Christmas Workspace
I have always found it interesting to see the spaces writers work in. Often I find we prefer to nest in a study, or an office, or at least at a desk. Sometimes it is scattered in notes, references, books and manuscripts, or sometimes it is meticulously neat and surrounded by pin boards full of plot-spiders, time lines and character lists.
Seeing where people create their worlds gives a whole new level of reality to the fiction and, I must confess, I enjoy nosing.
Mervyn says Merry Christmas!
And so I thought should share. My writing space is my living room. It comes equppied with comfy sofa, surround-sound hi-fi and a skull-and-crossbones slanket, as well as the occasional cat or two. It may not be very professional, but it is relaxed and comfortable and I always find it a great place to work. Plus, there’s the added bonus I can inhabit it in my pyjamas without repercussion.
I think it’s important to have a space you designate for your writing. Whether you find it more effective to approach it like you would a job, equipped with a desk, a waste pepper basket, staplers and a wall calendar, or whether, like me, you like it to be somewhere you’re at home and you have ultimate control over the mood, it needs to be right. Having such a space is all part of Making It Happen – a vital element of productivity. No one will do your writing for you. Make time. Make space.
Phoebe likes the fire
I thought now would be a particularly nice time to share my creative space as it is currently decorated for the season. I have the tree, the tinsel, oh and, as my other half is into his sound and lighting equipment (the benefits of this to someone who enjoys music and mood lighting are endless) I also have my obligatory Christmas laser.
I have mentioned before how the real world, though admittedly not often a place I like to set my stories, is a an infinite treasure-trove of inspiration: you have only to think of the weather, the season, a news story or how you react to something to create the first grains of a narrative dune, or some fleecy padding to add to an existing narrative blanket.
Apologies for the cheesey metaphors, but it is the season for such things after all.
Even my cat Marley is Christmassy! Although he prefers I work on more constructive pursuits…like stroking him
And on that note, it is still not too late to enter Anneque G. Malchien‘s e-book Chistmas Raffle! It is free ot enter, simply comment on this post or tweet me @JexShinigami and ask for a ticket and I will assign you a unique ticket number. The raffle will be drawn Monday 23rd Dec and the winner shall recieve a virtual stack of e-books, including Tuned to a Dead Channel, sci-fi anthology featuring yours truly. Details of other titles included available in my original post.
Also, if you are in the mood for festive fiction check out my two Christmas short stories: Bleak Midwinter and Hong Kong 1990.
Merry Christmas, everyone. May St Nick bring you a bid dollop of current-studded inspiration to go with your plethora of creative puddings!
I’ll stop now.
It’s good for your writing space to contain everyday essentials…like a Christmas laser.
You have a very seasonal and warm writing environment, it looks lovely. My usual space has a large Christmas tree beside it for the festivities, it brings a shiny element to my musings.
I thoroughly approve of a festive element added to the workspace 😀 (As you can tell!)
What a great room to write in! I can just picture you on the sofa, wrapped up in your slanket, typing away madly on the laptop… Just think of all the great stories that are going to be born there!
When I can reach my laptop around my lap cat! But yes it’s a lovely space to work 🙂 It is where I am closeted right now, with the fire going, working on the plot breakdown of my next book 🙂
Thanks so much, as always you are a gem 🙂 This post was inspired by you sharing your writing space actually!
Fabulous! Writing space is very important. I don’t know if there is some feng shui/leyline reason behind this, but some areas feel right, and some do not! At the moment I have my favourite table where I do all my writing (strangely, I have another desk where I do my drawing!).
I have also written in the following places: my parent’s bedside table (when I was seven and writing my first novel 😉 ), an old abandoned dairy shed when I was a kid, the reading room of the library in central Sydney, hiding behind books in a law firm, and on the side of the highway waiting for a bus (typing ideas into my iphone!)
They all sound great 😀 And you’re right, even when you have The Place, you sometimes can’t help but claim others. When I’m staying at Gladstone’s library, I have a favourite desk. It just feels right!
I love the image of you writing at your parents’ bedside table 🙂
I was very small at the time, but very serious about my vocation 😉
I love your cosy room! The ceiling is awesome!
It was the start of so something amazing 😀
And thanks, I am fond of this room also
Awww! You deserve a huge present from Santa for saying that!
You know what they say, it’s the company you keep! My little band of brilliant bloggers, such as yourself, 😉 are all on the path together! 2014 here we come!
Awwww yey 😀 😀 you’re awesome! And yes I can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for us all 😀
OMG! Is Mervyn a VAMPIRE skull?
He certainly is 😀 the real thing and everything XD
The stake you used was somewhere else in the room?
Framed on the wall 😀
Love your work =) All you’d need to complete the room is a Lycan throw rug…
We’re working on it 😀
AWESOME workspace Jex. I can see Grift really coming together in there (which I’m almost done critiquing btw 🙂 ). I’m either on the couch with the laptop or upstairs in our ‘office’ when I’m writing. Flexibility is nice.
Thanks so much 😀 it’s a good space I do love it (when it’s tidy) I like you have a couple of places too 🙂 safe places and happy places 😀
And I just realized I put Grift instead of Grist.. been thinking too much about money this Christmas I guess. lol.
HA! I hadn’t noticed 😀 thanks again so much for reading. Looking forward to hearing your feedback 😀
What an inspiring workspace (and a beautiful home) … and it isn’t really Christmas without a Christmas laser!
You speak the truth about lasers 😀 and thanks so much for kind comments 🙂
Merry Christmas to you, Mervyn and the cats :3
Love your space. It looks particularly cosy. You’d always feel like writing when the weather outside was horrible, and you’re safe and warm inside.
I move around so much that I don’t have a permanent writing space. Some of the writing I’m happiest with has been on the road, on a bus, on the overnight ferry, waiting for the train. Maybe because there’s so much stimulation during travel that sometimes you just gotta block it all out and make a world of your own.
That’s a lovely way of looking at it and yes indeed I know what you mean 😀 it’s nice to escape reality, that’s the main reason I write!
What a lovely space to write in! I tend to move around in our house. Right now I’m snug in a corner of our couch with my laptop. My desktop is in my bedroom where I also do a fair amount of writing. To be honest, though, I wish I had a writing office like the office I have for my day job. I have a very large desk and two monitors which makes writing very easy, but it’s for my day job. I’m not supposed to write for myself while I’m there 🙂
That must be tricky! We’ll just have to keep working towards fiction writing and office job being one in the same 🙂 thanks so much for reading & commenting
Yup, I think I would enjoy my commute more if I knew I was going to spend the day writing 🙂
Hsave you tried writing on the bus?
Bumbastories has been doing it. See my As I Sat On The Bus Invitational!
That I shall! Thanks muchly for stopping by!