Writing Space

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.
— from A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf

Today’s Writing Group prompt: Write about your ideal writing space. Where would it be? How would you furnish it? What would you surround yourself with?

When I think of the “ideal” writing space, in my mind’s eye, I see a cozy cabin in the woods, with a window overlooking a lake.  I see a window seat with comfy pillows and curtains you could pull for privacy.  I see nearly every one of these nooks I’ve pinned on Pinterest.

The truth is, though, that it is uncomfortable for me to write in spaces like that.  I need a desk and a good chair; I don’t buy for a second that Carrie Bradshaw wrote all those columns splayed out on her belly in bed.  Think of the back pain!

My current set up is pretty good, if unfinished.  Our office has a brick fireplace and french doors that look out to the yard,  and there’s no TV in here.  I like my desk well enough, and the bookshelf to my right puts my quote books within arm’s reach.  I’ve got ambient lighting so I don’t have to depend on overhead light, which I hate.  I still need to hang art and pictures on the main walls and quotes for inspiration on the wall between the shelves of my desk, just for me, but it’s coming along.  The only thing I really need to fix is my chair.  It was fine when I bought it – a relatively inexpensive rolling chair from Ikea – and it’s held up well, but I have come to realize that it’s not quite right.  So I’m on the lookout for something more comfortable.

It’s funny to me that I seem to think with exactly the right pieces in place, I’ll be able to write regularly, magically.  As if I couldn’t do that now if it were truly imperative to me to write.