Wow – did you enjoy that blog series, or what??! I love peeking over other writers’ shoulders and seeing where they create.
Judging from all your comments on Twitter and Facebook, it seems you enjoyed the series too. Thank you for all your discussion and involvement. Some of you shared photos of your own writing spaces on Facebook; others wrote blog posts inspired by the series. Here’s one by Justin Woolley on how you can improve your writing by improving where you write: http://justinwoolley.net/blog/2013/9/2/the-write-space-how-you-can-improve-your-writing-by-improving-where-you-write Thanks Justin, I’m glad I inspired you 🙂
What about you? Are you happy with where you write? If you’re thinking about improving your own writing space then, whatever you do, don’t look here or here, because they’re the types of writing spaces beyond the dreams of most writers. Still, they’re pretty! There are also photos of a bunch of famous speculative fiction authors in their writing spaces here.
Personally, I feel that the answer to the perfect writing space lies in wherever you can find the time to write – commuting, while the kids are asleep, in the park during your lunch hour, while a cat is crawling up your back and the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment, flood and fire, etc. That last reference is to a cartoon strip that you can find and chuckle over here.
So, to wrap up this series, I have just one question for you…
Whose writing space did you enjoy peeking into most?
Here’s a list of all the writing spaces I’ve featured over the last few weeks, and beneath that some of the writing spaces that readers have posted to Facebook…
Zena Shapter (me!)
Ian Irvine
Richard Harland
Rowena Cory Daniells
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Sean Williams
Charlotte Wood
Margo Lanagan
Kirsten Tranter
PM Newton
Bruce Lyman
Greg Barron
Cat Sparks
Angela Slatter
Lisa L Hannett
Trent Jamieson
Alan Baxter
Jo Anderton
Kylie Scott
Nina D’Aleo
Kirsten Krauth
Claire Scobie
Walter Mason
Deb Kalin
Fleur McDonald
Terry Dowling
Michael Pryor
Kate Forsyth
Duncan Lay
MJ Hearle
Nansi Kunze
Aleesah Darlison
Donna Maree Hanson
Nicole Murphy
Graham Storrs
Kirstyn McDermott
Jason Nahrung
Patty Jansen
Jason Fischer
Claire Corbett
Lee Battersby
David Henley
Kaaron Warren
Karen Miller
Felicity Pullman
Kim Falconer
Jennifer Fallon
Trudi Canavan
Marianne de Pierres
Pamela Freeman
Thank you also lovely readers, for posting your own photos to Facebook…
The writing space of David McDonald aka @sircamaris Ditmar-award-winning spec fic author & all-round nice guy…
Spec fic author Leife Shallcross writes here. She says that the presence of her stripey mug is a sure sign of something productive happening!
Here’s where the magic happens for award-winning children’s author @ZoyaNojin. No wonder you come up with such fantastical ideas, Zoya!
What a view from @JennJMcLeod’s writing desk! Jenn’s writing nook is Op shop bought and customised, and sits in her little corner of the country on the Coffs Coast.
Justin Woolley’s writing space comes complete with deflated Spider-man, Yorick the skull and a bright orange contact juggling ball that helps him concentrate!
Adam Collings only just set up his ‘batcave’. He used to write at the kitchen table but his kids wouldn’t leave him alone. This will work out much better, Adam!
Dmetri Kakmi writes and edits here, which seems to be working well as his memoir ‘Mother Land’ was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and he edited the acclaimed children’s anthology ‘When We Were Young’ here too. Good work, Dmetri!
One of the many writing spaces of Robert Michael Easterbrook: Cafe Fontaine, Canberra Centre, upper floor, south end, looking toward the Theatre and Canberra Museum and Galleries. Nice spot, Rob 🙂
So – which is your favourite writing space of the series??! Let me know in the comments below 🙂
Loved this series Zena. It shows it doesn’t really matter where we all write, as long as we get to sink into our subconscious, undisturbed for the time it takes to express that scene we see so vividly in our heads.
I liked them all.
Absolutely. Well said, Zoya!
Hi Zena,
Right away I am impressed with not only your writing history, I am impressed with the clarity you express your thoughts and opinions. I believe so strongly in participating with a strong literary group. I turn 80 this month and I feel sometimes I am in my 20s with considerable diversified experiences to share. It is a shame that true stories about life are not of interest as much as fiction. Most competitions set the theme and emphasize fiction as the solution. Writing has become a late in life avocation and I prefer to write about experience versus create the experience. Regardless, I enjoy a good story created or true and love telling it. I am seeking some competitions to enter, maybe you have some suggestions.
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for taking the time to say hello, and with compliments too! I love how you compare writing about experience versus creating the experience – so succinct!
I love life writing myself and have a massive shelf in my bookcase dedicated to autobiographies. So keep sharing your stories – there are plenty of readers out there waiting for you. As for competitions, I’d suggest you google ‘memoir writing competitions’. There are always a few coming up. In particular, though, the Fish memoir prize might be something for you to consider: http://www.fishpublishing.com/memoir-competition-contest.php
Good luck, and thanks again for stopping by 🙂