Nurturing My Writing – Creating a New Writing Space

Yesterday evening, I sat in my new writing corner and wrote more than 2,000 words on my novel in progress, Land of Canaan. I’ve only been writing 100-ish words (here or there) on the poor thing for quite a while now. As I was writing I realized how long it has been since I felt any sense of peace or contentment. I love my new apartment complex and between the quiet and my pretty apartment, it was nice to sit down and write in peace (with my Land of Canaan Spotify playlist and a bourbon cocktail). The last apartment was so chaotic. It’s almost shocking how quiet and nice it is here. 😊 I sometimes can’t believe how nice it is.

The writing last night was good. It was motivating for me and good for the book as I moved the plot in the right direction. Before last night, I was a little stuck. I abandoned that chapter months ago and started a new one because I was floundering. The words finally arrived last night, and it was exactly what Arden Stewart (the name of my protagonist) needed.

I spent some time working in my room yesterday before I wrote – to make it cozier and more conducive to writing. I love the way it turned out. But I decided not to hang anything on the walls because I’m still working on decorating. But the writing corner, with a view of the trees (which aren’t so pretty to look at right now) is going to work great. I added a few of my favorite writing books as well as my three favorite books from childhood as some inspiration. They are the books that made me fall in love with reading and writing (Dear Mr. Henshaw and Island of the Blue Dolphins).

My grandpa (maternal grandpa) discovered writing in his old age. He wrote some memories out and each of us (his daughters and his grandchildren) got a binder of those writings. It’s a prized possession. But as the writer in the family, I was given his little black notebook (next to Island of the Blue Dolphins) where he scribbled some of those writings. Like the binder, it is one of my most prized possessions. My grandpa grew up in the Depression, was in the Army Air Corps during WWII, and spent his career working a blue-collar job. He had a high school education. There was a writer in there though. Some of his writing was beautiful and inspired in a simple, stripped back way. I keep that on my writing desk too as a reminder to keep working at finding my voice as a writer.

While I can’t say that I’ll always find 2,000 or more words a session – it felt good to get back to it. Now to stay on track during the work week . . .

In keeping with my word for the year, I will do all I can to nurture (my word for the year) the writing by protecting that space and that part of my life in a way I haven’t before. Reorganizing my furniture and setting up a new space for the writing was part of why I did that.

Writer friends, do you have a dedicated writing space? Or do you write wherever you can?

Here’s to a successful writing year!