Your writing setup

I have a dedicated study with a big handpainted desk, my laptop, a plant, phone, stereo and various knicknacks. Right in front of a window with a ceiling fan overhead, which is critical, both because I live in the sub-tropics and because my laptop needs a constant flow of air to not overheat.

I have notebooks all over the house and always one in my handbag when I go out.

My ideal wouldn't be too different, except I'd like a better laptop that I can actually unplug and use wherever I like, so I could have a change of scenery if I felt like it. Failing that, a giant iMac to make my graphic design work a lot easier.

Oh, and while I do adore having my cat stretched out on the desk beside me all day, I would appreciate if she didn't heave her fat bum over and knock my laptop to the floor, as she did this morning!

It looks pretty much like this, these days.



And yes, my geeky friends. That IS a red stapler.

Basically i write anywhere but mostly in my armchair with the laptop on a card table because my glass table shattered randomly 2 weeks ago with the industrial fan pointed my way cause it is so damn hot at the moment...who would live somewhere with no breeze well not no breeze the house next door blocks it all seriously it is 40C in here today...and my cat sleeping on top of my microwave near the window knocking everything off every 5 minutes...

As for my dream writing place it would be the second bedroom in my unit cause thats why i got a 2 bedroom place and it would be air conditioned with a new desk and a comfy chair and maybe a dedicated writing/photo editing desktop computer...

Can't work on a laptop. Bedroom/office: table (covered with a printer, three dozen books I haven't read yet, and some reference materials); computer desk; PC; radio, CDs or iTunes for background music (which I usually forget about playing). Nice view to my right; I can look down a wooded hill to the Chattahoochee River. With the window open I can hear geese, sometimes egrets.

With more money, I wouldn't change much. Separate room for a dedicated office; enough bookshelves; filing cabinet and a clear workspace. I'd still want an outside view.

A balcony space at the top of the stairs, just outside the master bedroom. It overlooks the living room, and there are huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the A-frame where I can look out into the Ponderosa pines, snow on the ground and an occasional elk wandering by.

A desktop computer with more power and space than I'll ever need (I hope), two printers on the desk and a 22" flat-screen monitor. Pull-out keyboard and mouse tray, one bright light.

Behind me is a bookcase, full of how-to-write-it material, some novels of note. The wall is full of NaNo and ScriptFrenzy certificates, all framed. A large wooden cabinet on the last wall and a file cabinet for the secret stuff.

If I had my wish: A separate building, warm, lots of windows, a decent chair and a bottle of Famous Grouse scotch. And some ice.

Now: Mac laptop, wingbacked chair with ottoman, usually in my robe and slippers. I'm just working on random things at the moment, however. When I was actively writing my first book, I worked at my desk with my laptop, printer and storyboard. I bought an expensive chair I hoped would alleviate back aches, but no such luck. So I smush a pillow between my lower back and the chair and just get up to let the dogs out fairly often.

Ideally: my own office with music playing, a door that locks and a big desktop sitting on my big desk downstairs - not the small desk in my bedroom right now. I'm thinking of stealing my children's Mac desktop because they have laptops issued by school. They never use it anymore, and it's looking very good to me. Especially since my laptop is acting screwy these days.

I use a nice hardbound Black and Red notebook and a pen.
When rich, I may spring for a Mont Blanc fountain.

EG

Currently: I have a home office filled with books and office supplies and cats and both a desktop and a lap top computer. Half the time I'm in my easy chair in the living room with the lap top and at least one of the cats on my chair with me.

Dream Set up: A log house in the woods with cathedral ceilings and a view of a quiet lake. The house would have a large, woodburning stone fireplace and a loft. I would have a state of the art lap top with all the bells and whistles, including satellite wireless service and a battery that will never die. I'd probably also need a Gold Card that never has to be paid for, so I don't starve to death.

I'm joining the chorus with: laptop and desk.

If I had the choice, I would have my own 'study' which would be West-facing, sparklingly clean/very organised and filled with books.

Technophobe said:

This is a two-part question. Part one: what kind of writing setup do you have (i.e., where is it, what tools do you use, what do absolutely have to have)? And part two: if money and space were no issue, what would your dream setup be?

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Not ideal right now. We're living in an RV in the freezing cold (-32C this morning) while we build our house. The pipes are frozen so we can't use the toilet, water or drains. My computer is jammed in between our small television set and the counter where we set up our printer and paper and modem and wireless internet stuff....
There is NO room beside my mouse and keyboard to write so I take my stuff and write on the little kitchenette tabletop which is also very small. I can't leave it there and have a huge canvas bag I stuff it all into when I have to set the table for a meal. I've been doing this since July. We're hoping to be in the house just after Christmas and then I'll have proper office space.
My dream space would be in a huge library with books covering three walls, an enormous floor to ceiling bay window on the fourth wall with a gorgeous antique desk sitting in front of it and the most comfortable chair in the universe to sit on. I would also have a soft comfy sofa to lay on when reading and doing revisions.

Current setup: HP Mini 2140 netbook which I carry every-damn-where (wherever I lay my Mini, that's my home, LOL), a huge cork board to compensate for the netbook's 10'' screen.

Dream setup: 21'' iMac plus a MacBook, both running Scrivener! Yes...yes...YEEEES...

My office is in the master bedroom, spacious enough to accommodate the bed, an extended table as desk, on top of which sits an old computer, reference books. Next to the table are all kind of kitchen furniture (brought over from the previous apartment), now serving as storage. A stereo unit nearby. On the wall above the desk-table hung framed drawings from that stage in my life when I fancied myself a ... painter. Shelves in all corners for books, more books on top of the wardrobe. The window faces the back wall of the adjacent house. Not much view, but it's okay.

Ideally: I wouldn't write in another place other than in the bedroom (my chair is one step away from the bed where I crawl at around 4am and that's how I like). But a new computer with a large flat screen would be nice. And I'd love a sturdy bookcase.

My writing set up consists of a clunky second hand desk in my tiny bedroom, complete with laptop, fish, and tons of brightly colored post-it notes.

Ideally: Wall to wall bookshelves, and one of those little castle figurines for my fish.

My setup is-
A desk
A chair
My laptop
Microsoft word
Internet with youtube, dictionary/thesaurus, and absolute write on
and a drink.

Ideal setup
A machine that can probe my mind and write down the story by using thought alone.

I alternate between my laptop in the easy chair in the living room and my desktop for realy serious work.

The big benefit of the desktop is dual 19" flatscreens

I use lots of software, but generally stick to either MS Word or yWriter.

desk that I've had since I was 12/13, ancient chair that's the same age, laptop, headphones.


If I was rich, new desk new chair, same laptop, same headphones.

My office is the spare bedroom.
I have a PC and flat screen monitor with a printer/scanner on my desk.
On one wall is shelving with books, on other walls are posters of literary characters.

If I could change anything I'd transport the entire room to a cottage surrounded by fields and trees so that I could look out on greenery.

I've never liked sitting at tables or desks for some reason and do all my writing crouched on the couch with my laptop and/or clipboard. I use Open Office, which works so-so for me.

Dave.C.Robinson said:

I alternate between my laptop in the easy chair in the living room and my desktop for realy serious work.

The big benefit of the desktop is dual 19" flatscreens

I use lots of software, but generally stick to either MS Word or yWriter.

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Dave, how do you feel about yWriter? I checked reviews, saw the demo and now wonder, is it worth to download it? It seems interesting, but isn't it too complicate to navigate through scenes and chapters? It gave me shivers when I read about zip files.

Thanks,
Adagio

Adagio said:

Dave, how do you feel about yWriter? I checked reviews, saw the demo and now wonder, is it worth to download it? It seems interesting, but isn't it too complicate to navigate through scenes and chapters? It gave me shivers when I read about zip files.

Thanks,
Adagio

Click to expand...

I like it a lot, and have been using it for years. One thing I should mention is that I've been ghostwriting script novelizations lately, and I find it's really useful for that because I can treat the existing scenes as units and work from there. I can add other scenes where I need them and move things around as necessary.

It doesn't work as well if you're just writing without an outline, but it's great for converting and expanding an existing work into a novel.

Dave, thank you. I'll give it more thought. Sounds interesting, especially if you can organize stuff that floats around in My Documents.

Adagio

Right now Im sitting on the floor with my lab top and my puppy..

Idealy I'd wanna be in New York City, top floor apt with the view of the rest of the city..

Soma Gardawski said:

Ideally I'd wanna be in New York City, top floor apt with the view of the rest of the city..

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Isaac Asimov used to live in a penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park; God knows how much that cost. The view was to please his wife; Dr. A never even looked out the window, and would have been perfectly happy down in the sub-basement (or in the "Caves of Steel" he wrote about).

I need to be able to look out the window and see the sky once in a while.

My writing setup is currently a Macbook on a ridiculously cheap desk in my bedroom. Surrounded by art supplies, books, various college admissions papers, and random junk.

Ideally, I'd like to write in an A-frame in a Scandinavian forest, with a wood burning stove and the constant smell of fresh-baked cookies. Also, I'd like a puppy.

In my bedroom, in my very, very quiet flat...

Low Rocking / Gaming chair with built in speakers, low IKEA desk with a shelf where I can put my feet up, and rock my chair back, my ASUS desktop PC with wireless KB and mouse, endless supply of Pepsi Max, and my Hans Zimmer / Basil Poldouris / James Horner / Final Fantasy playlist on quietly.

It's sooooo comfortable.