see the other gals offices and I start twitching and know I couldn’t write there. My own dude’s man cave has all my books and actually looks a lot like Charla’s writing space. I can’t concentrate there….I’ve got to be in the middle of things.
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