Ask 10 authors where they write, and you’ll probably get 10 answers.
For example:
Some authors write in cafés. I would find this distracting to the extreme, and I would be unable to concentrate, yet alone relax, with all the people coming in and out and engaged in conversations.
Some authors write outdoors. If the weather is nice enough that it’s possible to be outside, I’m going to enjoy the weather. We get warm weather for only a few months each year here in the Midwest, and I prefer to spend it not working.
Some authors write at the library. I understand visiting the library for research, but I would be unable to write there either. Libraries are cold, the chairs are wooden, and I’d have to drive there, lugging a computer and my notebooks.
Where authors write isn’t simply about location. Many authors prefer to have specific conditions in place while working.
For example:
Some authors write in silence. I must have on music or the television, or I cannot concentrate. Otherwise, I hear traffic, animals, the house creaking, etc. My preference is music because it keeps me focused, motivated and alert. Television lately has been putting me to sleep.
Some authors lock themselves in a room for eight hours. My family has free access to me while I’m working. In addition, I split my workday into two sessions – one during the afternoon and one during the evening/night.
You get the idea. Preferences vary widely from author to author. So where do I write? You’ll find me in one of two locations. If I’m writing in the afternoon, you’ll find me in the office. If I’m writing in the evening/night, you’ll find me in the living room.
Where the Magic Happens
Here are five photos to give you an idea of where I write.
This is the desk in my office. I prefer working on a desktop whenever possible because of the screen size but also because desktops are more powerful. The pink notebook near my monitor is my social media calendar, and the book near the keyboard is my daily planner. The flash drive contains my fiction files, although I do have backups elsewhere. Bonus points to you if you can name the album my flash drive is sitting on.
My office is located on the second floor of our house, and this is the view from my window. If my eyes get tired or dry, I’ll focus for a while on the most distant object I can see for a few seconds before returning my attention back to my monitor. The object changes depending on the season.
This is one of two bookcases in my office. This one contains mostly my books. On its shelves are all my novels, all the books I’ve used for research, all the novels I’ve read written by others and a variety of science, mostly astronomy, books.
A portion of the room’s other bookcase. This contains some reference books, but mostly my husband’s and daughter’s books. The Mars globe and astronaut are mine, though. The thing in the lower left corner is the flaps from a shipping box that delivered paperbacks of the novels in my WWI trilogy.
In the evenings, you’ll find me writing on the couch into the night. I use a laptop then, but I prefer a desktop. My desk chair just isn’t nearly as comfortable as the living room.
Comments are closed