Showing posts with label ideal writing place. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideal writing place. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2022

The Writer's Altar & Endless TBR

This week's topic at the SFF Seven is about sharing our writing space and current TBR list.


Writing Spaces...


I write everywhere and anywhere. I write in my office at my desk, on the daybed in my office, on my couch, in my bed, at my kitchen table, on my phone at night when I'm trying to go to sleep, on my phone when I'm soaking in the bath. I even write while cooking. There is no location that isn't a possibility, and most days, I move from place to place.

That said, there are times when I need to recalibrate. I treat my desk as a writing altar in those times. I want the room to be just right, with complete silence save for the flicker of my candles and the tapping of the keys on my keyboard. I like it candlelit, usually with the scent of sandalwood tinting the room. I also smudge the space with white sage or palo santo first and do a little meditative breathing to relax. 


These writing sessions are special and I free write, even if it's a scene in the world of my current WIP. The point of these sessions is to get words out, not to write anything that HAS to stay in my WIP or is pre-planned. I let the characters have the reins or let new characters tell me their story.

It's during these sessions that I feel like a conduit, because I have no idea what will come next as I type. Most days, I know what scene I'm working on when I sit down to work, so some form of pre-mental planning has already occurred. But on these free-writing nights, it's fun to open my mind and see what barrels through onto the page.

Writing by candlelight is awesome. I highly recommend giving it a try.




My Current TBR...


What books are on my TBR? I have so many--too many to list. But I'll share some of the books I hope to read once City of Ruin is finished and off to my publisher. I intend to take a full month--if not two--to just READ. And maybe enjoy the outdoors.


So here's my list! (I read widely. There's a little bit of everything!)

  • Finish reading Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
  • Finish A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
  • Malice by John Gwynne
  • Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
  • Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lyn Tan
  • A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
  • The Great Witch of Brittany by Louisa Morgan
  • A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
  • Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
  • In my Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
  • The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake

I think that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my writing and reading life ;)

Where do you write and what's on your TBR?












Friday, March 30, 2018

The Fantasy Writing Retreat

 My fantasy workplace, you ask? Why, I've given it no thought. No thought at all!
Yeah, okay. I'm lying. Hawaii. There would be a compound of several tiny houses near the beach. I'd live in one and the others would be dedicated to other writers on retreat. Authors who'd come in would agree to offer one class to the other writers some time during the week. Could be on anything. Craft. Marketing. Social Media. Why Vampires are Hotter than Werewolves or vice versa.  
 There'd be hikes. Sailing. Scuba. Snorkeling. Surfing. Zip lining. Yoga. Spa services. You know. Whether you wanted to relax or whether you wanted to get out and try something so you could write about it - we'd find a way. Put up a climbing wall so you can learn to rappel? Totally. Shush. I'm building a fantasy here. I'll worry about insurance premiums later. 
It would be intended to get you closer to your muse and your own internal knowing. Because how can you not be happy and content when you're inside a stand of bamboo towering over your head, listening to the ocean breeze clatter the grove like living wind chimes?
I have the spot all picked out and most of the tiny houses (with desks and wifi) built in my head. Now all I need is a mega lotto win.