This is the room in which Virginia Woolf wrote all or parts of her major novels. Somehow, it is exactly as expected.
The Guardian UK has a piece on the rooms in which writers work, providing a picture of the room and discussing some of the habits and distractions of the room. It is a very interesting piece to flip through the lives of authors to see how they work as I am really interested in the invention process and the habits of others.
I am curious to know the reading and writing habits of those that read TRS. Since the birth of Sweet Baby J., I have been adapting my reading and writing schedules to my parenting and work schedules and it has not been easy though I think I am slowly getting the hang of it, except when insomnia hits.
I prefer to write while at home rather than at work because, even with a toddler at home, there are fewer distractions and, since my office is small, the books I need are home. Though I think this semester I will try to write more at the office this year and ensure that writing stays at school. My desk is in a separate room and faces the kitchen and faces away from the window. Megs can work anywhere. I work in the office or at our "dinning room" table.
Before SBJ, I read during the day and wrote during the evenings. Now, I begin the day early with coffee, email, and a quick read of the major papers and a few choice blogs. After the morning read my goal is to write as much as possible before lunch. I spend the afternoon editing, reading, note taking, and thinking about the next day's writing to ensure I have something to say. I do not prefer writing during the afternoon because it is my worst time of day for concentration though there are times it is easier to write than read but I must make sure I am not near a computer because my mind wanders. During the evenings, I can read but can no longer write as, if I do, I cannot shut my mind off and the insomnia begins.
Other quirky habits: my desk is a mess, always, as I pile on the next project or put the next set of books to read before I finish. When writing, I prefer to write a draft and then type the draft. When typing, I create sections as distinct word files and then copy those files to a new file for a complete draft, which helps with editing and preserves the invention process though it expands everything exponentially. When reading, I either summarize the argument on the top of the page or underline & make notes in the margins and then, when finished with a chapter, create notes and questions about the text.
Music is optional when working as it depends on the mood. It tends to be mainly instrumental, especially when writing, as the lyrics distract.
Your habits?
2 comments:
Last year I got to sit and look out of the window that Keats looked out when writing "Ode to a Mockingbird." I'd love a quiet garden view like Keats had, or access to the countryside like Woolf.
Since duckling's arrival, I write in snippets, on the couch, in hand written notes to myself, whenever and however I can. My preferred writing environment is my office at home, I don't work well in my office at school. My back is to the door so I can't get distracted by the rest of the house, I prefer classical music playing to silence. Like Solon, I my desk is usually cluttered with books, notes, papers, etc. I work best with piles.
My dream office is one in which I don't have to share my space with two litter boxes!
I have banker's hours now--well, sort of. I work while Supa-T is in daycare. When he's at home, I'm not working--unless there's something extremely pressing. Sometimes I'll get a little bit done after he's asleep at night or during naptime. Naptime is often devoted to household tasks or errand-running, however.
I fantasize about having an immaculately organized work space, but it is not in my nature to maintain anything like that. My desk is usually cluttered, as anyone who has seen my office (at home or at school) can attest.
I must have quiet. Sometimes I can handle music that doesn't have words. If there are words, I can't think--or I sing along.
I work better at school. At home, there are too many distractions: closets to organize, floors to clean, etc. Of course, when my office becomes the target of multiple drop-ins, working is a problem. It's tough to be so popular ;)
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