Sharing Your Space
By Keith Cronin | July 14, 2015 |
Image licensed from 123rf.com (no, it’s not my desk)
As I’ve gotten to know more and more writers over the past 15 years, one point that has been driven resoundingly home is this: we’re all different. Not just in what we write, but also in how we write, why we write, when we write, and – to keep focusing on the “W words” – in where we write.
I’m always looking to improve and enlighten my writing – and my writing processes – so I love to learn about how other writers do that thing they do. So today I thought it would be fun to explore the writing spaces we use, whether it’s something created/developed/carved out for yourself, or simply a location you’re drawn to and have found conducive to writing, such as a coffee house, a library, a beach, etc.
I’m very curious to see what surprises may be revealed. But hey, since I’m asking others to reveal their own literary Batcaves, it’s only fair that if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.
Hutch, no Starsky
First, some history. I started writing seriously (you know – frowning a lot and making sure my brow was appropriately furrowed) around 1999 or 2000. I was living in a small, sparsely furnished apartment with my daughter, and I’d inherited a tall, narrow wooden hutch from a previous relationship, which became my little writing space – perfect for typing away on the cast-off laptop my older brother had been kind enough to donate to his starving-artist sibling. This was not even an actual desk, but merely an open shelf on the hutch at approximately desktop height, and frankly it worked very well for me. It was tucked in a corner of the main room of the apartment, and sitting down in front of the hutch gave me the feeling of having taken myself out of the main room, and having entered an imaginary office of sorts. Whatever the psychology of the thing, it always felt like “time to work” when I sat there.
As my income – and my hardware – grew in size, I later bought an actual computer desk – a 50-dollar assemble-it-yourself job from Office Max – and for the first time I began to concern myself with the aesthetics of my workspace. I bought candles (okay, so maybe they were scented candles, but I consider vanilla to be a very rugged and manly scent), and also began to buy music specifically to use as a sonic backdrop for my writing. I’ll admit, I really got into the notion of “creating a mood” for my writing. And again, the ritual of lighting those candles and turning on that music helped me feel I was making a transition from a long and duty-driven day of work and parenting, and was now stepping into some highly cherished “me time” for working on my art.
Movin’ on up
A year or so later, my ESO (Extremely Significant Other) and I bought a house together, and afforded ourselves the luxury of choosing one large enough that we each would have our own office. I moved my Office Max writing rig into my office, and also set up my keyboards and recording gear for my musical efforts. It looked great, but as I worked on my novel I found I really didn’t spend much time there, for two reasons. I had a corporate day job where I sat at a desk all day, so the idea of coming home and doing more of the same was not terribly appealing. But the real game-changer was that I had discovered the amazing AlphaSmart, a lightweight word processor that made it easy to write anywhere. (Read more about this simple keyboard and its successors here and here, among other places. Note: this family of devices is now out of production, but still readily available at very nice prices on eBay.)
I was getting more serious about the novel I was working on, and newly liberated from my desk, I wrote the vast majority of what would ultimately become a pen-named novel slouched on a loveseat in our family room, while my carefully crafted writer’s space gathered dust upstairs.
As the years went on, the AlphaSmart became an increasingly crucial resource given the amount of traveling I was doing, as I was spending about three weekends a month in airplanes and hotels, touring with a rock band. Much of my second novel-length manuscript (which eventually became my first published novel) was written all over the US, Canada and Europe, and my “writer’s space” had simply become wherever I was right now. It worked out okay, but I did find myself longing for a consistent dedicated writing space. Which is what I have once again, but it has changed considerably since its previous iteration.
In 2007, my mother died unexpectedly, and my brother and I found ourselves with a houseful of her stuff, which neither of us was eager to let go of. In particular, I was torn over what to do with her dining room table. That table had played a huge role in our lives, as we were of a generation that always had our evening meals together, no matter what. My parents were both journalists, and extremely intelligent and articulate, and this was a table that encouraged discussion – but there was a high bar set for the quality of that discussion. Healthy, rational debate was encouraged, even if we were arguing for controversial and/or incendiary causes or topics. As long as we made our points calmly and logically, we were allowed to express our opinions.
[pullquote]Healthy, rational debate was encouraged, even if we were arguing for controversial and/or incendiary causes or topics. As long as we made our points calmly and logically, we were allowed to express our opinions.[/pullquote]
As the runt of the intellectual litter, I was extremely fortunate to grow up with this nightly ritual – something I took for granted until much later in life. Those nights at the Cronin dinner table truly honed my critical thinking, my communication skills, and – in no small way – my comic timing. It might not have been the Algonquin, but for a kid growing up in central Illinois during the era best captured by The Wonder Years and Mad Men, it was close enough.
Okay, so I knew I wanted Mom’s table, and my brother was fine with me taking it. But what was I going to do with it? My ESO and I already had a really nice dining room table, and frankly, Mom’s table wouldn’t have fit the décor in our dining room. Not knowing what else to do, I had the movers pack up the table and deliver it to my house.
A new home for an old heirloom
At some point, I took a hard look at my office space, and suddenly an idea was hatched. I grabbed a tape measure and began making calculations. In the end, I completely rearranged my office, getting rid of the cheap industrial desk and work table I’d been using, and setting up my family’s dining room table as my new work area, with an empty dining room chair positioned at either end, where Mom and Dad historically sat. At this point I was finishing up what would become my debut novel, and though my soul ached over my mother never getting to read my manuscript, it felt incredibly comforting and right to have the table where I learned to communicate now be the table where I wrote – both for business and for art.
[pullquote]It felt incredibly comforting and right to have the table where I learned to communicate now be the table where I wrote – both for business and for art.[/pullquote]
I still love my AlphaSmart (although I’ve graduated to using a later model called a Neo). But nothing beats the satisfaction of sitting down at my family’s dining-room table – in the exact same spot I sat for thousands of loving, laughing, informative and often argumentative meals – and doing what my departed parents taught me by example to do: writing.
Ahem…
Okay, this is probably the most me-centric post I’ve ever written, and at the moment I’m wondering if my first draft will live to become a second draft, much less a WU post. But in case it does, I’ll continue baring my soul – and my desk.
From left to right, we have the five reference books I use the most for both my day job and my fiction: Rodale’s Synonym Finder (beats the pants off any thesauruses – or is it thesauri? – I’ve ever used); a not-quite-current edition of the AP Stylebook (of which I’m not a big fan, but the day job requires it); Robert Fiske’s Dictionary of Disagreeable English (which solves an amazing amount of day-to-day writing challenges while also being an entertaining read – the link above takes you to an updated and re-titled edition); an out-of-date but still useful HTML manual from Peachpit for the web work I do; and finally my cherished Merriam Webster Manual for Writers and Editors (between this and Fiske, 98% of any writing issues I encounter can be quickly resolved). Holding those books in place is another cherished inheritance from Mom: a pair of sphinx-like stone bookends that have fascinated me for some 50 years.
Behind these books is my day-job laptop, sitting in its weekend “penalty box” position. The round cork coaster is where lunch goes, as I’m a notorious work-through-luncher. The little shiny black thing behind it is an ingenious copy holder called a Page Up – very handy, and it takes up way less space than a traditional easel-style copy holder. My personal laptop is centered on the table (and yes, I was being lazy at the moment and not using my standing desk – bad Keith!), behind which is a heinous excuse for a printer – a poorly chosen purchase that I will be packing up and returning when I’m done writing this.
The odd brown cube to the right of that fecal printing device is a “moso bag” filled with bamboo charcoal that’s supposed to help purify the air – no clue whether it really works. The little piano-looking thing is a MIDI keyboard for inputting music into the digital recording software I use. And yes, my mousepad is made from a photo of my favorite ukulele, which I previously used at the corporate office where I worked, as a subliminal way to feel like I was playing my beloved ukulele when I was actually busy cranking out corporate buzzspeak. Hey, whatever gets you through the day, right? Now that I work from home, I swap out the mousepad with several others for variety’s sake.
Okay, I showed you mine…
Now it’s YOUR turn. I’d love to hear about your workspace: what or where it is, why you like it, what changes you’d like to make, and what your dream workspace would be. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind, and why? What else do you do to make your workspace conducive to creativity?
Extra points for including photos – then you can truly show me yours. Please chime in, and as always, thanks for reading!
[coffee]
Author of the novels Me Again (originally published by Five Star/Gale), and Tony Partly Cloudy (published under his pen name Nick Rollins), Keith Cronin (he/him) is a corporate speechwriter and professional rock drummer who has performed and recorded with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, and Pat Travers. Keith’s fiction has appeared in Carve Magazine, Amarillo Bay, The Scruffy Dog Review, Zinos, and a University of Phoenix management course. A native of South Florida, Keith spends his free time serenading local ducks and alligators with his ukulele.
If one hasn’t got a great amount of space where they can work in, one have to create a comfortable place either for writing or painting. I share my sitting room for creating and relaxing, a part where I write, and a part where I sit and relax after finish writing.
That sounds like a very smart and practical approach, KB. Thanks!
My favorite writing spot is in bed. Yup. Me and Mark Twain, bed writers.
I have a temporary office at the end of one of the rooms in our old house that we’ve not yet renovated. No air conditioning. No heat but a lovely view of our giant pine tree.
I don’t use my “office” much and am hoping that soon I can actually move my mongo expensive Mac tower, three monitors, printer, scanner, etc., into my bedroom. I work in bed on my laptop but need my tower for anything Adobe related so if I have to work in my such-as-it-is office in summer, I do so early morning or after sunset.
Thanks for replying, Anita – it’s nice to find another fan of “horizontal writing.”
Your office sounds great, but it seems like it will require either some heating/cooling installations, or some weather-specific writing apparel. :)
Thanks for the book recommendations; I have been looking for a dictionary, desultorily and in the back of my mind, but okay.
Having just discarded a bunch of old writing books (either I know the contents, or it is too late), there is space. The synonyms book sounds fun, though I love my big fat paper Roget’s. And you can keep the style manual.
You don’t get pictures – the room is usually dreadfully untidy – but I have had the smallest bedroom in the house, the one with the good view, bright yellow walls, and a bed in the back for quick naps, since we evicted one of the offspring. I had it before he was born, so he has no cause to complain.
It is my sanctuary. People knock before coming in. EVERYTHING is within arms reach. I have the family color laser printer.
I wish I had room for my parents’ dining room table, which seated 14 (we’re a big family), but it’s in Mexico. And likely to remain there. Now THAT is a table. The chairs are horrible.
Forgot to mention: MacBook Pro – name of Heidi – plus a HUGE LCD monitor.
And a view of the hummingbird feeder.
Hi Alicia – I totally understand your photographic reluctance. This was a rare day when my desk was uncluttered enough that I was willing to shoot and share it.
I love that you’ve created a “sanctuary” – and that’s a perfect description for it. Too many of us live in a constantly connected world, and it’s so important – for me, at least – to have some time when you’re truly ALONE and can focus on your own thoughts.
We just bought a hummingbird feeder, but have yet to attract any visitors. But I’ve seen them in action elsewhere, and they are fascinating, almost fairy-like creatures to behold. Enjoy your view!
Get your feeder out earlier than the earliest reported hummingbird sightings in your neighborhood, and keep it up until Thanksgiving (or the last possible day of Indian summer). And watch for ants – they keep finding the source of sugar water. It helps to have several places to hang the feeder. Good luck – they are my indicator that all is well with the world.
Keith–
Thank you for this candid, heartfelt memoir. I would respond to your invitation to show you mine, but that would mean an intervention by the Hoarder Team. All I’ll say is that I envy you your ability to write anywhere, any time. Like those species with no future because they eat only bamboo shoots or eucalyptus leaves, I can write in just one place, at the center of my personal landfill.
But I have to ask you for clarification: is the family dining table in your study Danish modern? It looks to be. The one in my landfill–with a similar history–is Duncan Pfyfe.
Thanks again. I know for certain your post today will be the best thing I read this week, and probably beyond.
Wow – thank you, Barry. That’s powerful praise indeed. You made my day, seriously.
I’m with you when it comes to the Hoarders risk – any day I expect their film crews to show up and ambush me. (You’ll notice I didn’t show any other parts of my office in that photo!)
The “write anywhere” thing was a skill acquired out of necessity, as a large portion of my life has been somewhat nomadic. But I don’t think of it as optimal, and much prefer to have my own space – or sanctuary, as Alicia so aptly put it – to do my writing.
Good eye on the table! It’s of a very simple Scandinavian style from the mid-20th century, a sleek and understated look that appealed to my mother, perhaps a result of her Norwegian heritage. I still love that look, and have kept a couple of her coffee tables as well. Her house was a marvel of simplicity and space – so unlike my own cluttered home. I wish I’d inherited her discipline in that regard!
Keith, vanilla candles, that’s great.
I find the ways of other writers fascinating, so I will play along.
I have a desk dedicated to writing, but I rarely use it. I tried moving it to various rooms of the house to see if that would help. It’s currently abandoned in a corner of my bedroom.
Then two weeks ago, my friend was over for an extended visit and she made a suggestion.
“To me, you always work on your bed. I mean this is your desk, right?” She points at the night stand. I turn to look. It’s stacked with books, notebooks, and writing utensils, my drink shoved into one corner. “Can you dedicate these drawers to books instead of clothes?” Boom. Revelation.
So I guess my desk is a nightstand.
For writing, I use the EverNote app. I have the mobile version on my phone and tablet and the desktop version on my tablet and pc. They all sync with each other, so I can start something at home, tinker with it at the grocery store then finish it while I watch the kids play outside. Any snippet of inspiration can be quickly stored from my phone (even pictures or sketches or audio) then fleshed out at home later. I have a seperate “notebook” (aka folder) for each project where I collect scenes, posts, stories and research. It took some getting used to, but now I love it!
I don’t know how to post a picture here, but I recently wrote a blog post about the vision board that sits on my (abandoned) desk and there is a picture there.
https://learnher.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/oh-now-you-tell-me/
I will be back to see what others have shared!
Thanks for “sharing your space,” Celeste. It’s funny how we adopt certain ways of working that we don’t even notice might be slightly unconventional. But hey, whatever works is my mantra in that regard, so what’s wrong with a nightstand as a desk?
I wasn’t aware of the EverNote app – that sounds VERY useful. I work on different computers and mobile devices, and I’m constantly emailing myself snippets and ideas in an effort to keep all my writing files current, and that sounds like a huge time-saver – thanks.
I just read your blog on your vision board, and have two things to observe: 1) The board looks GREAT, and 2) although I enjoy abstract art, I think your modifications are an improvement to the original!
Keith,
Yes EverNote is awesome. It also has an email function so you can send it to someone and they can add notes and send it back, even if they don’t have the app. Lots more functions, and if you use the paid version, then you open up a whole slew of useful things.
What a marvelous tribute to your parents. I can picture them, caught in debate, watching out for you.
Had a NEO as well. Wrote in airports, planes and hotels, which was an excellent way to make the chaos fade into the background.
Now it’s a MacAir which I haul around South Lake Tahoe. My parents? Still with me, but I have my grandmother’s chair.
Thanks, Kelly! It’s nice to meet another Neo fan. It’s definitely been a good “writing enabler” for me, particularly during my road-warrior days.
South Lake Tahoe? Wow, the views must be incredible. I’ve been to 40+ states, and Lake Tahoe is among the most beautiful places I have EVER seen. Enjoy!
Fun post, Keith, and very cool re-purposing of your mom’s dining room table.
I sort of did the family heirloom thing in reverse. What now serves as my office was once a hodge-podge catch-all room with a pull-out love seat used as a sleeping spot for visitors’ kids. At the foot of the pulled out bed we put my wife’s grandfather’s desk (he was a patent attorney in Detroit during the city’s boom years). It is a very cool piece, with curved Art Deco edges and drawer pulls. But it just sort of landed there because it doesn’t really fit the style of our house (Arts and Crafts as opposed to Art Deco). On the desk we placed an older desk-top computer, mainly for the kids to play games and watch movies on.
When I started, I was still spending most of my days doing carpentry. At that time our main computer was really “my wife’s computer.” So when I opened my first doc to tinker with the story I’d been fiddling with on paper, it was this old/kids computer I used. Sitting at Grampa Donnelly’s desk proved to be a challenge. Not that I’m a particularly tall guy, but I just couldn’t manage to stuff my legs into the allotted space beneath the thing. So I pulled out the center-top drawer and put the keyboard on it, and splayed my legs (in what’s now derided by train and plane travelers as a “man spread”), knees against the drawers on either side.
I did have a nice trio of windows to my left, with a view of the forest we live in. One day I commented on how often I stared out the window. About this same time it was becoming clear to my wife that I was pretty serious about this quirky new hobby of mine – this fiction writing thing. One morning she saw me sitting in my go-to but ridiculous position at Grampa’s desk. Bless her, she ordered me a new desk on the spot. It fits in the corner, with tons of room for my legs, even in a man spread, if so desired (but in practice, almost never). I’ll always cherish her gift and it’s sentiment, not just for the comfort and view, but because a special heirloom was willingly relegated to storage to accommodate my artistic aspiration.
Thanks for the fun read, and great comments! I’ll go for the bonus points, and try to share, but I’m not sure if a link to a Facebook photo will work. Here goes:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=973691112662202&set=a.212884865409501.59665.100000639685069&type=1&theater
Whoa – the truth comes out: Vaughn is a former manspreader! :)
Thanks for such a vivid and heartfelt response. You’ve created an amazing workspace – I hope everybody clicks to see that photo. The word that keeps coming to me is “welcoming.” Nice. Really nice.
My husband and I converted our media room into our home office. We each have a drafting desk and chair on either side of the room and along the back wall we had a carpenter build upper cabinets and lower lateral filing cabinets with leg and counter space for two more desks for our children. Since it’s a windowless room we have giant mirrors on the wall opposite our cabinets that are made to look like windows. I’ve also got a “happy light” in there for rainy days.
At the moment I’m at a Panera working outside on the patio. Given the choice and the weather, I always choose to work outside. But it’s really nice to have a good home office when it’s blazing hot or raining or whatever Houston has in mind.
Amanda, that sounds like a wonderful and work-enabling environment you’ve created – well done.
I love writing outside, too. Having been to Houston multiple times, I’ve seen how crazy the weather can be – I once nearly got my vehicle stuck in a flash flood one night in Houston, after a blisteringly hot and sunny day. Keeps you on your toes, I bet.
Wow, Keith, that desk looks as serene as a rock garden. Great job paring down. And an air purifier? Whoa.
My working space is my laptop. Where ever it is, that’s my writing space. Airline lounges, Starbucks corners, floating around my apartment. As much as possible I keep my laptop clutter-free, to keep my brain clutter free.
Research books and printer are not as portable so I keep them at my office for use as needed. Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com give me the basic reference tools on the go.
You and Therese are proponents of healthy writing habits. The longer I do this the more I see that wisdom. Like learning to write, refining the writing space is an ongoing quest. You make me feel better about the time I invest in it. Thanks.
Benjamin, your flexibility is a good thing – hang on to that! And I like to keep my computer simple, too.
Dictionary.com is good, but I haven’t always been thrilled with its Thesaurus counterpart. I’m not sure why – you’d think they’d be the biggest, richest thesaurus of all, since they draw on multiple sources, but I always found paper thesauruses (or is it thesauri?) more user-friendly. Then again, I haven’t tried Thesaurus.com in while, so maybe it has improved.
Healthy writing habits are a subset of something bigger and more important: healthy living habits. I’m making big progress in that regard, but I still have a long way to go. Anyhoo, I’m glad you found this post helpful, and I wish you luck as you continue to refine and evolve your writing space and processes!
Keith, I really enjoyed reading how your writing space has evolved. I can relate to everything you said.
I started out using the computers at the library. Never really cared for that, but I was hooked on using computers for writing. Later on I bought a large black folding table and set up my first Dell computer in the kitchen. My cats were all fascinated with the aquarium screensaver. Several of them also served as my editor on occasion.
I use an Acer Aspire One D270 netbook for writing away from my main space. I named him Charley. He’s brand new. I bought him on shopgoodwill.com for 40 bux. loaded it with Open Office and my music. I can see why netbooks lost favor with people, because the screen is too darn small for cruising the net, but I added a flash drive so I can save and transfer documents. I keep this netbook and a spare set of headphones on my book shelf in the living room, and I guess you could say that my couch is my second workspace. Charley comes in handy if I get a sudden flash of inspiration but I don’t want to run back and boot up my desktop. He boots up almost instantly and has a long battery life.
I use Windows 7 and also Ubuntu. I have several external hard drives and also many flash drives. Years ago I had a computer go blue screen on me so I became a firm believer in backing everything up. Since I retired I am devoting my time to my writing career.
I apologize for not providing photos. I have no clue how to upload them here. My main workspace is located in my bedroom. Annabelle is my desktop with my huge adjustable monitor is located on the same black folding table I’ve had for years. My scanner printer is on a milk crate underneath. I keep a cooling pad on top for whatever laptop I choose to use at the moment. I also keep a coyote sculpture, a small Godzilla figure and two dolls that I remade into the images of the two main characters I’m writing about for inspiration. From my desk I have a very nice view of the street below.
Laverne, you had me at “Godzilla” – I’ve got one, too, who accompanies me on road trips!
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/856994_10151440024649383_504965151_o.jpg
Sounds like you’ve created a very positive space for you and your feline editing staff.
It’s interesting to see more than one person here who names their computers/writing devices. I may have to give some thought to that practice…
Thanks for sharing the evolution of your writing space!
Thanks, Keith! It’s good to know I’m not the only one who appreciates the King of Monsters. Your Godzilla looks like he’s commenting on the landscape as it passes by. He’s like a big one, too!
I actually have three Godzilla, the enormous one that’s three feet long and three feet wide, and another slightly smaller one half that size that roars. The one in my workspace is six inches tall and about a foot long. He’s the only one who can fit on that space.
One of my friends came to visit and when he saw Godzilla he said, “Why is he up on the desktop?” I said, “Why not?”
The names for my tech just came out of the blue. Charley and Annabelle named themselves. I have spare laptops but so far no one else has volunteered any names or nicknames.
Wow, you’ve got quite the Godzilla menagerie! I only have the one, and it sounds like it’s similar to the small one you have – it just looks big in my photo since I shot it from up close.
I gave a Gamera figure of about the same size to my ESO, we take the pair of them on roadtrips and vacations with us, protecting us from all danger as they perch on the dashboard.
Then last summer I found the ultimate accessory for my aging Honda, in response to all the “stick figure family” decals I’d been seeing. Check it out!
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10525689_10152556215104383_7215098786140533458_n.jpg?oh=4a7e4f5c7cc2d1451b04e21c88f617bd&oe=56235817
Love this post, Keith. What a rich tribute to your parents and your childhood!
I work in a couple of different spots around the house. In my office, on a table by the big window overlooking the garden in the dining room. My painting has overtaken so much of my office that the room is starting to look more like studio than an office, but it seems to contribute to the creativity, so I’m not changing it just yet. I took a messy picture but can’t figure out how to post it, so….
Thanks, Barbara!
I definitely like the concept of different types of art “contributing to the creativity.” I feel the same about my office, which is where I write, compose and record music, and – I’ll admit it – play my ukulele during corporate conference calls (after making sure my phone is muted).
Thanks for the entertaining post. I’ve had my current space for a couple of years now. Used to write in a room upstairs but really fell in love with my space when I combined my studio with my writing. I always listen to the Brandenburg concertos because I read many years ago that they stimulated the brain.
Decided to be brave and post a picture of it just at I left it when I broke for lunch: https://plus.google.com/113509594068427161018/posts
Thanks for sharing your space, Cat. It’s cool to see that you’re the second commenter in a row who’s combining visual arts with written arts – NICE!
That looks like a space where lots of cool stuff gets created – and I love me some Brandenberg (I’m a big baroque guy, even though it was a musical period in which drums were not very well represented).
But best of all is the furry helper you’ve got in your studio – they can be truly indispensable!
Keith, nice work on describing how your writing spaces evolved, and then returned to the solid gravity of the past, your parents’ table. That’s some grounding. I had an AlphaSmart and a Neo too (I did some copywriting years ago for the company), and they were great. And indestructible!
I don’t need no stinkin’ vanilla candles though: I have plaid-striped upholstery in my writing den, with the color “balance” tottering to orange. And that plaid outrage is righteously housed in my ’66 Airstream, which has been my office for many years. Here’s a shot from a while ago: https://www.tombentley.com/writing-discipline/round-out-your-thoughts—write-in-an-airstream/
That piddling little external monitor is now a giant old flat-screen tv, because the eyes, like that plaid, just ain’t what they used to be. Thanks for a good post.
Dude! Now I’ve got a MAJOR case of AE (Airstream Envy).
I’m being serious – the Zen simplicity of those iconic rolling homes has always called to me. That’s awesome that you’re actually living the Airstream dream.
Thanks for sharing your space – and that plaid.
Keith,
What a great story of your family dining experience — that’s sort of how we did until we got into our older teen years with different schedules. Dinner was still served, but late and on TV trays as we could get to it.
I find myself in the same predicament now…inheriting my mother’s dining room set with a matching china hutch (same Mad Men era)…gorgeous, but I don’t have the room and hate to part with it. You don’t see that quality craftsmanship anymore.
About sharing spaces: when I first moved here 15 years ago, my desk was a big door over two two-drawer filing cabinets, one at each end. It reminded me of my architecture days. Huge! Loved it, actually. But my mom moved in, then my sister, then her daughter (briefly), then her son (longly) and I lost my office in the process. Got an Office Max desk set and carved out a little corner in my bedroom. It works. I think I may practice a little ritualistic candle burning, though, and see if it helps.
Let’s see if I can get a picture to post:
Evidently not. Ha. I tried to send it to my WordPress media, but noooo. I’ll share it on FB and Twitter like others have been doing and give the link.
https://twitter.com/mlswift1/status/621018143847264256
Mike, I used to love the door-over-two-filing-cabinet desk concept, and considered it for my office. And I suppose this table gets me close to the same amount of surface area, because I’ve inserted the leaf-thingies that make it large enough to serve dinner to six people. It’s definitely nice to have some serious space to work on.
Your workspace looks nice – both inspiring and substantial.
Do you use the bulletin board a lot? I’ve seen lots of writers who use index cards or post-its to lay out their scenes. The idea appeals to me in theory, but my handwriting is so damn illegible, I’m relegated to needing to type everything.
Thanks for sharing your space!
This picture shows it right after I set it up, so everything’s pristine. I hadn’t “moved in” yet. I shudder to take a picture in its current state — a pigsty. I’ve been busy and it shows.
Yes, I use the bulletin board until things are overlapping. Notes and ideas in one area, outline in another. For some reason, I find this works better for me than the bulletin board in Scrivener (and I use Word a lot, too). I guess I must still be a little old school…gotta write it out.
Oooh! I love seeing writing spaces! I did a blog carnival of people’s writing spaces a few years ago. This post also shows my writing space:
https://grosvenorsquare.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-carnival-2013-where-i-write.html
Yay – I’m glad to find another WSE (Writing Space Enthusiast), Melissa!
Very cool blog post, and your writing space is very inviting. In particular I freaking LOVE that old typewriter. Thanks for sharing your space!
I love seeing inside other writer spaces. Maybe it’s because all of you are my co-workers and we don’t share a common workspace — so I always wonder where everyone else works. I love yours and especially your descriptions! I love your filing cabinets; I’ve never had but always wanted a four drawer!
Annie Neugebauer has a blog series called The Decorative Writer and she was nice enough to invite me as a guest last year, here’s a link where you can see my office.
https://annieneugebauer.com/the-decorative-writer/julia-munroe-martin/
Also, a few years back The Guardian had a series on writer rooms and they have photos of many writers’ rooms. Really cool:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/writersrooms
Wow, Julia – what a great, inviting space you’ve created. From the children’s artworks to an Einstein etching, and with ducks as the finishing touch – NICE!
When I was drafting this, I was wondering whether I was going to end up being a lone voice in the wilderness on this topic, so it’s a joy (and a relief) to find I’m not the only person interested in artists’ workspaces. That Guardian series you posted is extremely cool. Thanks for such a thoughtful and content-rich response!
One quick clarification: that top photo is not my office – although it’s about the same level of messiness in which I usually operate. I just now added a caption to the photo, to avoid confusing other readers.
Thank you for the kind words (and I’m quick to add it’s the tidiest I’ve ever seen my space in those photos, I barely recognize it myself). I thought you might enjoy the Guardian piece, very cool. And thank you for opening the door to looking at others’ spaces, as I said I share your curiosity. As for the top photo, does this mean you DON’T have 4 drawers? ;(
Aw, I love that you’re using your family’s dining table, and that you’re leaving the chairs standing as a tribute to an important era in your life. I also love that you are a manly man AND unafraid of showing your sentimentality. My kind of guy.
No photos of my office for now, but a brief description: Until two years ago I used to write on an old Ikea kitchen table while seated in a battered pine chair of similar vintage. My husband made a backless hutch which held an assortment of papers. Over the years, the hutch warped under the weight of books. I became irritated with the visible chords, that things could fall out the back, the lack of drawers, that my desktop was always cluttered. So I did research and spent a good amount of money for a desk with a closed, matching hutch, a keyboard tray, and two built-in filing cabinets.
The results? The wood is too dark and there’s a lot of it, so the office feels subtly gloomy unless I want to turn on enough lights to warm the Earth by another degree. There’s clutter behind the hutch doors and in my cabinets as well as on top of the desk. My chair is so comfy I seldom fidget and develop a numb butt.
I’ve actually been toying with the idea of selling my furniture and resurrecting my old set-up. (I could, because it’s now doing duty in the laundry room.) In the meantime, I tend to write with my laptop on the couch or in the coffee shops/library.
Thanks, Jan – I’m pleased to be your kind of guy! :)
Funny about the whole “best laid plans” thing, when it comes to your renovated office. Sometimes ideas can sound so good in theory, but the results end up being underwhelming. Sounds like you’re going to be doing a reverse migration in the near future. Good luck realigning your workspace!
Those look like Mexican onyx bookends, a very popular tourist souvenir. I have a set from a trip my Dad took in the ’60s.
Loved peeking into others’ writing spaces. I’m just a nomad with a laptop.
Wow – thank you, Nancy! Looks like you’re exactly right.
I’ve always wondered what these things were made of, and Googling on “Mexican onyx bookends” quickly revealed many nearly identical items. Mystery solved – very cool!
Thanks for sharing this! My workspace looks so similar to yours. I have a MIDI keyboard next to me when I write, too, but because I like to test the rhythm of my sentences to music. Only when editing, of course; can’t imagine how tiresome it’d get when pounding out a first draft.
Great post!
Thanks, Anastasia – what an interesting way to test the rhythm of a sentence! I gotta try that.
I read my stuff aloud to make sure I’m getting the rhythm and pacing right, but your approach takes this analysis to a new level – very cool,
Thanks, Keith! I like seeing other people’s workspaces, too. Love the story of your using your family’s table. Our dinner discussion were also lively. We often ended up with volumes of the encyclopedia and other reference books piled by our chairs to support our points or find flaws in our siblings’ points.
I do have a desk that I rarely use except for printing. Once I discovered that my drafting table made a good standing desk, I was hooked. Plus it’s a surface I always keep clean (unlike said desk). https://twitter.com/bmorrison9/status/622460072896131072
If the weather is good, I move outside. https://twitter.com/bmorrison9/status/622460261463687168
Barbara, your comment made me smile – your book-piling dinner discussions sound like my family’s old Scrabble marathons. My parents were both avid crossword puzzle fans, so they brought some pretty tricky words to the table.
Looks like you’ve crafted some VERY inviting writing spaces, both indoor and out. Really nice!