Aug
A Writer’s Nest
HA! I bet you thought I’d forgotten again, didn’t you? Nope, I’m just late.
I want to talk to you today about your nest, my little writing birdies. What is yours feathered with? Some people say they can’t think unless they have a nice, neat organized area that doesn’t nag to be cleaned before they can settle down to write. Others go with the theory that a cluttered desk is the sign of genius. I think I’m a hybrid, cluttered but I know where everything I need is, yet desperately wish for the organizational gene.
But it’s not there, so I must trudge on with what I’ve got. 
First and foremost, I have to have a BIG glass of something cold to drink, more often than not it’s Diet Coke.
And I have all my gadgets and geegaws, like my Palm Pilot, Camera and a pile of Eeyores on top of my monitior. Oh, and let’s not forget the books. Fiction books waiting to be added to my database, research and writing books too. Pictures of friends and family.Off to the side, a TV, which I let distract me way more than I should.
Buckets full of pens and pencils.
A shredder, for all those pesky bills and really bad writing days.
You know what I wish I had? An “easy” button, like on those office store commercials. That way, I’d never run out of ink.
So, what about your “nest?”
I don’t really have a nest. I have a desk which I love, and is much more cluttered than I’d like it to be. I keep thinking that one day I will organise it, but that day never seems to come. I much rather write, or surf the net or play a game than clean up that area unfortunately.
For writing I do it either behind my desk, or sitting on the couch with my laptop (usually tv on in the background since I can’t stand the silence) or in my bed. For the first and latter there has to be music on.
I never want silence. Sure, when I’m sleeping it’s ok, but for the rest of the day I like to have the tv on or music in the background, just to have some noise in the apartment.
Hey.. maybe in a couple of weeks we should all share photos of our little nests?
August 29th, 2006 at 1:30 pmEmily
Good idea Emily, as April’s post inspired me to take a photo of my nest hehe. Heck, I was even brave enough not to organize it before I took the photo hehe.
As an obsessive type person, freakishly scared of germs, my desk is a mess. Compared to my husband’s desk, mine is the cleanest desk in the world. Mine vs. His, you can at least see the color of my desk top haha.
But I always have a ritual for begining my day and leaving it. I straighten up every evening (some) and make sure I have soda, snacks and anything else I feel I need for the day. I always have my mp3 player at hand because like Emily, when I write I’ve gotta have some noise…I prefer music.
Great topic April. And congrats on not forgetting hehe.
August 29th, 2006 at 2:42 pmI was telling Haven earlier today, how much I love your blog topic today, April. You’ve inspired me to take pictures and share them here as Emmie suggested.
Isabel
August 29th, 2006 at 10:31 pmMy “nest” is in my crammed front room and in open view of everyone!
That being said one shelf has photo albums and dictionaries on it, another has blue waterfalls scented candles (for when I’m writing the love scenes.)
Another has odds and ends and MORE scented candles, along with one of those Coco-cola polar bears, though I’m a Pepsi girl myself.
Then I have my printer…which isn’t working that vexes me greatly! I also have a cordless phone right next to the computer so no need to run to answer the darn phone while writing.
I’ve also downloaded loads of music to my PC so I have the mood music, whatever that might be, when I want it!
That’s pretty much it! Nothing big.
Michelle
August 29th, 2006 at 11:30 pmThanks, y’all! Sounds like you have some neat places of your own!
August 30th, 2006 at 12:11 amI’m a little OCD and I absolutely MUST have everything just so before I can concentrate–I’m one of those people. My desk is also out in the living room area, so that’s another incentive to keep it neat. One thing that really makes me crazy is cat hair, which seems to ALWAYS be on EVERYTHING. It’s probably the static electricity of my monitor, but logic doesn’t make it any less annoying.
I’d post a pic, too, if you decide to do that here!
August 30th, 2006 at 7:25 amOh, fun topic. My office is in a spare room upstairs. It’s purple. A really nice, eggplanty purple wall. Anyway, when you come in, the desk is right by the wall. I don’t like my desk, but I’m too cheap to buy a new one. On the desk is a color printer (which is stacked with some CDs and a comic book.) There are pictures of me with each of my parents. My Dymo labelmaker (I LOVE THAT THING). Then I have a desk blotter which is covered with scribbles and a round up of the pages I’m writing each day and chapter pages and email addresses and to dos. I have a 17inch flatscreen monitor and my speakers (the subwoofer is under my desk). A cup with pens and pencils, a lamp that isn’t working. An actual to-do list. A stack of notebooks with ideas and promo stuff. There’s a drawer in the desk with files of my records, sales numbers, contracts, fan mail, etc.
Then I have a printer cart with my black and white laser and beneath that paper and a file cabinet with misc.
On the floor is a box of LONDON bookmarks, a small box of business cards, a small stack of DESIRE NEVER DIES coverflats, some files I need to go through and dispose of. Oh, and half a printed version of the third Lady Spy book.
CDs are in the corner behind the closet door. The closet is my storage center and a bomb went off in it, so I can’t even talk about how bad it is in there. But I have author copies in there, giveaways, envelopes, materials of all kinds, etc.
My bookshelf is next to the closet and has my ‘keepers’ and my research materials. Then a little round table with the phone and a few other little items.
Boring, I know. But it’s MINE!!
August 30th, 2006 at 9:18 amI really like the idea of posting our nest pictures here…after reading the descriptions of all of yours mine looks pretty plain. How about this…if we’re up to it that is, we could post our nest pictures the week of Sept 10-16. We have a guest, Ms. Kelley Vitollo on Monday, Sept 11, but we could could each post our pictures at the end of our blogs that week. Lacey you could forward me your picture and I’ll post it along with mine on my day… and Jenna if you’d like I can post yours too along with Lacey’s and mine.
Isabel
August 30th, 2006 at 11:11 amIsabel,
I think that’s a great idea
And it gives me a little bit of time to get rid of the things that aren’t supposed to be on my desk (but is due to reorganising another part of the apartment and I’ve not found a place for them yet *lol*)
I hope everyone else likes this idea. I think it could be great fun
August 30th, 2006 at 11:19 amEmily
What a great idea, ladies! I’ll have to take a picture of mine to share as well.
I actually have 2 desks–one for my desktop which is upstairs in our bonus room, and one for my laptop and all my writing stuff. I keep my writing desk neat and organized. Like Lacey, I have to have everything “in its place” before I start. On it I have my laptop and printer and a few pictures of my husband and kids. In the drawer I keep post-its, pens, my USB memory stick and lots of notes. I keep my “idea” notebook on the part that slides out for a keyboard so that I can access it quickly while writing. I keep all of my research books on the shelves along with binders that are filled with workshops (like the one Jenna & Robyn did), blogs from guest authors here, maps, character sheets, etc.
My desk upstairs is kind of messy, but I’m not the only one who uses it. It’s covered in papers and a few toys right now.
Hey Jenna–I have a DYMO label maker too! I agree, I love it!
August 30th, 2006 at 11:25 amGreat idea Isabel but so your blog isn’t too crowded with photos, I can take Jenna’s and post it..and you can do Lacey’s.
I’ve actually thought of posting my “hole” on my website somewhere but not sure which topic it should be under. Perhaps when I make the cat page I can post it under “Kitty no touchie area”? haha
I think I’ll be doing a picture retake though, not because I want to clean my desk..besides you wanna see the real deal right?? Anyhow, in the first photo I had the mini-blinds closed because of a storm (I don’t like to watch it while I’m at the pc..odd huh?). So this way you can see all the beautiful faces I look at each day when I work.
August 30th, 2006 at 7:43 pmOh, you guys I’m happy you liked my suggestion of posting pictures of our nests.
So, Lacey? Are you up for it? Email me your picture (or pictures
) sometime between now and September 8th.
Thanks!
Isabel
August 30th, 2006 at 9:06 pm