Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Where I Write: Arena or Nook?

Virginia Woolf says, in order to write a woman must have "a room of her own." Other writers all have their own ideas about an ideal writing space. For me, it is not the room or the studio or any other place or space outside of the writer, but it is the writer's inner space. So, of all writerly advice for a writing place, the most sensible one for me is Ernest Hemingway's. "The best place to write is in your head."

A writer works in a the mix of imagination, ideas, and craft, and usually becomes so engrossed in what he is doing that he is unaware of his actual surroundings, although some writers may need external motivations such as music, a certain view, special kind of furniture, the purrs of their kitten, etc.

In truth, where I am writing is not my problem, but the conditions are. I like absolute quiet and I can only get it after midnight, which cuts into my sleep cycle. So it is a Catch 22 situation. Can I write elsewhere? I can, but the work I produce, or rather my enjoyment of it, does not measure up to what I can do in absolute quite. And yes, I have written in the library, the mall, the airport, an airplane, the beach, Barnes&Noble's, Starbucks, hotels, parks, playground, the bathroom, so on and so forth. Most of what I write in any noisy place or in public ends up becoming jotted down, disconnected ideas or lists, or at best, prewriting for some future piece.

My writing space now is part of the family room, close to the kitchen, which allows me to keep an eye on the cooking. When I take my eyes off the computer's screen, I can see the sixth hole of a golf course, and this pleases me because, as well as the large green space, there are palms and other trees in my view. Around my desk in the family room, I have bookshelves that hold all my reference books, as well as a few other things I may need.

Yet, in the same room is the TV across from where I sit and my hubby's small workspace, his laptop, and his boom-box. He has a study room in the house, and there is another room, supposedly mine, which holds the most of my books, another desk, and a bed. That room serves as a guestroom, too. In truth, my husband could stick to his study for whatever it is he is doing, and I could go write in the guest room, which was originally designed as my study, but with mutual consent, we decided to do our work and entertainment together in the family room. That togetherness thing, you know.

If I have to design an ideal room for my writing, however, that room has to be in a quiet place, but close to a big city. I'd prefer Manhattan, but that is not possible, because having lived there for half of my life and in the suburbs of it, too, I know no such quiet exists there. So, let's say, I found an imaginary Manhattan, and off from it, an absolutely quiet spot with a fantastic view of either the mountains with lots of trees or a quiet beach. I would like the room to have glass walls facing the view. I would like a tall ceiling, tiled floor with plush area rugs, and bookshelves on the three other walls. A large desk and another large table are also necessary and, since this is a figment of my imagination, a computer and printer, both totally unbreakable and fuss-free, are my requirements, too. A state of the art reading nook and professional lighting would complete the room.

Now, if I had all that would my writing get any better? I don't think so. The only thing that would get better would be the sale value of the house. So, as is, where I write is perfectly fine, if I could only apply a few conditions to it, at least during a few hours of the day...


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Prompt: Describe your ideal writing space - it does not have to be in your house, library, or anywhere familiar. You've been given a huge sum of money and can go anywhere you choose to set up your writing space - describe it!