Writers are a snoopy bunch. We like to know what makes people tick, how they live, what they enjoy, what gives them pain. How else can we make our characters come to life? This week, Elizabeth Janette wants to snoop inside our own space. She’s asking for the details of where we write – with photos, of course! If you’ve joined me from Tessa Gray, welcome! How does my space compare to hers? I write in my living room. It's next to the kitchen and one short flight of stairs from the TV room, so I'm still in the middle of family life. I don't find that distracting - in fact, if I am home alone, I sometimes find it hard to focus, and have to put on music to combat the quiet. This is the view I have when I'm writing. Yes, that's still a Christmas table runner. :) You can't see out the window, but we live on a normal residential street. However, being in Northern BC, I have looked out and seen moose or deer wandering along. You may also have noticed the cat perched on the arm of the chair. That's Gilligan. She likes to lay on the back of the couch and snore loudly in my ear as I write. This is my storage area. Pink bag - swag, like postcards, pens and candy. Cardboard box - print copies of my books. Red and brown boxes - receipts, files, RWA magazines, research articles, etc. And, yes, that is a wine rack, strategically placed between everything. You never know when sustenance will be needed! Now it’s time to move on to visit Victoria Barbour's writing space. Everyone at Romance Writers Weekly is very proud of her - this week she became a USA Today bestselling author! Her wonderfully funny and touching novella, “Geek God”, is part of “Passionate Kisses 2” – a box set that hit the USA Today Top 150 books this week!
17 Comments
Collette Cameron
3/3/2015 02:31:11 am
Oh my gosh, I don't know how you write in the middle of everything. I have to have quiet and no distractions.
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 02:39:24 am
It's just what I'm used to. For years as a TV commercial writer, I worked in loud and busy offices. I learned to block out the distractions, and now I have trouble working in silence! :)
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3/3/2015 04:15:18 am
Ah. Brenda. Thanks for that kind shout out. :) I love your writing space. Maybe it's the wine, or the cat, or the cozy beauty of your living room. Either way, it's wonderful. Like you, I enjoy working in craziness. My first ever journalism job was in a busy radio newsroom. This was back in the early 90s when we still used "carts", kind of like 8-track cassettes. One of my co workers would frequently toss them around when in an editing fit. I got used to writing and ducking!
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 05:06:03 am
No need to explain carts to me, Victoria - I worked with them, too! :) And yes, they frequently were tossed about the room.
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3/3/2015 04:52:24 am
Wine is a necessity sometimes. I need my background noise as well. I live on a busy, city street so I always have music playing or the TV on for white noise or ambience. Love your space!
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 05:06:25 am
Thanks, Xio!
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3/3/2015 08:25:22 am
Very nice! Thank you for sharing, and Gilligan is adorable :D
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 08:28:39 am
She thinks so, too, Raine!
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3/3/2015 08:55:24 am
Great name for your cat & love the view of your cozy space.
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 11:03:29 am
It is a nice space, Kim. Thanks!
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Gemma Brocato
3/3/2015 09:52:55 am
That's such a pretty room. I love the rustic fireplace. Very nice.
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 11:04:05 am
Thanks, Gemma. I like the fireplace, too. My husband built the mantel, which I think really adds to it.
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Brenda Margriet
3/3/2015 11:04:34 am
Perception is reality, PJ. If you think you write better with wine, you do! :)
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3/3/2015 08:39:17 pm
I really think I'd freak out if I looked out my window and saw a moose. LOL this is awesome though and I love your cat!
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Brenda Margriet
3/4/2015 03:13:28 am
Thanks, Jo. I love moose - they're so gangly and yet so graceful. I should have posted the video I have of a momma and calf wandering down the street. And Gilligan thanks you for your kind words. :)
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3/4/2015 05:38:00 pm
I think having a pet-friend is a popular thing for writers, something that people imagine is great but that can sometimes be very distracting :D
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