Many of my dear blogging writer buddies have offered a peek at their literary digs, so I'm sharing my own humble hovel. I often fantasize about that space by a real window, with just enough wall space for my inspirational paraphernalia, flanked by a wall of well-stocked bookshelves. Maybe after a few best-sellers!
In the meantime...I'll entertain the muse in my little corner of the basement. Speaking of corners...as you go around the corner, you'll find the rest of my hovel, the space where I tend to stash most of my beloved creative mess.
Believe it or not, my little sweeties respect my space. They don't mess with Mama's desk or her work table. I had to laugh when I overheard my 6-year-old reading the riot act to a playmate who had started fiddling with the little things on my desk. "OFF LIMITS...OFF LIMITS...THAT'S MAMA'S!" Of course, what lay behind me in my little slice of literary heaven?
The guinea pig, the toy box, the air hockey table, the pile of plastic doodads that no kid can life without,...and usually a kid, sitting right in the middle of it all. For some reason, my daughter's favorite place to play is 6 inches behind my chair. She hums, sings, or recites whatever little drama she's inventing with her chunky Little People or her My Little Ponies.So, though I love my dear little corner at the foot of the stairs, I still dream about that wonderful desk in front of a broad, windex-clean window, lovely bookshelf stuffed with every tome I could ever want or need beside me, bluetooth printer tucked away in an easy-to-reach spot, and a DOOR. A door that actually closes. A door that shuts me in with my fickle muse, where I am free to roll around on the floor or rant or curse or slap the crap out of some villain (all in the name of writing, of course). Ahhhh...yes, Virginia...there is such a place.
It may not have a door, but that's a nice little writing space you've got there, Mary Ann.
ReplyDeleteI love the Mac graveyard in the background of one of those shots. Kinda like my house. In fact, I think we may even have the same computer on our desks, just possibly different generations. Mine's getting pretty old now. I keep begging dh to upgrade me, but no luck yet.
I love the idea of having my own space. I wish I could have it too. I have a door, but I have to share the room with the kids, so the door just locks them in WITH me. Not recommended. lol (You can see my kids' computer in my workspace photos - we actually sort of share the desk and sit inches apart)
Someday you'll get your door. Patience. :)
Oh, and sorry it took me so long to come visit. I've been cleaning my house.
ReplyDeleteI can see the floor!!!
:D
Mary Ann,
ReplyDeleteI think yours is a sweet little space and there's no reason to feel embarrassed about it. For years I wrote at the dining room table with my little boys playing beneath my feet and constant interruptions. At least there was a window in there, though. With little space, all my books were upstairs in the attic. In the background, the tv was always going and it was always noisy and hard to think.
I hope I didn't make anybody feel bad. That certainly wasn't my intention. I have a room on the main floor because, frankly, we only have one floor -- no basement or upstairs otherwise that's where I would probably be and this would be our guest room -- which I really should have. When anybody comes to visit we have to play musical beds and usually it's poor Derek who's forced to give up his room.
My printer is broken and my computer is teetering on the brink of a technical meltdown.
Anyhow, thanks for sharing and I hope the big breakout novel comes soon for you.
Stella
Actually, it took me a few days to get the pictures upload--a problem with blogger. The floor! Land ho! I know those days all to well. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYep, you saw the hand-me-down Mac, all right. That one is for the kids. We can get them from the college dirt cheap when they upgrade, so that's what the kids get.
My dear little PowerBook is my teacher's retirement fund--no kidding. I cashed it in so I could have a real start to this part of my life. So...4 years without a retirment plan...oh well. Bring on that book contract!
I can just see you down there working, Mary Anne~ so cute. Thanks for sharing that! It's been neat to see where each of you write!
ReplyDeleteOnce I move I'll get a little corner set up (I hope). Right now I just have the computer on a built-in desk in my kitchen. :)
I sometimes have problems uploading photos onto blogger as well. It's Safari that's the problem - try using firefox next time. It'll likely work a bit better.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. I went to the help boards, and there were several Mac-people with the same complaint. But they got it fixed.
ReplyDeleteStella--you didn't make anybody feel bad. Not at all! We're all in different stages of our writing lives. Before we moved here, I had me space in the official playroom. It had once been a breezeway and was converted into an extra room beside the kitchen. My desk sat under what used to be the kitchen window (still was, but it opened into the room instead of outside). Nice big windows beside me, and all the toys around me. My daughter was an infant, so she would bounce along in her bouncy seat, or with any luck nap, while I wrote. My son is so laid back and quiet, you would hardly know he was there. But as my daughter grew, so did the decibel level in the house--constant and loud! But she is a joy and I wouldn't trade either of them.
Thanks for poppin' in for a look, guys!
Hey there, Mary Ann -- haven't seen you around in awhile. Just popping in to make sure you're doing okay.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Thanks, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI'm swamped, and I'll blog about it later. Big changes could be coming to my family (good ones), so I'll post the update soon. My sister is visiting from Indiana, so we're off to visit Hershey Chocolate World with the kids!
mmm... you know that anything with the words chocolate and world in the title has to be a thing of beauty!
ReplyDeleteHershey Park? When my boys were in a youth orchestra some years back, we accompanied them to Hershey Park for a musical competition. They did great! Personally, I couldn't stomach all those roller coaster rides though.
ReplyDeleteHope it's real great news!
I love roller coasters, Stella. But we didn't go to the park, just to the chocolate factory and the kids loved it! Now our house is full of chocolate kisses of all kinds--major sugar fits happenin' round here!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary Ann! Glad I asked about bookcases over at Verla's. It lead me back to your blog. Also glad you have photos of your space posted.
ReplyDeleteSomeday you'll have that DOOR and those windex-clean windows!
You and a few others got me thinking I better show what things can really look like in my space. Hope you don't mind, I linked you up in my new post.
gail