This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
My Writing Room is a fabulous fortnightly event, in which some of our favourite authors show us where the writerly magic happens, and tell us a little about their writing life.
Today we are peeking into the (gorgeous) writing space of Clare Dowling!
Clare is an Irish Times bestselling novelist. Her latest book is Too Close For Comfort.
My Writing Room by Clare Dowling
For years I wrote sitting on my bed with my laptop plonked on my knees, thinking myself very bohemian. But then one shoulder seized up, followed quickly by the other, and I ended up in a physiotherapist’s clinic hunched over like Quasimodo. It would only get worse, I was told, unless I sat at a desk, with proper arm support.
I’m not that keen on desks, so my compromise is the kitchen island. It’s cheery and bright there, with loads of supportive room for the elbows. I like my high stool, although it’s a bit creaky, and there’s a really nice feeling of being in the thick of family life, instead of cloistered away upstairs in the attic. The downside is that, being in the kitchen, I’m forever thinking about food, or wanting cups of tea. And everybody thinks you’re fair game for a quick nutella sandwich request.
It’s not a very personal space – you’d be more likely to find a leftover red pepper by my computer than a beautifully framed photo of my family – but it means I can whip my laptop away two minutes before the kids arrive home from school, and I’m good to go.