Creating a Writer’s Nook

My new year’s resolution: finish the novel.

I have a near complete novel that I’ve slowly been editing for over a year now. 2010 was supposed to end with a finished product, but the little bugger took up most of the year…and I am okay with that. So this year, I have one goal. Finish the novel. Amongst the chaos of brightly colored pieces of plastic that make unbearably loud noises, I decided I needed a little inspiration corner. A small space where I could clear my head and write.

I used to work from home, but my office was made over into a nursery. My desk and office supplies were moved to the basement and have been haphazardly piled over the past year. Slightly embarrassing to share, but I take comfort in knowing with near certainty that I am not the only one with a space like this one.

To be able to clear my head, I first needed to clear this space. Some things were put in storage, some were filed and many were thrown away. I cleared the desk leaving only a few things, leaving plenty of room to spread out if need be.

I moved the desk to the other side of the wall and angled it, creating a more private space. A soft bamboo throw covers the chair, along with a nice warm cup of coffee from my new Keurig coffee maker (sidebar: I love k-cups! Get one.)

A few writer’s tools: a dictionary, a baby name book and The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron. A fresh vase of flowers lightens the dark basement mood as well as a winter scented candle. An iPod docking station can play some of my favorite writing music like Josh Groban (don’t judge me) and Death Cab for Cutie.

I used a cork and marker board to serve as inspiration boards and planning tools. I hung a favorite picture from my high school photo class and a few newspaper clippings, along with some other fun finishes.

And there it sits, the first draft with lots of scratches and notes. I look forward to tackling this big and exciting project this year and hope that 2011 concludes with a completed product!

Try creating a quiet corner in your house for whatever it is that lights your fire. No plastic noisemakers aloud.