Writing Spaces

by Stephanie Morrill

There are some things about my writing space that are nice-to-haves. Like my worn copy of Writing the Breakout Novel or a thousand pictures of my kids.

But there are some things that I just have to have in my writing space or it wouldn't feel right:

1. My desk

My desk ... and my dog, KC. I was standing in his bed to take the picture :)

I have a serious emotional attachment to my desk. The moment I saw it at Pottery Barn 10 years ago and realized it was somewhat in my price range, I had a serious furniture crush. It's the first piece of quality furniture I ever bought for myself, and I really can't imagine me ever parting with it. We've just been through too much together.

2. A honkin' bulletin board

Before the bulletin board, I would take the framed posters off my wall and tape my sticky notes to them, until one day when my mom came down to my office for something, saw what I was doing, and informed me that I would be getting a huge corkboard for Christmas. It's actually a roll of cork that my husband and father screwed into the wall. Amazing for storyboarding, keeping track of notes, or organizing pictures and stuff for my current work in progress.

3. A timer

She's nothing fancy, but this timer has seen me through some tough times. Typically I keep it set for 25 minutes, and when I'm having trouble staying on task with writing, I tell myself I can't get up from my chair or do anything else until I've written for 25 minutes. I'm amazed at how well this pushes me through those times when I'm feeling too lazy to write.

4. Lots and lots of shelves

What's not to love about having a ridiculous amount of shelves in your office?

5. My aunt's writing books

My aunt passed away 2 years ago. She had always been very encouraging of my writing and even made a special trip up here for my first book signing despite being crazy sick at the time. (That's what the framed picture is of.) She had told me once when I was in middle school that she also liked to write, though she wrote creative nonfiction type stuff and never talked much about it.

After her funeral, we were back at her house, and I needed a quiet room for feeding Connor (he was 2 months old at the time) before we drove back to Kansas City. My uncle offered their bedroom, so I went in there. It was very emotional to be in a room so full of her, having just watched her casket be lowered into the ground. Close by was a cabinet with glass doors on it full of pretty decor type things, and then those tattered writing books pictured above. Even though she never published anything, even though she never even tried from what I know, she had clearly worked hard to improve her craft. I hadn't realized until I saw those how precious writing had been to her.

Weeks later, when my uncle asked if there was anything I wanted of hers, I knew exactly what would mean the most to me.

6. My cup

My parents travel quite a bit. When they were in Switzerland a few year ago, they saw this cup and saucer in a store and thought of me. I adore it. And if they're not going to take me with them to all these cool places, at least they bring back amazing stuff, right?

7. Giraffes

Bronte, Hemingway, and Zora

I almost didn't include my giraffes because I'm so used to them. To me it feels as obvious as saying, "My office must have a computer." My brother-in-law gave me my first giraffe for Christmas the first year that I was officially his sister. Around its neck he'd hung a tag that read, "Hemingway." Otherwise I don't know if I would have thought to put him on my desk.

I have quite a few now, and my office wouldn't feel the same without.

What's in your writing space that makes it uniquely yours?