This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Recently I’ve worked in lots of different rooms while I’ve been touring in plays and also moving house.
In my office in my old house, I had a railway poster art calendar and each month had a beautiful image of a different country. The office became known as the travel agents. When life gets quiet and humdrum and grey it’s nice to remember how amazing, wonderful and undiscovered it all is.
When I’m working, more often than not, there’ll be a dog somewhere near me, gently applying light pressure to go for a little walk. My dear old Collie Labrador, Ada, used to lie outside the office door and burst in John Wayne style, when it was time for me to go. It was always a shock when the door burst open but I never had the heart to shut her out.
Now I have little Nell, who can be persuaded to lie upside down on my lap while I type. She is very patient.As for other writing rooms … I have a confession to make because it is a bit slobby, but I must admit – I like working in bed in the very early mornings, with the curtains still closed and the laptop balanced on pillows … horizontal writing … cocoon writing … sing as if no one can hear you type writing.
I’ll stay like that till about 10.30am and then I regret that due to errands that will then be pressing, I don’t have very much time to sort out my hair etc. My family are getting quite good at not saying anything about my ‘working appearance’, but on the other hand, I find that people are generally quite good at finding ways to say things that don’t involve words …
I’ll clean up nice, I tell myself, as a wayward bed sock slips down over my heel, and I put my foot into a wellie and prepare to go out. Ironically, I love beautiful dresses and lovely hair! It’s just there’s not enough time!
I like working in cafes too, but I can’t concentrate if the music that’s playing has lyrics. If there are lyrics I want to listen to them. I’m too easily distracted.
I can see why George Orwell went and squirreled himself away on Jura when he wrote Nineteen Eighty Four to totally immerse himself in his work. I do like the idea of total squirreling somewhere rugged and remote. It makes a lot of sense.
And for a more unusual writing room, recently, as a result of a particularly hectic schedule, because of moving and working and travelling etc, I found myself having to work in my car. Actually, it wasn’t a bad little office, though I did come away with ‘a shoulder’ from writing at a peculiar angle. Yet you could argue that the car is the ultimate writing room. Rain falling on a metal roof has got to be one of the most inspirational sounds of all time, and you can always guarantee a good view and perhaps a little ageing chocolate in the glove box.
Campari for Breakfast by Sara Crowe is out now.