The space between the words

Show us where you work! Please share a photo of your work/writing space, and tell us why it looks the way it does!

by Dietrich

Show us where you work. Okay, here’s a shot I took out the window during one of our rare Vancouver snowstorms this past January. The window faces southwest which is ideal since I work mainly during the early part of the day. So, facing that direction allows in the light without getting all the glare.

My writing space is my getaway spot. The room’s separate from the rest of the place, tucked away and it’s free of distraction and it’s relatively quiet being on the edge of a greenbelt, especially considering we live in the city. Having spent years in the real world of kids and pets and white noise all around, that kind of quiet hasn’t always been possible, and so I learned to adapt.

The main thing has always been to get my head into those fictitious places where my characters live and do heinous things to each other. Other than that I just need a computer. And it’s comforting to have a shelf lined with much-loved books along with those I plan to read. Oh, and music, lots of music, I’ve got to have that.

Sometimes an idea comes when I’m not at my desk, so I often carry a little pad when I’m out, so if I need to make a quick note, I won’t forget an idea or detail later. Yes, I know, an actual notepad does seem behind the times these days of electronic devices, but it’s how I roll. And when I’m traveling I bring a legal pad so I can write on trains, planes, in airport waiting areas, on beaches, in parks, even sitting on a rock in a river. There’s something about writing in longhand that I like. 

I’ve scrawled entire chapters and short stories like that, and with all kinds of noise and movement going on. And when I really get into it, I just tune out everything else and I manage to stay focused. There’s actually no better way to let the miles roll by when traveling. And sometimes it does seem like a mess when I finally reread my own scrawl back at home and type it into my computer, lots of scratched-out lines and illegible words, and margin notes, arrows and doodles.

So, it boils down to being able to write anytime I’m inspired, but if I had to describe my absolute ideal writing space it would include a hammock and shady palms along a quiet stretch of sandy beach, with blue Pacific waves lapping up on the shore, where the only interruption would be when the waiter comes at noon and sets down the tray.