"You Asked!" #21: Work Space
heatherkb asked: Where do you work, at home, in a designated office, do you get up and shower like you are going to work or do you work in your jammies? Or a little of it all!
2K9 authors answered:
Rosanne Parry: My work day is organized around my children's school day. I get up with them and get them off to school. I spend a little time each morning getting the house in order, and then I work straight through the school day, stopping for several hours for after school activities. After dinner, I'm back to work for several hours while my kids do homework and practice their music and dance. I seldom stop working before midnight.
During the winter, I work on my laptop in a cosy upstairs window seat and I work in my treehouse all summer long.
Megan Crewe: I do my writing at home: my "office" is one end of my bedroom, where I have my desk, bookshelves with my reference and children's/YA books, and my writing chair (I usually write on my laptop). I usually write pretty much first thing in the morning, in my jammies. I do also have a day job that takes me out of the house (and which I dress up for, of course). :)
J.T. Dutton: I have an office, but it has four doors--very metaphoric.
Suzanne Morgan Williams: I have an office at home - one door, one window Jen. I usually do my e-mail and morning calls in my jammies, then get dressed for the day and write if the whole day isn’t taken up with other stuff. My brain usually blows out about 2PM. Then I do household stuff and errands. I may get back to writing after dinner. E-mail again. Facebook. All that. So this is how my day goes. Unless it happens some other way.
Donna St. Cyr: I work from home. I love to write in my jammies, and try to get in about 3 hours of writing and business stuff (answering emails, promotion, etc.) until 10:00. Then I clean up, run errands, and come home for a couple more writing activities before I put everything down to be with family in the evenings. When a special deadline happens I usually throw this schedule out the window and write whenever and wherever I can.
Danielle Joseph: I work around my kids' schedule, either from my home office or from Starbucks. I usually find time to write when my baby is napping or after everyone has gone to bed. I really enjoy working from Starbucks because there is no dirty laundry or dishes calling my name. I enjoy writing at night but have had to adjust to the "whenever/wherever" schedule. I usually answer emails and play on Facebook/Twitter before I get started for the day. I do aspire to write in my jammies though:)!
Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I get up by 5:15am (because my boys have to be in the pool by 6am for practice)so I usually take my dog for a long walk after they leave, then shower and get dressed as if I'm going to work, but with no mascara or lipstick or anything! Then I sit down to write until they return from school. My office has one glass door, so even if it's closed, I can still see out. My dog sits on her bed right next to me while I work. She is a big help! About every three months or so, I completely reorganize my office so it's different. I change the pictures around, and maybe push in a new chair to sit on. I throw a bunch of stuff out. Or I even paint one wall a new color. This makes it seem like a new place to me. This week, I stocked it with all new supplies, having been inspired by back to school. There's a metal canister with 60 unsharpened Dixon Ticonderoga's (medium soft) in there, just waiting to be used on some revision. This is probably only exciting to me, (being a past teacher and all), but I can't wait to sharpen one and get started.
Susan E. Fine: My writing space shifted when we moved. I wrote most of INITIATION in various places around the University of Chicago campus (the cafe at the Smart Museum, the Crear science library, the atrium at the business school -- and others). In our new apartment, I have a tiny office (used to be a closet and has no windows but quite cozy and well set up for writing) where I work a lot of the time. Because I have small children, I am up with them early and take them to school; sometimes I then run on the path that is along the beautiful Lake Michigan (when it's not two degrees outside!) before heading home both to work on my own writing and to pursue various freelance projects, which have mostly focused on developing educational content for education publishers and schools. I have found that getting up and getting ready for work helps me to put more structure on the jobs I now do, although I certainly take advantage of the flexibility my schedule now has when I need to, and that can mean throwing on sweat pants, zipping over to the school drop-off, and heading home to meet a deadline quickly or writing late at night because the whole day was eaten up with something unexpected or given to volunteer work at my children's school, etc.
S. Terrell French: I'd love to work in my pajamas, but have to get the kids off to school. I work on a laptop at my kitchen table, but wish I had 1) a room with four doors (in an early draft of Operation Redwood, Julian had a dream about a room with four doors -- Jeanne and I must have a psychic connection); 2) a tree house; or 3) Kathryn around to reorganize everything!
Sydney Salter: I do get up and shower, but that's mostly so I don't scare the carpool kids. I work at what should be my formal dining room table, but has morphed into my messy desk just off the living room. I love all the light and open space and my family has gotten used to the clutter (plus they tend to ignore me when I'm out in the open). I do change into sweats while I work--cozy and comfy!
Lauren Strasnick: I work in bed. I get up, check email, facebook, etc., shower (sometimes), change clothes (although, writing clothes aren't quite real clothes -- shorts and tanks), then I get back into bed. Usually I write from noon to six. When I'm trying to finish a project i spend hours and hours in my bedroom. It's totally weird. I'm on deadline right now and am quickly loosing touch with reality. I had a dentist appointment last week and got to go out for an hour or two. Stellar!
Cheryl Renee Herbsman: I write in my bedroom on my bed. I usually get up, shower, have breakfast, get the kids ready and take them to school. Then I spend about an hour or so online dealing with email, facebook, twitter, etc. Then I head into my room, light some candles, and get going. I usually write in jeans or sweats or other comfy clothes. I have a terrible time trying to write in public, like at a café. I find that I really need the silence and solitude of a closed room.
Beverly Patt: For a long time, my laptop was so old it wasn't worth the trouble of using. So I've written in my office at my home computer forever. On cold, winter days, it was great, because, with its old-fashioned radiator, the room stayed toasty warm. On sunny days, however, I pined to be outside or at least in my sunny kitchen.
Well, I just bought a new MacBook Pro and I'm typing this from my sunny, backyard pergola! A new era (for me) is born! I've also tried it out at my favorite coffee shop and I did well until some cute toddlers came in and I got all nostalgic for the days my kids were little (altho when my kids were little, I remember looking at people like me and thinking, 'gosh, I can't wait til my kids are older and I can come here alone!) Boy, that darn green grass...
Ellen Jensen Abbott: I write wherever I can squeeze in even 45 minutes. I do have an office at home--two doors, one of them French!, and a window. My table is an antique tavern table complete with the knife marks from folk eating on it. Good for a fantasy author. I also just bought a Himalayan salt lamp to put on my desk. I'm expecting to channel more dwarves this way. But I often have to write out in the world. As a part-time teacher, I generally have a few hours between classes, so I head to a carrel in the school library or to my local Panera, which I adore--good soup, good tea, fireplace. Like Danielle, I often focus better in a public space when there aren't home duties calling to me. I also write when I am: waiting for a doctor's appointment, waiting for my daughter to have a piano lesson, waiting for my kids to finish a playdate. Have laptop, will travel!
Deborah Lytton: I work at home, at a desk that has all my favorite things around me for inspiration. I've hung a bulletin board nearby so I can collage inspirational quotes and photos that help me connect with my story and characters. I have a day job as an attorney, so I write at night and in the early mornings--and always in my pajamas!
Fran Cannon Slayton: I work in a lot of different places. Sometimes I have to work at home in my office - there are times in the process that I feel like I need access to a printer every 15 seconds so I can print and mark up what I just wrote. Other times I go to a local coffee or pastry shop and get all cozy with a soy latte as I type away. Sometimes I try to get away from wifi so I am not constantly taking a break to check my emails - that is my biggest distraction. As far as times go, I write during the school day before my daughter comes home. Sometimes I write first thing in the morning after checking my emails. Other times it's after I've exercised and had lunch. I take a break when my daughter and husband come home from school and work, and then hit it again in the evening, when I usually attend to marketing and email tasks.
2K9 authors answered:
Rosanne Parry: My work day is organized around my children's school day. I get up with them and get them off to school. I spend a little time each morning getting the house in order, and then I work straight through the school day, stopping for several hours for after school activities. After dinner, I'm back to work for several hours while my kids do homework and practice their music and dance. I seldom stop working before midnight.
During the winter, I work on my laptop in a cosy upstairs window seat and I work in my treehouse all summer long.
Megan Crewe: I do my writing at home: my "office" is one end of my bedroom, where I have my desk, bookshelves with my reference and children's/YA books, and my writing chair (I usually write on my laptop). I usually write pretty much first thing in the morning, in my jammies. I do also have a day job that takes me out of the house (and which I dress up for, of course). :)
J.T. Dutton: I have an office, but it has four doors--very metaphoric.
Suzanne Morgan Williams: I have an office at home - one door, one window Jen. I usually do my e-mail and morning calls in my jammies, then get dressed for the day and write if the whole day isn’t taken up with other stuff. My brain usually blows out about 2PM. Then I do household stuff and errands. I may get back to writing after dinner. E-mail again. Facebook. All that. So this is how my day goes. Unless it happens some other way.
Donna St. Cyr: I work from home. I love to write in my jammies, and try to get in about 3 hours of writing and business stuff (answering emails, promotion, etc.) until 10:00. Then I clean up, run errands, and come home for a couple more writing activities before I put everything down to be with family in the evenings. When a special deadline happens I usually throw this schedule out the window and write whenever and wherever I can.
Danielle Joseph: I work around my kids' schedule, either from my home office or from Starbucks. I usually find time to write when my baby is napping or after everyone has gone to bed. I really enjoy working from Starbucks because there is no dirty laundry or dishes calling my name. I enjoy writing at night but have had to adjust to the "whenever/wherever" schedule. I usually answer emails and play on Facebook/Twitter before I get started for the day. I do aspire to write in my jammies though:)!
Kathryn Fitzmaurice: I get up by 5:15am (because my boys have to be in the pool by 6am for practice)so I usually take my dog for a long walk after they leave, then shower and get dressed as if I'm going to work, but with no mascara or lipstick or anything! Then I sit down to write until they return from school. My office has one glass door, so even if it's closed, I can still see out. My dog sits on her bed right next to me while I work. She is a big help! About every three months or so, I completely reorganize my office so it's different. I change the pictures around, and maybe push in a new chair to sit on. I throw a bunch of stuff out. Or I even paint one wall a new color. This makes it seem like a new place to me. This week, I stocked it with all new supplies, having been inspired by back to school. There's a metal canister with 60 unsharpened Dixon Ticonderoga's (medium soft) in there, just waiting to be used on some revision. This is probably only exciting to me, (being a past teacher and all), but I can't wait to sharpen one and get started.
Susan E. Fine: My writing space shifted when we moved. I wrote most of INITIATION in various places around the University of Chicago campus (the cafe at the Smart Museum, the Crear science library, the atrium at the business school -- and others). In our new apartment, I have a tiny office (used to be a closet and has no windows but quite cozy and well set up for writing) where I work a lot of the time. Because I have small children, I am up with them early and take them to school; sometimes I then run on the path that is along the beautiful Lake Michigan (when it's not two degrees outside!) before heading home both to work on my own writing and to pursue various freelance projects, which have mostly focused on developing educational content for education publishers and schools. I have found that getting up and getting ready for work helps me to put more structure on the jobs I now do, although I certainly take advantage of the flexibility my schedule now has when I need to, and that can mean throwing on sweat pants, zipping over to the school drop-off, and heading home to meet a deadline quickly or writing late at night because the whole day was eaten up with something unexpected or given to volunteer work at my children's school, etc.
S. Terrell French: I'd love to work in my pajamas, but have to get the kids off to school. I work on a laptop at my kitchen table, but wish I had 1) a room with four doors (in an early draft of Operation Redwood, Julian had a dream about a room with four doors -- Jeanne and I must have a psychic connection); 2) a tree house; or 3) Kathryn around to reorganize everything!
Sydney Salter: I do get up and shower, but that's mostly so I don't scare the carpool kids. I work at what should be my formal dining room table, but has morphed into my messy desk just off the living room. I love all the light and open space and my family has gotten used to the clutter (plus they tend to ignore me when I'm out in the open). I do change into sweats while I work--cozy and comfy!
Lauren Strasnick: I work in bed. I get up, check email, facebook, etc., shower (sometimes), change clothes (although, writing clothes aren't quite real clothes -- shorts and tanks), then I get back into bed. Usually I write from noon to six. When I'm trying to finish a project i spend hours and hours in my bedroom. It's totally weird. I'm on deadline right now and am quickly loosing touch with reality. I had a dentist appointment last week and got to go out for an hour or two. Stellar!
Cheryl Renee Herbsman: I write in my bedroom on my bed. I usually get up, shower, have breakfast, get the kids ready and take them to school. Then I spend about an hour or so online dealing with email, facebook, twitter, etc. Then I head into my room, light some candles, and get going. I usually write in jeans or sweats or other comfy clothes. I have a terrible time trying to write in public, like at a café. I find that I really need the silence and solitude of a closed room.
Beverly Patt: For a long time, my laptop was so old it wasn't worth the trouble of using. So I've written in my office at my home computer forever. On cold, winter days, it was great, because, with its old-fashioned radiator, the room stayed toasty warm. On sunny days, however, I pined to be outside or at least in my sunny kitchen.
Well, I just bought a new MacBook Pro and I'm typing this from my sunny, backyard pergola! A new era (for me) is born! I've also tried it out at my favorite coffee shop and I did well until some cute toddlers came in and I got all nostalgic for the days my kids were little (altho when my kids were little, I remember looking at people like me and thinking, 'gosh, I can't wait til my kids are older and I can come here alone!) Boy, that darn green grass...
Ellen Jensen Abbott: I write wherever I can squeeze in even 45 minutes. I do have an office at home--two doors, one of them French!, and a window. My table is an antique tavern table complete with the knife marks from folk eating on it. Good for a fantasy author. I also just bought a Himalayan salt lamp to put on my desk. I'm expecting to channel more dwarves this way. But I often have to write out in the world. As a part-time teacher, I generally have a few hours between classes, so I head to a carrel in the school library or to my local Panera, which I adore--good soup, good tea, fireplace. Like Danielle, I often focus better in a public space when there aren't home duties calling to me. I also write when I am: waiting for a doctor's appointment, waiting for my daughter to have a piano lesson, waiting for my kids to finish a playdate. Have laptop, will travel!
Deborah Lytton: I work at home, at a desk that has all my favorite things around me for inspiration. I've hung a bulletin board nearby so I can collage inspirational quotes and photos that help me connect with my story and characters. I have a day job as an attorney, so I write at night and in the early mornings--and always in my pajamas!
Fran Cannon Slayton: I work in a lot of different places. Sometimes I have to work at home in my office - there are times in the process that I feel like I need access to a printer every 15 seconds so I can print and mark up what I just wrote. Other times I go to a local coffee or pastry shop and get all cozy with a soy latte as I type away. Sometimes I try to get away from wifi so I am not constantly taking a break to check my emails - that is my biggest distraction. As far as times go, I write during the school day before my daughter comes home. Sometimes I write first thing in the morning after checking my emails. Other times it's after I've exercised and had lunch. I take a break when my daughter and husband come home from school and work, and then hit it again in the evening, when I usually attend to marketing and email tasks.