Where I write

I love this!  Jennifer at Conversion Diary has asked people to write about, and take pictures of, the space in which they write.  I'm always keen to learn how other people write - everything from the equipment they use (Robert Ludlum wrote every novel in long hand with a pen on legal notepads) to how they schedule their writing time and every other bit of trivia I can glean, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing what other Conversion Diary readers will share.

Here then, is my writing space:

I like to be able to see outside when I'm writing. This window overlooks beautiful mature trees, which inspire lovely daydreams.
My desk is long and narrow, so I often have books and papers piled on the bed behind me, or on the floor beside me. (That's a shawl on the floor - very Elizabeth Bennet, but useful in the chilly winter!) Reference books are in easy reach to the right, as well as a few CDs for mood music. The other end of the desk holds the girly goops and potions which have nothing to do with my writing, but on occasion offer a welcome distraction.

Essential, but hidden away

Pencils at the ready

My pen of choice

Work in progress often begins with pen and paper, but without hard and fast rules.  Sometimes it's just one line of an idea, sometimes it's a fully edited, ready to go piece, which then gets typed into that state-of-the-art bit of technology you see there. Most often it's the one line, written in whichever notebook was handy at the time, then I stare out the window, 'working' on the rest of it.

A few other books nearby. My beloved Jane Austen collection is on a lower shelf, but you can see some Tolkien and Lewis there - good friends I wouldn't want to be without.  Snoopy is a piggy bank, and he's got coins I've collected from different countries I've visited. Behind St. Anne is a penguin made from a water bottle - a gift from Number Two Nephew on St. Valentine's Day.

A view from above. Just visible is the stool I sit on. It's covered in an almost Tiffany blue suede, with brass buttons tacked around the bottom.  It makes me happy every time I see it (though some days, I'm sure my bottom has become square from sitting on the thing for so long.  It's a pretty bit of nonsense... pretty hard!)






And there you have it.  I love the space I write in.  I like to feel cozy and private, and this little corner of the house fits the bill quite nicely.