Your writing space

I like Starbucks as long as no one nearby is being annoying. I also like my blue wingback chair, or the sofa... basically I just sit, put my laptop on my lap, and go. For some reason I have a much harder time doing creative writing at my desktop, but it's fine for editing or working on my web site or any of that stuff.

Desktop, in my bedroom, at my desk, in my chair, with my keyboard brought to my hands.

Pretty much:

Chair, slide out keyboard, top of desk with mouse on top. Then a screen, centered, before me. A speaker on each side, audio receiver above. Headphones hanging on the wall behind the desk. A second desk with another screen, with my music player always on it. Beside that, my turntable with vinyl (never used while writing, distraction to flip and change). On the same (second) desk, I currently have a 20" driver, bound cables, a graphic tablet, my kindle, duster, wallet. On my main desk, I've got my mouse, two headphones, sticknotes, two hot wheels (1971 Ford Mustand Mark 1, in sparkle green. 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, in black with red), a 2 litter bottle of water, some books (the Elements of Style, Siddhartha, The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, Webster's instant word guide, Pocket Grammar, punctuation) Some flash cards and stack of sticknotes, oh, and a flashdrive. Some pens too. And binder clips in a sculpture form.

I write at my couch, with my laptop on my lap. Now and then I go write at the dinner table, but carrying a heavy 2007 laptop around is too hard.

So I mainly stick with the couch.

I write in my office at home, facing away from the windows (where the cats keep me company). I also have a reading area in the office, next to the fireplace, where I mark up manuscripts. On very hot muggy days, I retreat with my laptop into the bedroom where we have air conditioning.

I write in my office. Sitting down at my desk with a cup of joe is such a part of my routine that I don't think I could possibly write anywhere else, at least not productively.

As for what my writing space is like, I actually wrote a whole blog post about my little domain a while back, with a picture of my awesome corner desk:

10 Things on My Desk That Help My Writing

Usually upstairs, on the bed in semi-darkness with ear plugs stuck in my head. But I'm currently building myself a little "studio" (that sounds so pretentious), anyway a small shack to write in peace, light, and without ear plugs, away from the nasty lure of the internet.

I use pen and paper. Any day that I'm not working, I go to a coffee shop for an hour or two and have a large tea. Otherwise, I do a lot of my work on the reclining chair on my balcony, assuming the weather is warm enough...which it won't be for much longer.

Since getting my new handy-dandy little netbook, I've unchained myself from my computer desk. I'll write sitting on the couch, at the dining table out on our lanai, or lounging on a chaise by the pool. I usually have a poodle (or three) in my lap. And I love writing at the beach. Those surfers and lifeguards can be great inspiration!

I usually write in my room, sitting on my bed. I write on a laptop either rested on my knees or on a book if I feel like laying down on my stomach.

But for the past couple of months, when working on a screenplay (my first feature that I just finished a little over a week ago), I found myself sitting at the kitchen table, most probably because I was under such a harsh deadline that I was working on it for, at times, between five and eight hours or more.

My bedroom is very cluttered. I always have a bottle of water (like I do now) at my side. Sometimes it's a different beverage, but ninety-nine percent of the time, it's water. Also, my two dogs are usually on the bed with me since I do a lot of my writing at night.

I never listen to music when I'm writing. If I am taking a break (especially when working on a screenplay for so many hours), I'll listen to a song or two, and then it's right back to Word/Final Draft. It has to be quiet in order for me to get things done. I get distracted enough as it is, with the Internet, and all. So, with listening to music (not to mention that I am a musician, as well), I guarantee you it wouldn't be long before I was air-drumming to all of that Rush that I would love to crank whilst writing haha.

I usually work at my desk with the dual monitor set-up so I can have multiple documents and notes open at once (and iTunes). Sometimes I work on my laptop in bed too, which is surprisingly productive, probably because said laptop is too old to browse the internet effectively. Except it can still be used on AW and LitErotica, which together are about 90% of my distraction, so that's only somewhat helpful. At least I can't spend two hours searching the net for the best price on gummy eyeballs for Halloween, though.

The internet will be the death of art and general productivity (yeah, I'm blaming the existence of the internet instead of my own lack of self-discipline).

At home in the corner of the living room, using the household PC.

I have been promised that on moving into the new house I will have an actual office, either in one of the bedrooms or in the dining room.

In our spare room on a PC. I need a room that I know is for writing. Sometimes, I think about writing in public, but I know I'd feel like a big wanker if I did.

In my study, see avatar.

Edited to say that is not me at the computer!

My cat sat on my lap the other day when I was trying to write. After a lengthy debate, we decided his being comfortable was much more important than my writing.

I'm writing my current MS on the couch. I sit my iPad beside me and balance a bluetooth keyboard on my knees.

Mostly at my desk at home, which is in my living room (and since I live alone and can do what I like, that's become my wriitng room with the lving room bit a poor second.)

But I can also write - usually on my netbook - in Starbuck, in the coffee shop at work, in the library. I can tune out the surroundings pretty well. I also do lots of note writing and brainstorming and other hand written stuff in my local Starbucks - it gets me out of the house away from the distractions of the DVD player and internet.

I try not to be precious about writing conditions. Of course there are ideal conditions, but I don't think there should ever be essential ones - bar some means of actually getting words down!

Home office at my desk, on a computer. My chair is falling apart, my desk is awash in papers and...stuff...and it's a high traffic part of the house but it mostly works for me. When I'm in writing mode I put on headphones and listen to music, and hang up a 'Don't Poke The Bear' sign so no one disturbs me.

Last year I had to take my daughter down to a nearby college campus twice a week for a course she took. I spent roughly an hour, two nights a week, sitting in a little coffee shop scribbling into a composition book and found the change of venue and writing tools quite refreshing.

DCP_3641 by alisgardenpics, on Flickr

Here's mine, and yes, the bike is part of it too. I swap from bike to computer and back. It helps me think and stretches me out. I choose the most boring wall I could find in the house. The view out of the window is of next-doors house, so that's boring too.

I have a desk at home where a chunk of writing is done, I also do a bunch at my day-job office after hours. It's quieter and it's like I'm really working. But I've written almost anywhere, and found that a dedicated desk in a dedicated area is always best for me. Coffee shops are almost always the worst. Or anywhere there's a TV.

Jeff

kendallina said:

Where do you write? At home, coffee shop, outside? What does your home writing space look like? Anyone have an inspirational writing space? Do you listen to music? Are you a pen and paper or computer kind of person?

Feel free of course to not answer every question, but I'd love to get a general sense of where and how you write.

Katy
(I hope I'm posting this is the right forum...)

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I have a study at home (so does hubby, but he calls his an 'office') My study is a tip. There are books EVERYWHERE. I have a massive five ft desk I got from Ikea, the walls are lined with overflowing bookcases and a huge corkboard full of...stuff. I have a huge TV in here too, with all my consoles hooked up - I'm a gaming nerd.

Usually I have one or more of the animals in here with me - cat, dog and house bunny.

Door is always open so I can hear children and music or not doesn't bother me, although I prefer to write to teh sound of the discover channel documentaries - preferably ones about teh ocean.

At home in bed, with my laptop on my lap. Sometimes at Starbucks. My fiance owns a business, and leases office space, so when we get married, we're going to put a desk in his office for me. That way, it'll feel like work, and I'll be less apt to let my writing slide.

seun said:

My cat sat on my lap the other day when I was trying to write. After a lengthy debate, we decided his being comfortable was much more important than my writing.

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I think your cats and my cats know each other, because Oliver loves to do that kind of thing. <sigh>

I have my home office, which is pretty darned cluttered at the moment. I'm on vacaton right now, and don't leave via plane until tomorrow, so I might buy some cheapie bookshelf to put together until Don and I come up with time to build a good one in his woodshop.

So, my home office is the place I prefer to write, but I often write in the living room with the lap top on my lap.