Writing Spaces
A writer’s space is one of the places he or she will spend the most time. While I know a lot of writers who tend to write in more public spaces like Starbucks (or other coffee shops) I also know a lot who work at a particular desk day after day. These desks tend to reflect a lot of the wrter within the space so I thought it would be neat to show what my writing space looks like.
The cork board is a new development, and so far it’s been a lot of fun to be able to pin various things that inspire me on the board and to use it to piece together ideas. I also have a large white board (not pictured) that I sketch things out on and keep track of everything on it, and it’s been one of the best investments I’ve made.
One of the biggest pieces in my desk area is an infographic of the 22 Rules of Storytelling from Pixar. It took saving up for a while to be able to get the strange sized poster framed, but it was totally worth it. This is probably my favorite thing hanging by my desk and when I’m staring into space I often read over those rules again and again. Sometimes it inspires me, and sometimes it helps me look at things in a new way. Regardless it always makes me happy. it’s a beautiful rendition of some incredibly helpful rules and it always fills me with wonder looking over them.
I also have one of my favorite pictures in the world, it’s when I met Neil Gaiman, and right before he told me it was “nice to meet a fellow author.” In the grand scheme of things I know this was a tiny, teeny little moment, but meeting him and hearing those words is often one of the things that keeps me up writing my words long after I should have been in bed.
I’ve got a folder of writing advice or references that I keep handy to look at while I’m working. There’s also a magical unicorn, because why not? I mean when are unicorns not the answer?
The newest addition is a small canvas that I painted with one of my favorite quotes put on it. “Done is better than perfect.” the picture reads, and it’s something I have to remind myself of regularly. I know getting caught up in the perpetual struggle for something to be perfect, and I often struggle with it, erasing word after word and making no real forward progress when I really should just be finishing my project. I have to remember that I can’t edit what’s not on the page and that words can be changed, but that I need to get the idea down on paper and then I can start picking at it and adjusting it.
I think that’s what the most important thing about every writer’s desk is that it has the power to inspire them. It’s filled with the things that inspire them, that keep them writing long after his or her energy has run out, and the day should be over. The desk is a place of work, of passion and imagination that requires effort and coorindation. I know I have a habit of redecorating somewhat frequently, but I’m happy to keep my desk almost the same, only with an occasional new item added in.
What’s your writing space look like?
