What's your space?
Are you a desker or a switcher?
Reading Nic’s post about her writing desk yesterday got me thinking about the spaces we go to write.
The ‘Writer’s Desk’ has become a bit of a symbol in the writing world; there are whole magazine columns about it, posts like Nic’s in which writers explore their own space, and of course famous desks used by writers of the past now displayed in houses and museums (and sometimes auctioned off).
But in a world where we’re increasingly mobile, and where the reality of home ownership (thereby having your own space in which to put your desk) becomes ever more distant, how many of us are writing from our writing desk and how many from whatever available space we can find?
Is having your own dedicated writing space a necessity for you, or a luxury? Is it even an accessible possibility?
In my comment on Nic’s post yesterday I named the three places I most commonly write: the dining room of my shared house when my housemates haven't got the projector on (or aren't having a conversation), my bedroom floor (no judgement please), and my partner's sofa. I’d like to add to this little list: not so often anymore but sometimes a brunch cafe or pub (with headphones/earplugs ofc), the Manchester Poetry Library, and when I’m visiting my Mum - her kitchen table.
I’m a writer of convenience. While part of me is drawn to the icon that is a writing desk of my own, it’s also unrealistic for my situation. Instead everything I have and use is portable: a small laptop, a single A4 notebook, a button up A4 pouch when needed, pens in the pockets of all my bags, a selected couple books of poetry to take to whatever writing station I’m using that day.
This does (as I said to Nic) help to keep the ‘stuff’ to a minimum at least, but as I reflect on it I think I also genuinely enjoy the different spaces, sights, and sensations offered by different environments, the versatility of knowing I can write (almost) anywhere, and sometimes just the novelty of being in a new space (or perhaps it just satisfies my ADHD’s restlessness).
I’d love to know where you’re writing from, please drop a comment and let me know if you're a desker or a switcher. And if you’re a switcher, what are some of your regular or favourite places to write from?
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I'm a switcher, often depending if I'm doing initial drafts (prefer my notebook & cafes/ transport / parks or hikes for this) or editing (on my laptop, prefer to do this at home - sofa / bed or kitchen table)