Fiction Scribe

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

What is your desk space like?

If it’s anything like mine used to be, then it could be your desk causing your struggle to write and not your wandering muse.

A few weeks ago, I found myself become increasingly stressed and almost unable to get my work done at my desk. To my right I had a stack of drawers with paperwork on top and my schedule books around it. To my right I had a coaster for my drinks of choice and an ever-growing stack of books to be read.

Along with that I had knick-knacks, pictures, post-it notes, other books, pens and pencils, candles, mail and other various things. My clutter even stretched over to a small dresser on my right and the table with the printer on it.

My desk was, to say the least, a bit cluttered.

However, it took me a while to realize that the clutter – something I had grown used to working in – was causing some of my so-called writer’s block.

I now have rules for my desk like how many knick-knacks on the overhead part, one pen and pencil holder allowed, and no more than five books at any time on the desk – and I have to be reading and/or reviewing the books that do get left on my desk.

All of the rules I’ve set have made me a more relaxed and productive writer.

Respect your space. Make sure you have all you need but also have room to breathe. Make it your space for writing/working and that only.

Keeping your space uncluttered and designated for a specific purpose could help you even more than you might realize.

So you might ask, “Fiction Scribe, I read on the Weekly Writing Challenge that you haven’t been writing a lot lately. Why is that so? We’ve already seen your beautiful, new writing desk? What else is keeping you?”

Well, I finally downloaded the pictures that say more than words when the subject of me not using my writing desk right now comes up…

This is what happens when we let the spare room mess get out of control and take on a life of its own.

Here’s hoping we get the wireless set up and the home network going so I can once again reclaim my desk.

Last week I did a call out for people to email me pictures (and a paragraph or two) of their creative spaces.

Now, it wouldn’t be fair for me to not post my creative space, now would it?

Here is my wonderful writing space, complete with mug full of smoothie and telephone (to the left of the big monitor). Yes, working with two screens (the monitor, keyboard, and mouse hook into the laptop docking station) definitely has its advantages when you have a bunch of things going at once. (Being married to a computer guy has its advantages, too. ;))

To the left. Nothing very exciting. The cord is to hook up the camera.

To the right. Also nothing very exciting. This is where I stack most of the books I have for researching weight loss, nutrition, etc. The PDA (next to the mug o’ smoothie goodness) is not actually mine. Mr. Scribe lets me borrow it.

Ah, my lovely top shelf. If you don’t recognize her, the statue in the middle is the lovely Egyptian goddess Isis. She has a Chinese fan with dragons behind her, and her very own book light to shine on her at night. There is also the small beanie polar bear Mr. Scribe gave me, a few of the snow globes I collect, the measuring tape I use to keep track of my personal measurements as I lose weight, a little token from a friend… Yeah, the picture frame needs a picture. I just have yet to print it off.

And so you have it.

Please keep emailing me pictures of your spaces. I’d love to see them and post them up.

Here’s the desk I spend most of my time on, because I’m a complete pc/internet addict like most of us It’s not always this clean and tidy (yes, this is tidy XD), usually there are papers and pens all over. As you can see, I’ve got a “Casino Royale” wallpaper, featuring Daniel Craig, the latest Bond (I’m a big 007 fan but I change it from time to time with other things I like) and pretty much what every person has on a pc desk ^^.

This is my regular desk, I’d like to spend more time on it but the pc steals a lot of time from me, even for writing. However, it’s where I keep some (not all) of my books, usually the ones I’m reading or about to read, some gifts I got and personal stuff (like perfumes, a Gandalf cup and that photo of my hubby :)). The long white thing is a rolled “Casino Royale” poster I got from a friend, I want to hang it in the back wall of the pc desk. This one is also not this tidy all the time, and I’m always moving thing from here to there. Yes, the books up there have fallen a few times XD. Oh, the light there is great for my night-reading cause the bed’s right next to it ^^.

W for Wonder

This is where I have been doing most of my writing. I got rid of my traditional desk because I never sat at it. I really enjoy my comfortable orange chair, but it has zero back support, so that is why the pillows are there. This location in front of the television is perfect for watching The View because I do the recap as I watch the show.

Watching The View

Elisa was the very first to send me a picture of her space. Enjoy!

*ahem*
Bless this mess.

This is a picture of my desk in my office at home.
You might call my office my Fortress of Solitude, or call it My Lair, but let me tell you: it has a door that I can close. I pay extra rent for that privilege.

Anyway, you are lucky that you cannot see my floor in this image, as it is also a bit on the messy side. My cats knock things onto the floor, you see.

My dream desk would be the right height, and be a great deal larger, but this desk was given to me by my Nana. So, it remains in my office, and it does a great job of holding all of my stuff. It gives me a place to write in the one room of the house that is truly mine.

The Book Stacks
Watching Dr. Who
Silliness.Org

If you’re anything like me, you love taking a peek at other creative people’s desks. I love looking to see what they have to inspire them and what they like to have in arm’s reach.

So when I found On My Desk, I was thrilled to peruse through the many entries they have there.

My husband just put together my new writing desk the night before last, and I finally have some personal touches on it. I’m planning on putting up a picture of it sometime, but I would love to do a post featuring the pictures of other writers and creative people.

Feel free to email me pictures (yes, more than one picture is fine!) of your creative space. Just put “Creative Spaces Pictures” in the subject line.