This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
I was super-excited when Novelicious asked me to chat about my writing room because I’ve just had builders in for a month to turn our dark, cold, cramped loft into a tiny yet perfectly-formed creative space!
I’ve written my last nine books at the dining table or on the sofa… or in bed (which may not be the most conducive to writing but is excellent for napping). I have tried writing in cafes but my curiosity always gets the better of me. I’m too nosy not to earwig on everyone’s conversation, and though it’s very entertaining, it doesn’t result in very much writing. I really need to be locked away from any and all distractions.
So you can imagine how thrilled I was about the idea of having a dedicated writing space that I could get to in my pajamas. Away from the “could-be-doings” in the main part of the house, I could turn off the internet and write to my heart’s content.
Unfortunately the loft structure didn’t make it easy. The sloping ceiling is only six feet high at the highest point so it’s only possible to stand up in the very centre of the room. Roof trusses had to be removed and the whole thing strengthened, or the new writing room would end up crashing through the ceiling into the living room.
But the builders managed to strengthen and build the room, board the floor, add roof windows, insulation and plasterboard. And then I got to turn it into the perfect writing space.
So I’m writing this while sitting at the gorgeous desk I made from a Victorian oak door we salvaged from our flat when we renovated it last year. The 1950s Bauhaus desk lamp that my husband found on eBay casts a beautiful light over the keyboard. My toes wriggle on the thick wool carpet that didn’t fit in the main house, and in front of the desk runs one of two room-length cabinets with room for dozens of family and friends’ photos – a gallery of all the love in our lives. The shelves are just waiting to be filled with the books that will let us happily pass the hours.
Behind me is the sofa that I put together from a mattress, an Orla Kiely duvet cover and a 1950s steel bed frame (another amazing eBay find). Now I don’t have to leave the room to have a nap!
I’m happy in my tiny garret at the top of the house, warm and cosy and inspired by my surroundings but not distracted by them. We’ll see if this results in more writing… or more naps :- )
