I’m addicted to those pieces in Saturday newspapers where writers show us round their writing rooms. The walls for Post-Its, the arcane but essential talisman on the desk, the flop-and-read area…. even if we all know that half our work probably happens in snatched scribbles at the Tube station, or in our heads while half-watching a film. Anyway, today I’m at Authors Electric giving the guided tour of my study, for those who are as nosy as I am.
Where are your special writing places? Tell me, in the comments here or at AE – and if you’ve posted about it, share the links!
Nail Your Novel 
It looks nice and tidy, but at the same time bookish and eclectic and I love the floor cushion! I’m in the far corner of the lounge with a garden view and a picture of John Lennon watching over me. 🙂
Thanks, Pam! Actually the angle of the lens has made it look bigger than it is in real life.
‘A picture of John Lennon…’ An auspicious god for a writing area. I approve!
I’m one of those journal writer’s/artist. I write what I see, hear and feel…. I can be on the bus, train, movies, mall or sitting in a Starbucks…. I’m always jotting…but then when its time to compose it or make some since of it I lock myself in my room or I go to the Library or book store where I can sit in a quiet corner and allow my poetry flow….my surroundings are an important ingrediant for my inner muse, sonrisa… My Native American roots flow through my natural surroundings and I receive artistical flow and inspiration from everything and everyone…..this is my special writing place….
I love the idea of that, Native. I’ve had some great writing sessions cut off from all my usual gear, just using a pad and a pen somewhere. The idea came out of the room and I just started writing it.
I never thought of writing in a bookshop. How lovely. If you did it a lot you could be like the resident pet 🙂
Love looking at writing rooms and personal library pics as well!:)
Thanks, Trey! And libraries – when we had some work done on the house we decided we’d call one room the library. Then friends pointed out that because every single room was crammed with bookcases the whole house was a library!
hahaha,that’s awesome Roz !
http://flavorwire.com/141846/celebs-theyre-geeks-like-us-libraries-of-the-rich-and-famous
I’ve got a chair in a corner with large windows, a tall lamp and a massively overgrown rubber tree that is attempting to conquer the windows. I love to write there. However, if I’m distracted or need to get out, my local coffee shop, the Grind, has a wonderful staff who ask me, “are you interested in a four-shot espresso?” as soon as they see me. And I always am.
A four-shot espresso? How do you even stay on the planet after that?! I love caffeine but find it’s a bit like speed, which I actually would never dare to try because caffeine is bad enough.
Love the idea of your writing space with its tall guardians. It sounds secure and grounded.
Reblogged this on Sean Harper.
My most productive place to write is at our cabin near Lake Tahoe. I can turn off the rest of the world and write to my hearts content. I wrote about writing at the cabin (briefly) at the following link http://robincoyle.wordpress.com/about/
Robin, that sounds divine. Heading over there now
Thats good because I just invited you! Bring your computer and we can write together!
I’ve posted about this very subject. Here is my link.
Put the kettle on, Sean – I’m on my way!
Lol. Thanks for your reply. I too have specific track depending on what I’m writing. Usually a lot of what I listen is film scores.
How did you decide whether or not to post any material online in your blog? I’m still undecided.
Thank you for the visit and the reply.
Sean, do you mean you wonder whether to post your WIP, rather than blogs? It depends what kind of blog you want and what you’re writing. This is what I do, based purely on my preferences.
I wouldn’t post excerpts of a novel. First, they don’t make a lot of sense out of context and are rarely grabbing enough on their own. Also, as a novel evolves it needs a lot of editing, and early versions may be imperfect – I certainly wouldn’t want anyone seeing my early versions of a scene, even if they read well – it diminishes their impact in the final book. I’d keep your novel – if that’s what you’re writing – for readers to discover between covers or on their ereader.
But I write about the ‘making of’ – and I have posted a deleted scene!
I have a cat that is determined to keep me from writing …
Diesel stalks me around the house like a miniature panther. When I go up to my office to write he plops down on the keyboard or stands in front to the screen. He’s my anti-muse.
http://on.fb.me/Av0kAL
Diesel – great name! Anti-muse and anti-mouse.
I’m so envious of you Roz. A writer who’s tidy? is such a thing possible? 😉
I won’t even describe my original writing room’s bookshelf. My present writing area is the dining room, the only room that has a free table and is relatively clutter-free in my whole house!
Hi Sally! Tidying is a displacement activity, of course. If your study isn’t tidy, you probably don’t have those fidgety moments!
Anywhere, anyplace, anytime…kitchen table, kitchen stove, dining table, office, car, cafe shop, car, and the list goes on….I loved the pictures!
Thanks, Chrissy! I had a lot of fun with that post.
What a super-fab blog! So glad I found it. Love the pictures, thanks for sharing. We have bookcases all over the house too 😀 I would love to have a place just for writing, one day maybe … for now, it can be at the dining table, on the settee, in the car & wherever I happen to be waiting for the boys to be done with their activities. The only music that works for me is classical; anything with words is too distracting … and I am easily distracted ;o)
Hello, Joy – thanks for commenting!
Hi Roz, love the pictures – books perfectly orderly, the rest of life’s paraphernalia slightly less so… I see you have your priorities right :). I’m lucky enough to have a lovely big study in which to write so I can spread all my notes out on the floor, stick reminders and quotes all over the walls etc. However, it is also the un-official junk room of the house and the place where everyone else uses the computer so the walls do creep in on me sometimes. I have talked about my writing space before, in my About Me on my blog. I said there that I’m not complaining about the mess (well, ok, just a little bit); I wish I could spend more time here.
Great blog!
Hi Jackie! Just checked your ‘about me’ and read about your antique desk, and ideas raining down from the walls! Thanks for dropping by!