Monday, May 7, 2012

Darn you, Carrie Bradshaw!

So today is Blog Me MAYbe's "May I tell you something about writing?" day, and you know what?

I blame Sex and the City.

Not Carrie's brownstone, but aren't they amazing?
Image courtesy of Robert Linder, rgbstock.com
For many years, mostly because of the show's ever-so-talented (yet fictional) Carrie Bradshaw, I had the romantic notion that being a writer would mean I'd sit in my cute brownstone apartment in New York City every day, typing away on my laptop while gazing out the window at the lovely and inspiring views.

The reality? Yeah, it's not so much like that.

Every morning, I stumble across a floor littered with toys, making my way to a tiny table wedged into the corner of my only slightly bigger office/guest room. There I type away at an oldish eMachine that takes forever to warm up, and if I turn my head to the left, I'm treated not to a lovely and inspiring view of the City but am instead privileged to gaze upon my neighbor's junk pile, and beyond that, the picturesque side of her house.

Carrie, I have a feeling we're not in the City anymore.

Writers can write anywhere, of course, but I've always craved my own writing space, a place that belongs only to me. And who knows? I may well get one someday, but in the meantime, I enjoy learning about where other writers work. What are their writing spaces like? Do they like to sit at desks cluttered with knickknacks and family pictures, or do they work best with clear desks and minimal distractions? Maybe they enjoy writing in libraries or cafés--or perhaps they prefer to write while sitting in bed, their notes spread out around them on the bedspread and a cup of tea waiting on a nearby table.

Last summer I read a book that described just these things: The Writer's Desk by Jill Krementz. In her book, Krementz, the wife of the late Kurt Vonnegut, showcases photographs of fifty-six authors in their writing spaces, among them Stephen King, John Irving, and Joyce Carol Oates. And I learned that while some of them do indeed write in spaces comparable to Carrie Bradshaw's, others, like Toni Morrison, who prefers to write while sitting on her living room sofa, don't have dedicated writing spaces at all. (I posted a brief review of this book here.)

If you're interested in seeing where writers do their work, check out this site. A Twitter friend directed me to it about a year ago, and I spent half the day marveling at the pictures. (Fair warning if you decide to click the link: you may not get anything else done!)


So tell me, what's your writing space like?

57 comments:

  1. I'll click on the link later. I just read that poet Ted Kooser once used an upright refrigerator box that he put in the corner of his and his wife's bedroom. He would tape his drafts to the walls, and that was his space to write.

    I love that you posted about this today. I've been thinking about carving out a small chunk of space for writing each day.

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    1. I've read that about Kooser as well. So interesting! I'd try it, but I think the kids would spend more time in it than I would. :)

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  2. I've done some of my best writing from the bottom bunk of my daughter's bunk beds because that was the only place in the house where no one would look for me:)

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    1. LOL I know the feeling!

      Great idea, by the way. I bet the rocker in my kids' room would be a good place. If only I had a laptop...

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  3. You know, I have a desk, but like 95% of my writing gets done from my couch :) BUT we're about to move to a house that has this awesome built-in desk, which I can't WAIT to start using!

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    1. If I had a laptop, I think I'd spend a lot of time writing from the couch as well. The built-in desk sounds awesome! I would love to have one of those--especially if I could somehow claim it all for myself. :)

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  4. Currently, I write at my kitchen table, which has sort of been turned into a desk (my printer and all my office supplies have silently taken it over). But when I'm editing or just letting an idea run free for awhile, I write on my couch.

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    1. When I lived in one of my apartments--pre-husband and kids--I used to write at my kitchen table, and I ended up sitting in a chair out in the living room to eat.

      Now I sometimes write while sitting on the couch, but like you, it's mostly freewriting, as I don't have a laptop and need to use paper and pen. (I prefer to use a computer for my big projects.)

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  5. Thank you! I'm so glad to have found yours too!

    The way you described your writing space, you somehow managed to make it sound kind of romantic still. My room is so messy right now so the last couple of days I've been typing cross-legged on my bed, but usually I type at the desk, facing the window. The best time was in the winter when it would be dusky around 3 - 4pm. I'd have my little lamp on, light a couple of candles and have a nice view of the snow falling. I like to play music but I can't concentrate if there's lyrics. I like Olafur Arnalds while I'm writing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDezzDQVy6M he's Icelandic :)

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    1. Aw, thanks. I guess I could describe it as romantic when I'm in the zone because then I don't care anything about my surroundings at all!

      Your writing space sounds ideal to me--and much like Carrie Bradshaw's! I like the house to be quiet when I write, but since I have kids, that's not a common occurrence, so I've learned to live with a little commotion!

      I'll check out that video. Thanks!

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  6. Since I don't call myself a writer, I really don't have a writing space other than in front of the computer that has looked out at various views over the years of our frequent moves. What I really need to do is set up a little writing space in the bedroom for those nights of insomnia where I lay awake and come up with my best writings in my head, but then by morning they are gone :)

    I am sure it is challenging to write though in a space where one might not feel creative enough or quiet enough to get thoughts down from head to paper :)

    enjoy Monday :)

    betty

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    1. I've had many ideas disappear that same way. :)

      Have a great day!

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  7. Currently I write at a desk with two of my vinyl LPs in front of me, propped against the wall, as decoration. If I had a bigger space, I'd go back to putting more of my LPs on display. In the days of the desktop, I had a postcard of The Who, my favoritest band, in their Pop Art shirts circa 1966, and a bumper sticker saying "Why Be Normal?" with an inverted N looking like the Russian letter I, taped to my computer.

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    1. What great inspiration you have! Right now, I'm looking at a blank, peach-colored wall. ;)

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  8. Oh, I LOVE this. I'm fascinated by people's work spaces...thanks for that link, and also for the book recommendation. Right now, my writing space is a mess. I have clay and paper and JUNK scattered all over my table. OK, I'm inspired now...I'm going to tidy it up RIGHT NOW. Well, after I read a few more blogs.

    (I'm currently procrastinating instead of working on my novel. I'm kind of depressed because everything I'm reading tells me that my story will be a hard sell - if I ever get it written - because it's science fiction that could be {wrongly} classified as dystopian, and there's just too much of that on the market right now. Bah.)

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    1. Thanks. :) It's so great to see (and hear about) how other people work!

      Good luck with your novel. I don't know much about the science fiction market right now, but maybe it will have changed by the time you finish your book. If I were you, I would just tell my story and worry about everything else later. (I know--easier said than done.) *Hugs*

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  9. Can't wait to view these authors' spaces. I, also, sit in an armchair in the dining room with my laptop, then switch to the couch in the living room. Both places are soft and cushion-y, but have also contributed to terrible posture and back/neck aches. But I can't help it: these are my most productive spaces!

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    1. Productivity wins out over comfort every time, at least in my book! :)

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  10. Love the posting. Right now my space is at the Library or in evenings at the kitchen table. I was a big fan of the Sex In The City and know what you mean. Carrie did make it look and seem so easy.

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    1. Thanks! There aren't many old TV shows that I miss, but Sex and the City is definitely one of them. I might have to Netflix it again. ;)

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  11. My writing spot is the room over the garage. The carpet is so old it's back in style. The desk is so big you could land a helicopter on it. It's ok to write your name in the dust -- just don't write the date.

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    1. LOL Love this!

      It sounds like a great space--quiet and private. I would love it--and the dust!

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  12. Thanks for the fair warning about that link. I believe I'll skip it for now ...

    My favorite writing spot is my office, which is where I am right now. There are two windows in here, but I have to physically get out of my chair to look out either of them, which is good. (I'm easily distracted.) My PC sits in the middle of a large L-shaped desk. Lotsa semi-organized stuff on the desk. Several bookcases, lots of books, and file cabinets in here, and behind me, another desk, made a kazillion years ago by my grandfather. There, I can do paper and pen work. It may not be perfect, but it's definitely perfect for me.

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    1. You're welcome. ;)

      Your office sounds absolutely wonderful! That's exactly the kind of space I want: a desk and computer I don't have to share, lots of bookcases for my books, windows with great views, space to organize my papers... *sigh* It sounds perfect to me!

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  13. I have a desk and an office, but I also have two small children that I have to watch while I'm on the computer, so I write on my sofa 95% of the time. My view? The T.V.

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    1. That's not a bad view, although it can sometimes be a little distracting. ;)

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  14. Carrie really did make writing seem extra glam. My ideal writing space is my La-Z-Boy (not a chic desk in a brownstone) wearing yoga pants and cozy clippers (not Manolo Blahniks). I do love me some Sex and the City though. :)

    Thanks for sharing some about your writing space... I love to learn about how other writers do it!

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    1. She sure did. I wanted to be her!

      I think a La-Z-Boy would be a great place to write. Glad you've found your ideal space. :)

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  15. haha, due to your warning, i have skipped the site for now, since some of my grand-kids are coming over very soon----i loved your post---and my space is in my main living area at my computer--nothing romantic or exciting :)

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    1. If you have grandkids coming over, I guarantee it was a good idea for you to skip that site for now. LOL

      I guess all we really need to write are our imaginations and something to capture our words, right? :)

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  16. What a fun post idea! My space changes day-to-day, from my kitchen table (the most frequent location) to the coffee shop where my husband works to my in-laws' library.

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    1. Does the change of scenery help your creativity? My guess is that it would. That's one of the reasons why I want a laptop.

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  17. I write mostly in my living room on the couch on my laptop. Sometimes when I need structure I head to the kitchen table. Sometimes I hand write in a notebook when I'm out driving family around.
    Must be flexible.
    Great post.
    Heather

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    1. Thanks, Heather. I agree that flexibility is important.

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  18. I can't wait to pick up that book. I love getting a glimpse into other people's lives and for some reason our studios/offices seem like such intimate places that I love getting to see how other people work.
    I would also love a perch somewhere high with gorgeous views of treetops to do my writing, but mostly I sit at the couch in my family room or on a chair in the sun in my living room. I can't complain. It works for me (most of the time).

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    1. That's exactly why I was so eager to read it. I picked up a copy at the library.

      Your ideal writing space sounds lovely! I guess we can dream... :)

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  19. A friend of Kate Birch here. When I finished my manuscript I was shocked. I had it professionally edited. I PAID to have it read and commented on. ALL comments were blessings of hope. The query was another matter. Maybe I should try 'six word Saturdays' and see if I can make a six word query. It would be less stressful than getting shot down with a 100 word query that makes no sense.

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  20. p.s. ....and my name is Dana also.

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  21. i watched an interview of a childrens writer & his workspace was a shed. it was quaint, but since i only write part time, mine is in the middle of everything...

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    1. That's my situation as well, at least right now. It might be nice to have an office in a shed; a person could find some quiet there, I would think.

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  22. Great post! My writing space is in my car, on top of the guest bed, in the dining room...whereever! I would love my own space too, but it's cool. One day. :)

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  23. Fabulous post! I totally have the space, but I almost always write in the living room, on the couch. Sometimes I'll get outside and write. But I'm pretty much a couch-writer. :)

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    1. Thanks, Miranda. It sounds like you're in good company; I've met quite a few couch-writers today! :)

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  24. I tend to write all over the house - although when it's nice out I'll go outside and sit on this little old bridge we have in our backyard.

    It sure does sound romantic to have an apartment with a view over the city. I like to think that if I ever live in Portland I'll get an apartment like that. :)

    Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Lauren. It's definitely still my dream to have a city view, but I think the next best thing would be to rent some space in a building downtown here that houses artists' studios. I would love working around all that creative energy! Someday... :)

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  25. Funny post! Sorry your writing spot isn't exactly your dream spot. Neither is mine. I sit on the bedroom floor surrounded by stacks of papers and research books.

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    1. Thanks, Sherry. Maybe someday we'll both have writing spaces we love!

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  26. I have an extra room which I've thought about making into an office, but it's so cold in there!! I find myself sitting on the couch in a little sitting area off of our kitchen. It's got a great window to the backyard. Sometimes I put my laptop on the table. I feel more serious and motivated there!

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    1. That sounds really nice. I'd love to have a nice view like that!

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  27. I don't even get to see out of the tiny window in my tiny office. All walls and junk and crafts and stuff. I sometimes write in bed too (okay, mostly in bed) but the view here isn't great either.

    My dream is to have a cabin by a lake with a huge window in my office that is overlooking it all! That's not too much to ask, is it?

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    1. That is a wonderful dream, Leigh. My parents have a lake cabin and once I had 1.5 days all to myself. I sat at the computer almost the whole time--looking out over the water, sometimes on the deck. It was wonderful.

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    2. What a great dream, Leigh! Maybe someday, right? :)

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  28. It's all over. Sometimes it's at my desktop in my computer room. Sometimes at my laptop... at the coffee shop, in the living room, in the garage, at the library... even in the car sometimes (parked of course).

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    1. It's great that you're able to write wherever you are. I work better in some places than others, but I do always carry a notebook with me, just in case.

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