This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
I love my writing room so much!
When I first moved into my flat in 2012 I remember thinking it was really important for me to get the room right – even though I didn’t have a book deal at the time. But I thought I’d be much more likely to achieve my dream of becoming a successful writer if I could create a space that would inspire me to be the best I could.
I started by taking the decision to paint the walls in a cheerful, uplifting colour. And hanging on the four walls are lots of mementos of creative projects I’ve worked on in the past that I’m proud of. I have a painting of three topless cancan girls that Will Young gave me after we made a documentary together for ITV, a big print by Sam Taylor-Johnson that she gave me after we spent a whole year together making another documentary, and a framed, handwritten copy of Valentine, my favourite poem by Carol Ann Duffy, which again she gave me after we’d worked together on a programme for ITV.
I try not to have too much clutter on my desk so I’m less easily distracted while I’m writing. I do have a spinning globe I allow myself to gaze at if I need a quick break, dreaming about all the places in the world I’d like to visit. Next to it stands a card I bought featuring a picture of Madonna in the famous corset she wore at the start of the Blond Ambition tour. She’s holding her hands up in the air like a champion boxer after winning a fight and next to it there’s a quote which says, ‘I’m tough, I’m ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, OK.’ If I’m ever feeling down or my self-belief is flagging I look at this and it picks me up.Next to the desk I have a sofa I sit on if I want to read or think about something I’m working on before getting down to business on the laptop. And standing around the room are several bookcases crammed with books I’ve picked up from every stage in my life, many of which have inspired me as a writer – everything from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which is the first book I fell in love with as a child, to Madame Bovary, which blew me away when I read it at uni, and a whole stack of Jackie Collins novels, which never fail to perk me up if I want a nice, fun read or am on holiday and want to unwind. But even though I don’t have enough space for all the books I’ve picked up in life I’ve still managed to reserve one shelf for my own work. Of course, it’s half empty at the moment because I’ve only had two books published, my debut novel Shot Through the Heart and my new one Nothing but Trouble. But hopefully over the next few years I’ll fill it up with more!
Finally, leaning against the wall opposite my desk is a big wicker dressing-up box. This is mostly filled with costumes for my nephews and niece to wear when they come to visit but it also has a few adult feather boas, stiletto heels and ballet shoes in my size 9, and all kinds of hats and accessories I can slip on for a bit of daft fun if I’m ever getting too bogged down in work. Thankfully that hasn’t happened too often so far but it’ll take me a long time to fill up that bookshelf so you never know!
Nothing But Trouble by Matt Cain is out now.
Photo via