Writing Studio

[John Desjarlais]

Having a 'room of one's own' (with apologies to Virginia Woolf) is important to some writers - at least a dedicated space for writing. On occasion I can write in a library (though I'm distracted by all the books) and sometimes in a cafe (though I feel self-conscious: "Hey, everyone, look at me working"). But now that my son is grown and gone and his old bedroom is vacant, that has become my Writing Studio. I hear John Updike had three rooms for writing, one for fiction, one for poetry, one for essays. For me, one room, lined with books and good morning light, will do. I'm painting it this week and building new book shelves, putting in a plant or two for company and to recycle the carbon dioxide of my frequent sighs. The point is that when I go into this room I am 'at work,' and if I can stick to a predetermined time schedule, I just might have the sequel to BLEEDER mostly done by the end of December. Only question now is: How long will it take for this clean, well lighted place (apologies to Ernie Hemingway) to become cluttered? Guess I'll need to learn to use files, not piles. What's your writing space like?


John

http://www.johndesjarlais.com