Seeker Writing Spaces: A Virtual Tour

Good morning, Seekerville! Myra here. Having just moved into (and I use that phrase loosely!) a new house (new to us, anyway) AND attempting to get my home office organized enough to be usable, I’m too brain-dead to think very deeply about composing a writerly Seekerville blog post.

Here I am, in makeup and earrings, no less, to show you  my new office!

So today, instead of witty words of writing wisdom, I offer up a sampling of Seeker writing spaces. Some may inspire you.  Some may leave you with a renewed sense of pride in your own working arrangements.

Others may make you wonder how a particular Seeker gets any writing done with all the cleaning and preening she must be doing 14 hours a day to keep her office (and herself!) looking so good!

Let’s begin with Missy’s writing space. Here’s how she describes it:

“I have taken over a bookshelf and some storage space in my college son's bedroom. But I actually do my writing on my laptop in the family room. My family tries to be patient as I spread out over the course of writing a book! It becomes a battle of the couch cushions. :)”

Missy and her MacBook on the sofa

Hmmm, doesn’t look like much of a battle to me. Missy looks like queen of the family room with her nifty little MacBook. And she’s dressed and wearing makeup! Who writes with makeup???

Next up we have Sandra. Oh, my, if this doesn’t make you envious, nothing will! Sandra has this to say about her workspace:

“I write best while traveling in my motorhome. Too many chores at home. I put my computer on the dash and hubby points the window toward the best view.  ‘Here is your lakeside office.’ or ‘Here is your beach office.’ or ‘Here is your mountain top office.’ Am I blessed or what?”

Sandra enjoys the view from her motorhome office.

Let’s just hope hubby doesn’t put the motorhome in gear and then go racing around any sharp curves while Sandra is in creative mode!

Next we have two views of Janet’s office. For the first photo, obviously Janet straightened things up so her office would show well in the picture. At least I hope so, because if this is how it usually looks when she’s hard at work, the rest of us are WAY outclassed!

Janet in designer office and designer zebra top!

Now be honest, folks. Don’t you like the next photo best? It shows a much more normal-looking workspace with papers strewn haphazardly across the desk. However, Janet looks too gorgeous and put together for an average writing day!

Janet looking sharp as usual but with a much messier desk!

Oops, here’s another super-neat office. Cara welcomes you into this epitome of organization. What a clever storage unit, and we can’t help but admire those gorgeous Ladies of Summerhill book covers on display! I don’t see any signs of a computer, however, so Cara must be out working in her sunroom.

Cara's home office--too neat for words!

Julie provided pix of two work areas--her “real” office and her “nature” office.  Typical of a Julie Lessman novel, she was somewhat more verbose when providing her descriptions:

“I share an office with the love of my life, who sits about two to three feet behind me in a tiny 11'x12' room, so it gets REAL cozy ... especially whenever I put lip gloss on because I always share with a kiss!! Keith is an artist who needs music, and I am a writer who needs quiet, so he's kind enough to wear headphones, but the finger drumming about sends me through the roof. Consequently, I've taken to writing in the lounger in the hearth room in front of a fire during the winter and outside on the lower deck in the spring/summer/autumn.”

Julie at her "real" desk, obviously waiting for a kiss from hubby!

“In my official office, you will notice the essentials: pictures of Rhett and Scarlett, pictures of my hubby, Kleenex (a MUST!!) and a candle. This office picture was taken in the evening, so no hazelnut coffee, but come morning, my feet are up on an ottoman outside on the lower deck, and I have hazelnut coffee, Kleenex, lip gloss, a mirror (to capture those facial expressions, don't you know!) and the phone. Keith and I visit throughout the day, when he comes down or I go up for more coffee, and it's not unusual for me to be working in the dark on the deck with fireflies and the sound of locusts. All in all, a WONDERFUL writing environment!!”

Now this is the life! Lookin' good, Julie!

Okay, Julie, you had me at “fireflies and locusts.” Our new home has a lovely screened porch overlooking a forested backyard. I may be doing a LOT more writing “out of office” in the coming months!

Except . . . here we go with the makeup thing again. What’s with writing and makeup, gals???

Okay, okay, I get it! For the picture, riiiiiight? But another MacBook girl--you and Missy are women after my own heart!

Next let’s visit Tina’s office. Now THIS is a woman I can relate to! Let’s call it “creative organization.” Everything within easy reach, and I’m guessing Tina knows how to instantly put her hands on whatever she needs. Tina chose to let the photograph speak for itself, and so shall I.

Tina's office, a place for everything, and everything . . . somewhere!

Next stop on the tour is Debby’s office. She almost chickened out of sending me her photo because she feared her office would be the most cluttered of them all. I assured her it definitely is NOT! Like Tina, she can probably lay her hands on anything she needs with minimal shuffling. We’re creative right-brainers, right? Normal people could not begin to understand our organizational systems!

(Notice Debby’s “Writer’s Prayer” is right there on top.)

Debby's office. Creative genius at work!

And now, without further ado, we step through the hallowed doors of my own home office. It’s still a work-in-progress, but at least I have the essentials in place. Books galore, including another bookshelf across the room that’s even taller (and, right now, MUCH messier). Notice several shelves are dedicated to my dear Seeker sisters (which could someday require an entire room, at the rate things are going). 

Myra's bookcases. (At least the ones you can see.)

And here’s my computer desk. Mouse pad with homemade ergonomic wrist rest.  Coffee mug warmer. Reference books within easy reach. Supplies close at hand. Character photos next to the computer. Plus an enticing treetop view of our forested backyard.

Myra's desk with backyard view.

Then there’s the treadmill and treadmill desk just waiting for me to leap from my padded chair into calorie-burning mode (could be a looooong wait). Oh, and lest I forget, my two faithful writing companions, Gracie and Shadow, always underfoot. Literally.

Gracie and Shadow, Myra's live-in muses.

Comments, anyone? Care to describe your own writing space? Include a link to a photo if you dare!

One lucky commenter on today’s post will receive a copy of Organizing for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Styles for Conquering Clutter, Mastering Time, and Reaching Your Goals, by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping. (Winner’s choice of paperback or Kindle edition.)