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A Question for Writers

Do you have a writing space?

A home office? A desk? A particular chair?

Do you share it? If you do, does that cause any problems for you?

What do you consider necessary to have around you when you're writing? Bare minimum, and then, what do you actually have?

I'm asking for several reasons. But for starters, I'm putting together a handout for a class I teach, a handout that tells them that if they want to write, they need to carve out a space (time and/or place) for writing and make it happen, not just think about it. When I first started writing we didn't have any place for me to put a desk, much less an office, so I had to physically find a place to put a very small table, put a dictionary, etc. on it.

It could also be the opposite problem. Maybe you have a home office and it's filled with everything you need for all sorts of projects, jobs, etc. Do you have some specific items there because you're a writer, or do your writing tools just blend in with everything else?

Do you think it's important to claim a space, or am I making too big a deal out of it? (I'm assuming a lot of people just keep pushing their dreams aside to some vague future when they Have More Time For Such Nonsense, and I try to snap them out of that. If they've signed up to take a class, you'd assume they're making it a priority, but many are still too embarrassed or hesitant to really think of themselves as writers or make any claims on time or space, because they feel rather silly.) (I know I sure did.)

Thanks!

TOPICS: Hacer
RickP in AZ's picture

Though I may lay claim...

Though I may lay claim to the title of "writer" you may want to take what I say with a grain of NaCl. With only 3 web articles under my belt I may better be an example of what *not* to do. But here goes with what gets me in the mood.

Space: Currently I have a table in the livingroom... right in the middle of all distractions: TV, kids, animals, and some random explosions. There is a proper office a mere 15" (measured) across from me which I don't use as it is a huge cluttered mass of files and computers and lousy desks and milk crates full of books. A *huge* ToDo item on my list is to organize that monstrocity so that I can have a proper writing desk which I can take my Powerbook too for the specific task of writing. And then start with a dedicated, interruption-free hour of writing a day. *Turning Off Airport/WiFi* and shutting down all Net apps. That is the plan anyway... Maybe when the 3 year old is a bit more self sufficient.

Back in the day when I was a "poet" I used to sit for hours at the local coffee shop, scamming penny refills, sitting alone at a table. I had two notebooks open: my journal and my poetry notebook. My average was 3 good to great poems a day.

Tools: I may get lost in focusing on my tools a little too much but feeling comfortable enough with them that they "disappear" and become and extnesion of myself is crucial. I have a handful of pens which are like that, and cheapo notebooks of a specific size or more often nowadays my Powerbook and TextWrangler. (The Joy of Text.)

Yes, at least where I am concerned space and tools are important but what is hardest to find is motivation and inspiration.

Now... I'm off to read the 5 Firefox tabs I have open, check my email, and play with the kids. I'll get to those 3 short stories and 2 articles *later.*

 
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