This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Today we're peeking inside the writing space of Elizabeth Fremantle. Elizabeth used to work as a fashion editor for top magazines including Elle and Vogue and her debut novel, Queen's Gambit, will be reviewed here soon.
I’m afraid I’m very territorial about this space – absolutely no one is allowed to sit at my desk without asking permission. Most people, and especially my teenaged children, don’t understand why this is. I certainly can’t explain it, but it makes me very twitchy, particularly if someone says, ‘Just going to check my Facebook.’ This fills my head with images of super-viruses infecting the bowels of my computer and erasing everything I’ve ever written, or glasses of red wine spilled on my keyboard and erasing everything I’ve ever written, or… well you get the picture.
My study used to be my son’s bedroom until my daughter left home, causing a reshuffle but things weren’t always this salubrious. Queen's Gambit was written on an ancient laptop, perched on any clear surface, in a dust-choked house with no back wall and an army of builders asking questions I couldn’t answer, in a language I didn’t understand. This is why I appreciate my quiet study so very much. I also appreciate my Mac desktop, which I bought myself when I got my first book deal, allowing the ancient laptop to be retired and with it went the posture problems.
I did tidy up a little for this picture. Usually there are books and papers piled up on the desk and always a huge mug of strong tea. What can’t be seen is the sheepskin rug under the desk where my dogs curl up and keep me company when I am writing.
Elizabeth Fremantle's Website