Becoming publishable
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You might also enjoy:
Resources to Consider:
The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing: Everything You Need to Know about Creating and Selling Your Work by Writer's Digest Books Editors
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE (UPDATED 2011 EDITION) The All-Time Bestselling Book on Writing English Newly Edited (Special Nook Edition) BY WILLIAM STRUNK, JUNIOR
This is an ebook for Nook. A link on the page will get you to a print version. I have the print version--it's almost mandatory for writers.
Creating a Workspace for Authors
I wrote the first book I ever published at the kitchen table, despite having a brand new desk purchased to celebrate my first contract. I had just been writing at the kitchen table so long I felt strange working anywhere else. Today, I do work at my desk, but have only occasionally had an office. Usually I write anywhere I can find a corner for a desk or laptop stand.
Where you write can make a difference. You don't need an office, but you need a place that feels right for you and meets your needs. In this article, we will talk about creating workspaces that will help you write your books and articles so you can become a published author.
Writing a Novel at the Kitchen Table
The kitchen table has an advantage in that most houses already have one. If you're on a tight budget or in a small home, it may be your best choice. It's also your best choice if you have teenagers and want to make sure you connect with them often. Teenagers always find their way to the kitchen several times a day. When I had teens, I made a point of closing my laptop and interacting when they showed up. It's also useful if you intersperse your writing with dishes and cooking, as I do.
The disadvantage to using the table is that it can be very hard to concentrate with people running in and out. If you're writing something complex, it helps to be in a less congested area. It also means your tools aren't near you. If you need to use the table, consider setting up a space in the room, or even creating a portable office box to carry around, where you can keep your supplies--notebooks, pens, sticky notes, research material, writing books...anything you might refer to as you work. The final disadvantage is that you have to continually clean up to serve meals, but if you never need more than a computer anyway, that won't be much of a problem.
If you're using the table, try to set it up so it has a few things that make you feel officially at work. For me, that's a framed quote about the wise use of talents that is always on my desk when I write. I can pick it up and move it to where I'm working if I need to. I also have to have my notebook and favorite pen with me. What makes it an official working space for you?
Writing a Novel on a Portable Desk or Stand--Or a Lap!
This is something I love to do in the summer. I put my laptop on my laptop stand and head outside to write. In the winter, I sometimes go upstairs and perch on my favorite comfortable chair with the stand in front of it. Sometimes a change of scenery helps me find a new thought flow. Sometimes, of course, it's a distraction. We live on a few acres of land right now and our property is a constant stream of deer, amusing groundhogs, birds, and bunnies. When I'm not really wanting to work, they are a wonderful distraction. My desk has the advantage of being so familiar I don't see the environment anymore most days (which is why it gets to be such a mess without my noticing it).
However, portability allows you to write in a place that suits your mood. My living room has a completely different feel than my dining room, which is where the desk is. I know you're supposed to create overall moods for a house, but I like to be able to find a room that suits my current mood. Outside, naturally, has another feel to it. And if I'm writing about the Revolutionary War, it's really inspiring to write sitting at Washington's Crossing, where the events really happened.
Writing a Novel at a Desk That Isn't in an Office
We move a lot due to my husband's work, but I do not seem to be destined for an office. Every time I get one, something happens and I have to give it up. Most often, then, my desk is in a public room. Currently, it's in a corner of the dining room. My "office" consists of my desk, a file cabinet and a small bookcase with a project table on top that holds papers. With such limited space, creativity is necessary to make sure the space fills my emotional and professional needs.
I confess to being a messy desk sort of person. I try...but it's always messy. It has sticky notes everywhere reminding me of contract writing assignments, how-tos, appointments, and whatever else I might forget. I can't live without sticky notes. I have a dry-erase board which doesn't really have a home yet--still thinking about that one. I also have my pencil jar, a picture of my granddaughter, my netbook which I use as a second computer while I work, my desktop-replacement laptop, my work notebook, my Nook, the phones, and a printer. Add in a million cords, my water and anything else I've managed to leave, and it's a pretty crowded desk.
Choose the items that go on your desk carefully. Since I have another shelving unit beside me, I can overflow there. I always have a framed quote about the responsible use of talent that sits wherever I work, and it has a space. Otherwise, most things on my desk are either practical or relaxing--my granddaughter's picture, a little lamb from my late grandmother's nativity set, a small gift from a toddler I helped to care for at church...things that are meaningful but not overly distracting. If you can hang pictures, consider putting up pictures that are meaningful to the type of writing you do. For instance, if you do religious writing, put up religious pictures. If you write about parenting, put up family pictures. Try to keep your workspace focused so you aren't distracted.
Writing a Novel in a Real Home Office
I had an actual office for a brief time. It was very important to me that it be just right. What is just right will be different for each person, but what I wanted was a peaceful sort of place because I'm a nervous sort of writer. I had a comfortable chair for reading, my desk, several bookcases with my writing books, and my favorite pictures and knickknacks. The pictures related to the type of writing I do. The other decorations were gifts from friends and family...people who make me feel safe and competent. It also had my cat's bed, even though she prefers to sleep on the keyboard while I'm trying to type. Since that wasn't always allowed, she sometimes settled for the bookcase, as you can see below. If there is room, a comfortable chair is a must. Writers need to spend a lot of time reading, and comfy chair makes a nice change from a desk when you're working on a laptop. If you're not using it, the mandatory writer's cat will.
