For years, I had an office in our home. It served as the household bill-paying station, a pill dispensary when my aging mother lived with us, my day-job workspace when I was a telecommuter, and my creative writing place.
The room designated as my office changed a few times. But I thrive on change. Also, every move offered an opportunity to deep clean.
Now my aging mother is in assisted living and all of our boys are out of college. You'd think that would mean a bigger home office. Or, better yet, a two-room home office where I could write and pay bills to my heart's content.
Instead, with the youngest back home launching his career and the middle and oldest ones between houses, I've had to relinquish my home office. But alas, the show must go on.
My show just has lots of different backdrops, now. Here's a sampling.
I often have about 20-30 minutes between the time I finish getting ready for work and when I have to leave. That's when I use the corner of the kitchen counter to write a couple hundred words on my WIP.
Since losing my home office space, I've taken to writing in places away from home. Meeting up with fellow writers at a local coffee shop is becoming a habit. I've also been known to head straight from work to our favorite pizza place on evenings when Hubby works late. They are fine with me pulling out my laptop and eating a grilled chicken salad while I draft a new chapter. (Or a slice of extra cheese when I've received another rejection email.)
When I need to spread out, I take over the table in the den. The problem with using the den table is that I have to clear it when someone wants to play Rummikub or Yahtzee.
One of my favorite little places to work is on my vintage secretary desk. However, it's not quite big enough for everything I need when I'm working on my WIP, queries, and updates to this website. I mostly use this space for writing letters.
The roll top desk that used to belong to my grandparents, then my uncle, landed in my house. Likely because I'm a writer and I never say no to a desk. (Not all my desks are featured in this blog post.) This is where the household chores (bill paying, file keeping, junk collecting) happens. It serves as the table for my edited drafts. It also houses my lap desk, which I use in most rooms and on our deck and porch outside. And yes, I know, I need to take those empty printer cartridges to the recycling center. The roll top, along with the den table and secretary, are all crammed in the den.
Since I'm so adept at being mobile in the home office arena, it's nothing for me to head to the beach and set up shop on the sand. I love editing with the white noise of the Atlantic Ocean lulling me into a creative trance.
Eventually, my kids will transition into the next phases of their lives and I will be able to claim a room for a home office. Until then, from all over the place, at least I can still be productive.
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