Thursday, May 15, 2008

A Writer's Room

What does your writing room/space/corner look like? Bbooks piled everywhere? Stacks of papers scattered around? Messy desk? Or is it neat as a pin, everything in its place?

The Guardian ran a special series on writers' rooms that I found absolutely fascinating. And after looking at those pictures and reading the descriptions from the writers themselves, I really don't feel too bad at all for my rather messy space. Sure, it's in a corner of the basement with a small window that I have to stand on top of a chair to look out of...and it's rather dark...and in the winter it's freezing cold because there's a concrete floor beneath me...BUT, it's my room. My place. My little corner that I've staked out and said, "This is MINE."

This is Eric Hobsbawm's writing room. Now I really don't feel so bad about mine!

But I think my favorite writing room out of all of those feature is this one. Lots of room, lots of light and big windows - room to move about (pace) during those times when the writing is difficult.


I have a mental picture of what I want my ultimate writing room to look like. For now, I'm content with my little basement corner. But someday...

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:24 AM

    I want my room to look like the library in Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phew, what I wouldn't give to have bookshelves that big! Maybe I could stop shelving them double deep and then stacking on top. :)

    I'm a little different (ok, a lot different, but we're talking write room preferences, right?). My idea writing room is a small walk in closet with the racks removed (shelves stay), and painted hot pink. Why hot pink? I don't know. Why so small? For one, I feel more secure in small spaces. For two, a space that small would severely limit distractions. I mean, seriously. You'd have to work to put distractions in a space that small. I might even be willing to work in a regular closet if I could get the doors without slats.

    Just give me enough room for a chair and my laptop and a shelf for the most important (aka: research) books, and I'll be happy. Of course, I'll want a seperate library the size of the Taj Mahal, but, whatever. :)

    Right now I work on our bed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My room would be filled with strippers and beer. The things I would write.......

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ok, Devon, now I have to go find what that room looks like!

    WordVixen - I'm just the opposite. I need lots of space. Not gigantic, cathedral ceiling space, but room to stretch out and move. :-)

    JoYo...why am I not surprised at your comment? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Umm...my ideal writing room could be in the middle of a sewer if Daniel Craig would be the lap for my laptop.

    ReplyDelete
  6. And he'd have to be your personal assistant in all matters, too, Rene. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I too like that second room. Mine doubles as our upstairs living room (that we rarely use) so I have to keep it nice and tidy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Brian - I'm *trying* to keep my office nice and tidy right now, but it spills over into other areas of my house, like the living room. My husband jokes that I have three offices. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOL - after seeing my profs' offices at Queen's, I never feel bad about the state of mine. There's something so right about shelves stuffed with books and paper everywhere :) I do try to keep at least the surface of my desk reasonably clean, but that's about it. My little room (on the original floor plan it was an ensuite bathroom!) has a door, so I can shut the door on the mess. And keep the cats out of it *g*.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have a picture of my ultimate writing room that I plan to post on my blog later this week. I got to sample it for a few days and man was it nice.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tess - oh yes, I remember my prof's offices - paper everywhere! And yeah, I'd like to have a door on my office, too. :)

    Travis - looking forward to seeing it!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you!

Staying Focused

Friends, sometimes it is exhausting to try and stay focused on goals. Eat healthier. Lose weight. Exercise.  Find a literary agent. Edit the...