Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Where I Do My Best Writing

Where do I write best? The short answer is…Ohio!

Seriously, though, I am not one to work from the local coffee shop or bookstore. I’m no good at write-in’s at friend’s houses. I like a comfy chair or couch with a laptop, and I have done some work in hotels at conventions, but the most work - and best work - is done in the solitude of my own office space when everyone else is off at school or work. I put my music on (movie scores, mostly), fire up incense or candles to infuse the air with some nice aroma, and I’m ready to make word count.

That said, I’m the kind of person who will rearrange the living room without warning and for no reason at all…but once my office is set, it needs to stay. The stability of the environment, as well as the routine, is necessary and conducive to my overall performance. 

In the last ten years I have moved three times.

House #1:
For five years, I had a desk in a living room near sliding doors to a covered deck. I wrote Seph books 1-4 either at the desk or at the table on the deck. I think it is worth noting that I spent a very minimal amount of time working outside the home during these years. Able to focus on the writing, I produced very solid work.  

  

House #2  

For the next five years, I had a desk in my bedroom, then a small office all by itself. I wrote Seph books 5-6 in these spots. I was working full-time, being a single parent, and spent a significant amount of time ‘adulting’ i.e. yardwork, housework, errands/shopping, etc. though my boys helped a lot. My productivity tanked. There was simply no time. 

I do not think books 5 & 6 reflect my best work because of this.

now for the good stuff...

House #3
yes, 3 screens...1 desktop, 2 laptops. new mac book
I’ve been in the new house with my new husband for only a few months now. I started with a desk in a small bedroom, but for the last two weeks I’ve been moving into the medium sized bedroom, which now has a lovely new laminant floor that looks like lovely aged barn-siding, fresh gray paint, new white cabinets and all my geekery on display… 

Yup. I have a shit-load of Star Trek and Star Wars stuff. The kids are giving me back all the cool toys as they find/unpack them, but there are some yet to find a spot. Like the landspeeder, the TIE fighter will need hung, etc. My NCC-1701-D is missing the nacells, and I hope they show up, but the NCC-1701 is my favorite, of which I haven't been able to find one big enough to be worthy of display? I mean, the one-man X-Wing can't be bigger than the Enterprise, yanno? It's bad enough the Millennium Falcon is small...
whiteboards are awesome but not revealing my secrets...

—sigh—



I want to say I’m never leaving this office…but you know what they say about saying never. The bottom line is, I’m writing full time again, delighted to be finding my rhythm amid the routine again. 


my favorite view...needs phasers and a bat'leth, yes?
And who wouldn’t be inspired here?